in connection with " moon " and "torches." The only action allowable in such a case would be the location of the objects spoken of to the right or left of or around the speaker, as might suit his imaginary picture.

"Then you lay down the principle that nothing which is directly stated, or of necessity inferred, is to be illustrated by gesture?"

Exactly so; and, by consequence, all those picturings of words and imitations of actions, which are so common among speakers — such as showing that a wheel is round, that right and left are on opposite sides, or that stamping, smiting or pushing are accomplished in the usual way — are redundant and improper.

(Glasgow.) "But yet it seems very natural to do what you say."

Yes; to exhibit the feeling that prompts the action, but not to imitate the action itself. Imitation excites laughter, and is, therefore, appropriate for comic illustration; on the same account, it is inappropriate in serious delivery.

Nothing is more effective than illustrating what you are going to say that is, in advance of the utterance; for the order of expression is action first, language last. When an illustration accompanies language, it degenerates into mimicry; when it follows utterance it is altogether unnatural.

(Edinburgh.) "Then if you do what you say, you must do it before you say it?"

Yes, unless the action is intended to be ludicrous.

(French.) "In France we demonstrate with gesture everything."

Yes, but every turn of the hand and every shrug of the should rs is expressive of some passing mood. The national temperament shows itself in vivacity of action, just

as among individuals in the most phlegmatic nation some use a "dialect" of gesture more than others.

(American.) "The American Indians don't indulge in gesture,* I suppose, because it would reveal their moods too clearly, and they don't want to; they find it easier to conceal their thoughts by words."

Very likely that may be the reason of their remarkable stolidity. English speakers occupy a middle place between the grave Indians and the mercurial French. Using but little action, they have the greater need to make that little chaste, correct and natural.

“I think I see my way a little more clearly to avoid my old difficulty."

(Aberdeen.) "Perhaps there may be some other general principles that might help us."

The most important are only two: (I) always look steadily at the person spoken to; and (II) glance momentarily at any object spoken of. These principles are both illustrated in this line

"Go on, my friend,' he cried, 'see yonder walls.''

The eye is kept on the "friend," while the hand shows the direction in which he is urged to go on. The words "he cried are addressed to the audience, and the eye returns to the "friend" on the word "see;" merely glancing at the "walls" on the word "yonder."

"Go on, my friend,' he cried, 'see yonder walls;
Advance and conquer, go where glory calls.'"

*This refers to gesture as an accompaniment to speech. The gesture-language described by Col. Garrick Mallory is pantomimic and independent of speech. The fact of (almost) gestureless oratory among the Indians is drawn from the author's personal observation in the Council House of the Six Nation Indians, Ontario, Canada.

(Welsh.) "You spoke of disposing objects to right or left of the speaker, as might suit his imaginary picture. Please explain."

Every object introduced by gesture should be a real presence to the speaker; and, therefore, the various objects must be located so as to make up a consistent picture. An example will illustrate the principle and show its importance

I saw an eagle wheeling near its brow—."

We must point to the peak-where shall we put it? The attitude of an archer has afterwards to be assumed, in act to shoot the eagle; and if the peak were located on the speaker's right, the archer's position would be extremely awkward, as it would turn the speaker's back to the audience. By assuming the peak to be on the left side, all awkwardness is avoided. Thus:

"Scaling yonder peak,

I saw an eagle wheeling near its brow
O'er the abyss; his broad expanded wings
Lay calm and motionless upon the air,
As if he floated there without their aid,

By the sole act of his unlorded will
That buoyed him proudly up. Instinctively

I bent my bow, yet kept he rounding still

His airy circle, as in the delight

Of measuring the ample range beneath

And round about; absorbed, he heeded not

The death that threatened him. I could not shoot;
'Twas Liberty. I turned my bow aside,

And let him soar away.”

Campbell's poem of "Hohenlinden " furnishes another good example:

"'Tis morn; but scarce yon level sun

Can pierce the war-clouds rolling dun."

In the previous part of the poem the battle has been represented as raging on a hill-"Linden "-where, of course, the war-clouds must now be located; and the sun cannot be on the same side of the speaker's picture, because it is "level" or on the horizon.

One other illustration :

"Look to the weather-bow; breakers are round thee;

Let fall the plummet now; shallows may ground thee;
Reef in the foresail there-"

These objects all belonging to the forepart of a ship should be located on the same side of a speaker's picture; the remainder of the verse, referring to the stern of the ship, should have its action on the opposite side.

"Reef in the foresail there, hold the helm fast,

So! Let the vessel ware. There swept the blast!"

Only

(Burr and Nasal L.) “Is it desirable to commit to memory all the actions of a speech as well as the words?" No; that is far from being necessary or desirable. the outlines of the pictures should be pre-arranged so as to obviate incongruities; the details of action will always be most effective when filled in from the impulse of the

moment.

(Welsh.) "But our own impulses may possibly be as faulty in gesture as they are in speaking."

If they are so, that will simply show the necessity of training. Some knowledge of principles ought to precede any attempt at public delivery.

(Glasgow.) "Am I right in concluding that, supposing we were all to deliver the same piece, we might give entirely different actions ?"

Yes; temperament, sensibility and skill have each free

scope.

With due preparation to bring the natural powers

under control, every student should be left to his own impulses. The individual should always be above the artistthe master, not the slave of art.

(Lisp.) "In the meantime, though, with all of us, the first thing necessary is to correct our faults. We can't be masters of art while we are slaves of habit."

I need not add a word to Mr. Simpson's observation, that so justly sums up all I could desire to say: We cannot be the masters of art while we permit ourselves to be the slaves of habit.

END.