which illustrate them. But when he comes to practical delivery, then the
mind should be withdrawn from the manner of utterance, and concentrated
intensely upon the matter,--the thoughts and feelings to be expressed. In
private rehearsals, the management of the voice will be a very prominent
object of attention. Declamation is a sort of transition stage, or
intermediate exercise between private rehearsal and practical delivery at
the bar, in the pulpit, or on the platform, and will require more or less
attention to the voice, in proportion to the progress already made by the
pupil. Judicious practice will gradually carry him to that point where he
will wholly cease to think of his manner, and become entirely absorbed in
his subject. He then becomes natural. But even the most accomplished orator
must occasionally give some thought to his voice. When he rises to address
an audience in a new place he must consider the circumstances,--the
capacity of the apartment, the nature and temper of his auditors, &c., and
pitch his voice accordingly. In other words, the speaker must on all
occasions give a general attention to his voice,--sufficient, at least, to
adapt it to the requirements of the position in which he is placed,
modifying it in the progress of the discourse, as the necessity of the case
demands. If the matter of his discourse is very familiar, the skilful
speaker may greatly augment the effectiveness of his delivery by more
particular attention to the manner, while he will seem wholly absorbed in
the spirit and sense of what he utters.


GESTURE.

The limited space allotted to this introduction will not permit a full
discussion of this topic, and I must content myself with presenting a few
general observations concerning it.