An Original Dissertation On Public Speaking.

AN ORIGINAL DISSERTATION ON PUBLIC SPEAKING .

BY BRO . EJtRA HOLMES . ( Continued from Zi 7 . ) Delivered in the TOAVU Hall , Colchester , before the Members of the Y . M . C . A .

See Hamlets celebrated address to the p layers ( act 3 , scene 2 ) . The Greeks Avere so nice in points of eloquence , and so offended with a vicious pronunciation that they would not suffer

the public crier to proclaim their laws unless he was accompanied by a musician , who , in case of aA * icious tone , might be ready to give him the proper pitch and expression . It Avould seem that the toAvn criers of

classic story could boast of a degree of oratorical propriety , from which their modern successors must have sadl y degenerated . What would have became of the Colchester TOAVU Bellman in thosedays ?

Attention to the rising and falling inflections , proper accentuation , distinct utterance , and such animation as uses appropriate action and gesture—these are the great things to study in a speaker .

Bro . Ernra Holmes , alluding to the ludicrous effects of a Avrong accent , instanced a case in point , Avhere he heard a clergyman once iu church reading the story of the old

prophet say— " And he said , saddle me the ass . And they saddled him . " As to action and declamation , Barron , the French Garrick , speaking of acting , said : —

" Rules may teach us not to raise the arms above the head , but if passion carries them , it will be Avell done . Passion knoAvs more than art . " Massillon , the great French preacher , so

far affected Barron Avith one of his magnificent sermons , as to force the confession from him to one of his companions : — "My friend , " said he , "this is an orator , Ave are only actors ! " I suppose , the

lecturer continued , to be really ready speakers Ave should adopt Fox ' s plan ( or was it Pitt ' s ?) to get up whenever opportunity offered , aud speak upon the subject then introduced , Avhether Ave knew much or little about it .

The excellent impromptu speech plan of the Ipswich Mutual Improvement Society , introduced on stated occasions , is

An Original Dissertation On Public Speaking.

well worthy of imitation in similar institutions elsewhere , as tending to make ready speakers . I had the pleasure once of attending one of these gatherings . Questions were

propounded by any one amongst the audience , and five or six of the members volunteered to speak on the subject given to them . The questions , Avhich Avere Avritten down on slips of paper , Avere put into a hat with

the names of the impromptu speakers on similar slips . They Avere draAvn out at random , as is the fashion at lotteries , and Avhichever query fell to the lot of each member , he

had at once to get up , and Avithout the smallest ] : > reparatior ., speak upon the question then introduced . If I remember rightly , the questions and

subjects suggested aud proposed were the folloAving : — 1 st . Are class distinctions a necessity in highly civilised society ? 2 . Satire !

3 . What does Ireland want ? ( Rather a Avide question , and one that is found to be rather difficult to answer ) , 4 . Is it right to kill for sport ? 5 . Beards and moustaches I

These questions and subjects have no lack of variety at all events , and they Avere for the most part very fairly treated . As the speeches Avere perforce extempore in the most ample sense , and by junior

members , they no doubt were sketchy and someAvhat wanting in finish , but they afforded considerable amusement , and served the purpose for Avhich they Avere intended , viz ., to create ready speakers .

After all , there is more in the method of delivery , than in the thing itself . Great orators' speeches are often poor Avhen reduced to writing . Josh Billings says , "the power of oratory lays more in the manner

than in the matter ; you can t reduce it to Avriting any more than you can play a streak of lightning on a hand organ /" The great art of speaking well is to be en rapport , as the mesmerists say , with your audience ; to know what it likes ; when it is

pleased , and when it is tired ; and the greatest art of all is , perhaps , to know when to stop . The usefulness of attending to what a late M . P . of my acquaintance calls sucking peoples' brains as bogs suck eggs , is another thing worth remembering by a would-be