LECTURE LII. Of other helps to Oratory: particularly, T LII. HERE are three things necessary to LECT. form a good orator; nature, art, and practice. Nature begins the work, art conducts it, and practice completes it. By nature I mean the happiness of a good and towardly genius. For where this is wanting, as a foundation, there can be little hopes of raising any confiderable fuperftructure. And therefore Apollonius, the rhetorician, has been very much commended by several antient writers, for his prudence, and justice to his scholars. For it is reported of him, that as he greatly encouraged those in the purfuit of their ftudies, who appeared to be of a promifing difpofition; fo where he difcovered in any an incapacity and want of genius, he would advise them not to lofe their time and pains; and direct them to fuch other employments, as were more fuited to their capacities. But every natural defect ought not to be esteemed fufficient to deter us from any laudable defign, we are inclined. LECT. to profecute. Labor and industry have LII. often effected wonders. Demofthenes's imperfection of speech, and both his and Cicero's weak voice at first, might have difcouraged lefs generous minds from any hopes of ever making a figure in oratory. But had they not furmounted those difficulties by a continued labor, and inflexible refolution, the world had been deprived of two of the greatest orators, who ever appeared in it, BUT where nature has been most kind and bountiful, the affistance of art is yet neceffary. For as art is nothing else, but á system of precepts, confifting of what has been thought by experience, and the opinion of the best judges, moft proper and neceffary to acquire any part of knowledge; in the present ftate of things, nature is fcarce ever found fo indulgent to any, as to furnish them with what is most perfect in its kind in all its parts, without calling in the affiftance and direction of art. Thus particularly in oratory; if a perfon has the happiness of a ready and copious invention, he may want judgement to digeft and compofe his thoughts in a proper and regular order; which will render his difcourfes confused, and lefs agreable. Or if he has this latter LII. latter faculty, he may want fome affiftance L ECT. to help his invention. Again, if he has naturally a flow of words, and readiness of expreffion, he may ftill be at a loss how to manage it to the best advantage. Art will be very neceffary to direct him in the choice of his words and phrafes, and how to accommodate them best to every particular subject and occafion: when brevity and plainess of expreffion is most proper, and when a more gay and florid dress; what parts of his difcourfe require an even and smooth stile, and what more raised and fonorous periods; and particularly what figures are best fuited to ftrike the imagination, or move the paffions, and when and how to use them. And fhould he be either fo fortunate, or industrious, as in a good degree to acquire this fkill himself, he may however want affiftance to form his pronunciation and action; which is the more likely, because in this persons are leaft able to make a judgement of themfelves, or to discover their own faults, and confequently to correct them. Now in all those particulars, and others that might be mentioned, it is scarce to be expected, that any one should of himself fall into that way, which is beft; and therefore art must be fervice 4 LII. LECT. ferviceable to all. I am sensible, that many have gained the character of good fpeakers, and very deservedly, merely from the force of a happy genius, without much art or ftudy; but yet they are only fo comparatively, and the beft judges admire them with that allowance: and all will own, they would have greatly excelled themfelves, had they been furnished with the affiftance of art and learning. It seems plain therefore, that nature and art must both concur, in order to form an orator. BUT there are other helps conducive to this end, befides a fyftem of rules. These indeed may in fome measure enable a perfon, as a critic, to judge of the performances of others; but they are not sufficient alone to make him a good speaker himself. And therefore, as I have already imployed many difcourfes in laying down the rules of art; I fhall now go on to treat of such other things, as feem neceffary to gain the character of an orator. And these are hearing, reading, writing, and imitation; the three firft of which I fhall confider breifly in my present discourse. Ir is a maxim no lefs true, than common, that examples influence more than precepts. Nothing excites us so much to the LII. the pursuit of any thing we are inclined LET. to, as to see or hear the fame thing done by others. Barely to be told how any thing is performed, or to have rules given for the doing it, may indeed make it seem practicable; but when it is done before us, this fets it in the strongest light, and comes nearest to the doing it ourselves. Thus to hear a fine discourse pronounced in a just and graceful manner, naturally excites an emulation in thofe, who have any view themselves ever to speak in public. And while they observe the justness of the thoughts, and several ways of reasoning; the order and connexion of the parts; the propriety and beauty of the language; and the various methods of addreffing to, and moving the paffions, by a fuitable voice and gefture: this must not only animate, but also very much affift them to perform the like themselves. BUT tho hearing the best and most celebrated orators is attended with these advantages; yet there are others no less confiderable, which are principally to be gained by reading. In hearing a perfon speak, the neceffity of keeping pace with him, many times prevents the weighing duly all that he says. Some things perhaps are but flightly |