hands (I could almost say) speak themselves. Do we not by them, demand, promise, call, dismiss, threaten, supplicate, express abhorrence and terror, question and deny? do we not by them express joy and sorrow, doubt, confession, repentance, measure, quantity, number and time? do they not also encourage, supplicate, restrain, convict, admire, respect? and in pointing out places and persons, do they not discharge the office of adverbs and pronouns ? so that in the great diversity of languages, which obtain among all kingdoms and nations, theirs appears to me the universal language of mankind.-Cresollius goes far beyond Quintilian; the very contents or title of the chapter in which he treats of the hands, are in this spirit: The hand, the admirable contrivance of the Divine Artist.--The minister of reason. Without the hand no eloquence.'

... Man, I say, full of wisdom and divinity, could have appeared nothing superior to a naked trunk or a block, had he not been adorned with this interpreter and messenger of his thoughts.'

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Every thing, it must be confessed, depends on the hand it gives strength and colouring to eloquence, and adds force and nerves to the riches of thought, which, otherwise languid, creeping on the ground, and deficient in vigour, would lose all estimation. In my judgement, therefore, the hand may properly be called a second tongue, because nature has adapted it by the most wonderful contrivance for illustrating the art of persuasion.

The positions of the hand are determined by four different circumstances. 1st. By the dispositions of the fingers. 2d. By the manner in which the palm is represented. 3d. By the combined disposition of both hands. 4th. By the part of the body on which they are occasionally placed.

FIRST LINE. 1. Downwards across. 2 Downwards forward. 3. Downwards oblique. 4 Downwards extended. Downwards backwards.

Position of the Arm.

SECOND LINE.

I Horizontal across.
2 Horizontal forward.
3 Horizontal oblique.
4 Horizontal extended.
5
Horizontal backwards.

THIRD LINE.

I Elevated across.
2 Elevated forwards.
3 Elevated oblique..
4 Elevated extended.
5 Elevated backwards.

These fifteen positions, arising from three original directions, downwards, horizontal, and elevated, will be found sufficient to represent most of the ordinary gestures. They contain a great variety; for when they are performed by the right, by the left, or by both together, they produce forty five positions. Each of these positions may be varied, almost ad infinitum when we consider all the degrees and kinds of tone, passion and emotion which occur in public speaking; all of which influence the character of the gesture, in the same manner as they do the expressions of the voice.

As the head gives the chief grace to the person, so does it principally contribute to the expression of grace in Delivery. It must be held in an erect and natural position. For when hung down, it is expressive of humlity; when turned upwards, of arrogance; when inclined to one side, it expresses langour; and when stiff and rigid, it indicates a degree of barbarity in the mind. Its movements should be suited to the character of the delivery; they should accord with the gesture, and fall in with the action of the hands, and the motions of the body. When the hand approaches the head, the head bends forward to meet it; when the hand moves from the head, the head is in general held back or averted. In submission, when the hands are prone and the arms descend, it bends downwards, and accords with the movements of the hands and arms.- -The eyes, which are of the utmost consequence to the orator, are always to be directed as the gesture points; except when we have occasion to condemn, or refuse, or to require any object to be removed; on which occasion we should at the same movement express aversion in our countenance, and reject by our gesture.

The sides should also bear their part in gesture. The motions of the body contribute, says Cicero, much to the effect in delivery. Indeed he is of opinion that they are not inferior to the hands. In his work De Oratore, he says, No affected motions of

the fingers, no measured cadence of their articulation. Let the gesture rather regulate itself by the movements of the whole trunk, and by the manly inflexion of the sides.The raising up or shrugging of the shoulders in order to express indifference or contempt, is merely theatrical, and should be sparingly used even on the stage. Quintilian condemns it altogether

in an orator.

The Stroke and Time of Gesture.

The arm, the hand, and the fingers united in one flexible line of several joints, which combine together their mutual action, form the grand instrument of gesture, or, as Cicero calls it, the weapon of oratory.' The centre of motion of this combined line, is the shoulder, which does not move altogether in the form of an inflexible line; but each joint becomes often a new centre of motion, for the position between it and the extremity. Accordingly in directing the gesture to any particular point, the upper arm first arrives at its proper position, then the fore arm turning on the joint of the elbow, and lastly the hand moving on the joint of the wrist; and in some cases there is a fourth motion of the fingers from the knuckles next the palm; this last motion is the expanding of the collected fingers.

The stroke of the gesture is analogous to the impression of the voice, made on those words, which it would illustrate or enforce; it is used for the same purpose and should fall precisely on the same place, that is, on the accented syllable of the emphatical word, so that the emphatical force of the voice, and the most lively stroke of the gesture, co-operate in order to present the idea in the most lively and distinguished manner, as well to the eye as to the ear of the hearer. The stroke of the gesture is to the eye, what emphasis and inflexions of voice are to the ear, and it is capable of equal force and variety.When there is little effort or variety of expression of voice,

such as in the simple and narrative parts of a discourse, the gesture in such cases, if any be used, ought to be tame and simple; but in the more impassioned parts, they are both equally exerted: the voice is elevated and varied, and the gesture becomes more bold and frequent. The gesture also in many instances, imitates the inflexions of the voice. When the voice rises, the gesture seems also naturally to ascend ; and when the voice makes the falling inflexion, or lowers its tones, the gesture follows it by a corresponding descent; and in the level and monotonous pronunciation of the voice, the gesture seems to observe a similar limitation, by moving rather in the horizontal direction without varying its elevation.

But if

With respect to the commencement of gesture, it is a good general rule, that it should accompany the words, that is, that it should never precede nor follow them. But it must be observed, that this is only a general rule. When it is applied to the calmer parts of a discoure, it will be found nearly correct. the speaker be warmed or excited, some difference of tone however small, will take place between the gesture and the language. Hence the order of the combined expressions of the signs of a public speaker will be thus: in calm discourse the words and gestures are nearly contemporaneous; and in high passion the order is, 1. The eyes. 2. The countenance. 3. The gestures. 4. The language. But here it must be particularly noticed, that the interval between each is extremely limited.

The occasions on which the left hand may be used, are nearly the following. 1. When the persons addressed are on the left side, the left hand naturally performs the principal gesture, in order to avoid the awkwardness of gesticulating much across the body. 2. The necessary discrimination of objects opposed to each other, requires the left hand alternately to assume the principal gesture. 3. The advantage of variety. 4. The power of giving not only variety but force by occasionally elevating and bestowing, as

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it were, upon the retired hand, all the spirit and authority of the gesture. These changes, where the right hand resigns the principal gesture to the left, not only take place in dialogue and in some of the higher strains of tragedy, but even in oratory. It takes place when the speaker is at the left of him who delivers his opinion.- -The preacher being obliged to address himself to every individual assembled in the church, should as much as possible extend his attention to all and must of course, in leaning or turning round to the left side, often find it necessary, if he use any, to make the principal gesture with his left hand. The barrister has occasion to use the left hand also, by not having it always in his power to place both judge and jury, each of whom he must address, on his right side. These are the principal lo'cal situations which admit the gestures of the left hand.

The hand and foot should in general correspond, that is, when we gesticulate with the right hand, the right foot should be most advanced; and vice versa. Some particular occasions may require a deviation from this rule, but in general it will be found correct.

It must carefully be observed, that in the changes made from one hand to the other, the transitions should be managed with ease and simplicity. As soon as the advanced hand has made the stroke of its emphatical gesture, it should fall quietly to rest; whilst at the same time, the hand which in its turn is to assume the principal action, commences its preparation for the ensuing gesture.

The termination of gesture, or rather the emphatical gesture which terminates, is generally made about the horizontal elevation, but sometimes may also be made downwards or elevated according to the sentiment. The horizontal termination, suits decision and instruction; the downward, disapprobation and condemnation; and the elevated, pride, high passion, and devotion.