It is to be remembered, that the action, in expressing the various humours and passions, for which I have here given rules, is to be suited to the age, sex, condition, and circumstances of the character.  Violent anger, or rage, for example, is to be expressed with great agitation; (see Anger) but the rage of an infirm old man, of a woman, and of a youth, are all different from one another, and from that of a man in the flower of his age, as every speaker’s discretion will suggest.  A hero may shew fear, or sensibility of pain; but not in the same manner as a girl would express those sensations.  Grief may be expressed by a person reading a melancholy story or description of a room.  It may be acted upon the stage.  It may be dwelt upon by the pleader at the bar; or it may have a place in a sermon.  The passion is still grief.  But the manner of expressing it will be different in each of the speakers, if they have judgment.

A correct speaker does not make a movement of limb, or feature, for which he has not a reason.  If he addresses heaven, he looks upward.  If he speaks to his fellow-creatures, he looks round upon them.  The spirit of what he says, or is said to him, appears in his look.  If he expresses amazement, or would excite it, he lifts up his hands and eyes.  If he invites to virtue and happiness, he spreads his arms, and looks benevolent.  If he threatens the vengeance of heaven against vice, he bends his eye-brow into wrath and menaces with his arm and countenance.  He does not needlessly saw the air with his arm, nor stab himself with his finger.  He does not clap his right hand upon his breast, unless he has occasion to speak of himself, or to introduce conscience, or somewhat sentimental.  He does not start back, unless he wants to express horror or aversion.  He does not come forward, but when he has occasion to solicit.  He does not raise his voice, but to express somewhat peculiarly emphatical.  He does not lower it, but to contrast the raising of it.  His eyes, by turns, according to the humour of the matter he has to express, sparkle fury, brighten into joy, glance disdain, melt into grief, frown disgust and hatred, languish into love, or glare distraction.

On Reading and Speaking.

FROM BLAIR’S LECTURES.

The first object of a reader or speaker, is, to be clearly understood by his hearers.  In order for this, it is necessary that he should pronounce his words distinctly, and deliberately; that he should carefully avoid the two extremes of uttering either too fast, or too slow; and that his tone of voice should be perfectly natural.

A reader or speaker should endeavor to acquire a perfect command of his voice; so as neither to stun his hearers by pitching it upon too high a key; nor tire their patience by obliging them to listen to sounds which are scarcely audible.  It is not the loudest speaker, who is always the best understood; but he who pronounces upon that key which fills the space occupied by the audience.  That pitch of voice, which is used in ordinary conversation, is usually the best for a public speaker.