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Article AN ORIGINAL DISSERTATION ON PUBLIC SPEAKING. ← Page 2 of 3 Article AN ORIGINAL DISSERTATION ON PUBLIC SPEAKING. Page 2 of 3 →
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An Original Dissertation On Public Speaking.
speaker . Some brilliant orators get most of their information as it Avere at second hand in this Avay , Avhich is the reason they are always brilliant and never profound . Speaking of the great art , and a great art
it is , of knowing Avhen to stop ( perhaps some of the readers of the "Masonic Magazine" are already thinking that the lecturer himself might take a lesson ) , I would not have men , like a sheep ' s-head ,
all jaw , nor should they be brought up to talk a horse ' s hind leg off , to use a common expression . By no means . But surel y it must be admitted that that man is a more useful
member of society Avho can address a family gathering at a Avedding breakfast without making himself the laughing stock of the company ; Avho can preside worthily over an assemblage of his felloAV townsmen
without reminding us forcibly of that illiterate personation of fatuous grandiloquence , Shakespeare ' s chief constable in Much Ado about Nothing—Master Dogberry ; AVIIO can enliven other than
pot-shop audiences Avith the fertility of his Avit , the richness of his humour , and the poAvers of his pathos , in exciting joy and sorrow , laughter and tears ; I say it must be admitted that he is a more useful
member of society AVIIO can speak readily , calmly , temperately and Avith effect Avhen suddenly called upon so to do , either before a multitude , or only in converse Avith a few friends , than he who bungles and
flounders OA'er a vote of thanks to the performers at a concert , Avho utters the feeblest inanities , the poorest platitudes , Avhen asked to respond to the toast of , let us say , the Army and Navy , or Church and
State , at a public dinner , or AVIIO stammers and stumbles over the presentation to the superintendent of the Sunday School . Wherever there is not a debating society
ahead }* in existence , the young men should form one and learn by practice the art of spieaking well . Readiness of repartee , which is of itself a great gift , is almost necessary in an extemporaneous speaker .
The following anecdote may not be out of place as illustrative of its effects : In the debate on the Occasional Conformity and Schism Bills in the House of Lords , in December , 1718 , they were very warmly opposed by Atterbury , Bishop of
An Original Dissertation On Public Speaking.
Rochester , who said he had prophesied last winter this bill would be attempted in the present session , and he was sorry to find lie had proved a true prophet . Lord Connigsby , AVIIO always spoke in a rage ,
rose immediately after the Bishop , and remarked that one of the Right Reverends had set himself forth as a prophet , but for his part he did not know what prophet to liken him to , unless to that famous prophet
Balaam , who loas reproved by his own ass . The Bishop , in reply , Avith great wit and calmness exposed his rude attack , concluding in these words : " Since the noble Lord hath discovered in our manner such
similitude , I am Avell content to be compared to the prophet Balaam ; but , my Lords , I am at a loss how to make put the other part of the parallel . I am sure I have been reproved by nobody but his Lordship "
From that day forth , Lord Connigsby Avas called Atterbury ' s ass . This reminds me of another , an instance of Curran and the Judge—I believe it was Lord Norbury or Lord Clare .
Whilst Curran Avas speaking , a donkey brayed outside the court . The Judge , who never missed an opportunity of galling the great advocate , whom he hated , looked up and said , " One at a time , if you please I "
Curran took no notice , but during a pause Avhen the Judge Avas summing up , the donkey brayed again , and Curran , looking up Avith feigned astonishment , said : " Did your Lordship speak ?"
Speaking of Curran reminds me of another ancedote , shoAving the keenness of his satire told of his passages of arms-with Lord Clare , who never lost a chance of si ) ubbing an d insultingthe eminent barrister .
One day Avhen it Avas known that Curran was to make an elaborate argument in Chancery , the Chancellor brought in a great Newfoundland dog Avith him , placed him on the bench , and during the progress of the argument lent his ear much more
to the dog than to the barrister . At last the Chancellor seemed to lose all regard for appearances , for propriety , and decorum ; he turned himself quite aside in the most material part of the case and began in full court to fondle the animal .
Curran stopped short . " Go on , go on , Mr . Curran , " said Lord Clare . "Oh , " replied Curran , "I beg a thousand pardons , my Lord . I really
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
An Original Dissertation On Public Speaking.
speaker . Some brilliant orators get most of their information as it Avere at second hand in this Avay , Avhich is the reason they are always brilliant and never profound . Speaking of the great art , and a great art
it is , of knowing Avhen to stop ( perhaps some of the readers of the "Masonic Magazine" are already thinking that the lecturer himself might take a lesson ) , I would not have men , like a sheep ' s-head ,
all jaw , nor should they be brought up to talk a horse ' s hind leg off , to use a common expression . By no means . But surel y it must be admitted that that man is a more useful
member of society Avho can address a family gathering at a Avedding breakfast without making himself the laughing stock of the company ; Avho can preside worthily over an assemblage of his felloAV townsmen
without reminding us forcibly of that illiterate personation of fatuous grandiloquence , Shakespeare ' s chief constable in Much Ado about Nothing—Master Dogberry ; AVIIO can enliven other than
pot-shop audiences Avith the fertility of his Avit , the richness of his humour , and the poAvers of his pathos , in exciting joy and sorrow , laughter and tears ; I say it must be admitted that he is a more useful
member of society AVIIO can speak readily , calmly , temperately and Avith effect Avhen suddenly called upon so to do , either before a multitude , or only in converse Avith a few friends , than he who bungles and
flounders OA'er a vote of thanks to the performers at a concert , Avho utters the feeblest inanities , the poorest platitudes , Avhen asked to respond to the toast of , let us say , the Army and Navy , or Church and
State , at a public dinner , or AVIIO stammers and stumbles over the presentation to the superintendent of the Sunday School . Wherever there is not a debating society
ahead }* in existence , the young men should form one and learn by practice the art of spieaking well . Readiness of repartee , which is of itself a great gift , is almost necessary in an extemporaneous speaker .
The following anecdote may not be out of place as illustrative of its effects : In the debate on the Occasional Conformity and Schism Bills in the House of Lords , in December , 1718 , they were very warmly opposed by Atterbury , Bishop of
An Original Dissertation On Public Speaking.
Rochester , who said he had prophesied last winter this bill would be attempted in the present session , and he was sorry to find lie had proved a true prophet . Lord Connigsby , AVIIO always spoke in a rage ,
rose immediately after the Bishop , and remarked that one of the Right Reverends had set himself forth as a prophet , but for his part he did not know what prophet to liken him to , unless to that famous prophet
Balaam , who loas reproved by his own ass . The Bishop , in reply , Avith great wit and calmness exposed his rude attack , concluding in these words : " Since the noble Lord hath discovered in our manner such
similitude , I am Avell content to be compared to the prophet Balaam ; but , my Lords , I am at a loss how to make put the other part of the parallel . I am sure I have been reproved by nobody but his Lordship "
From that day forth , Lord Connigsby Avas called Atterbury ' s ass . This reminds me of another , an instance of Curran and the Judge—I believe it was Lord Norbury or Lord Clare .
Whilst Curran Avas speaking , a donkey brayed outside the court . The Judge , who never missed an opportunity of galling the great advocate , whom he hated , looked up and said , " One at a time , if you please I "
Curran took no notice , but during a pause Avhen the Judge Avas summing up , the donkey brayed again , and Curran , looking up Avith feigned astonishment , said : " Did your Lordship speak ?"
Speaking of Curran reminds me of another ancedote , shoAving the keenness of his satire told of his passages of arms-with Lord Clare , who never lost a chance of si ) ubbing an d insultingthe eminent barrister .
One day Avhen it Avas known that Curran was to make an elaborate argument in Chancery , the Chancellor brought in a great Newfoundland dog Avith him , placed him on the bench , and during the progress of the argument lent his ear much more
to the dog than to the barrister . At last the Chancellor seemed to lose all regard for appearances , for propriety , and decorum ; he turned himself quite aside in the most material part of the case and began in full court to fondle the animal .
Curran stopped short . " Go on , go on , Mr . Curran , " said Lord Clare . "Oh , " replied Curran , "I beg a thousand pardons , my Lord . I really