280 LORD BROUGHAM. 



His voice possesses great flexibility. In its more 

 usual tones there is something approaching to 

 harshness, but in all his important speeches he 

 varies it to such an extent as to touch on almost 

 every conceivable key. In its lower tones it is soft 

 and sweet, and often when pitched on a higher key, 

 it has much of music in its intonations. Few men 

 have an equal command over their voice. He raises 

 and loweis it at pleasure. In his more indignant 

 moods, it has uncommon power and compass, and 

 admirably suits the bold, impetuous character of his 

 manner and eloquence. 



His gesture is as varied as his voice. On ordinary 

 subjects he is calm and gentle in his manner, but 

 when he becomes excited — on which occasions, as 

 before mentioned, he throws his whole soul into his 

 speeches, his action becomes violent in no ordinary 

 degree. His arms are put into such requisition, that 

 it were very unsafe for any noble lord to be, as the 

 phrase is, within arm's length of him. He has no 

 i'avorite system or fashion, if either term be a correct 

 one, of gesture. 



I have said that his speeches never cost him a 

 mental effort, neither does the delivery seem to re- 

 quire any physical exertion. I never saw him, even 

 after his longest and most energetically delivered 

 speeches, exhibiting symptoms of exhaustion, I have 

 seen him sit down, after the delivery of speeches 

 which occupied the attention of the House for three 

 or four hours, during which time he may be said to 

 have been sj^eaking in a voice of thunder, and with 

 a corresponding violence of action, and yet appear 

 'as fresh and vigorous m body as well as in mind as 

 when he rose to address their lordships. Speaking 

 seems, in a physical as well as mental sense, to be a 

 sort of pastime to him, it certainly is not a task. 



» jS> V^BVVVW-C^ CONCLUSION OF VOLt-ME THE StVLMH. 



7 /iPH 212 



c. r. iiCARDEi:, PRiMrn; plymoitii. 



