stain from his coat. The writer cannot do all this. The mere rendition
of the written discourse is nothing for the orator; his talent consists
in taking advantage of a great number of little nameless sounds.

A written discourse must contain forced epithets and adjectives to
illustrate the subject. In a spoken discourse a great number of
adjectives are worse than useless. Gesture and inflection of the voice
supply their place. The sense is not in the words; it is in inflection
and gesture.



_Retroaction._


We have formulated this general law: The eccentric, normal and
concentric expression must correspond to the sensitive, moral and
intellectual state of man. When gesture is concerned, the law is thus
modified: In the sensitive state, the gesture, which is naturally
eccentric, may become concentric, as the orator is passive or active.

He is passive when subject to any action whatever, when he depicts an
emotion.

He is agent when he communicates to the audience the expression of his
own will or power; in a word, at all times when he controls his
audience.

When the orator assumes the passive rôle, that is, when he reflects, he
gazes upon his audience; he makes a backward (or concentric) movement;