Philosophical Society of London. 53 



In recapitulating the leading features of his theory 

 (niaintained in the course delivered last spring*) the lec- 

 turer concluded his reference by the following conceiitratlou 

 of its principle. 



" The muscles and nerves constituting the animal 

 frame are fitted to act in unison with each olher, and thus 

 the organs of sound in all animals produce uniform expres- 

 sion : that the sound expressive of tranquillity answers to 

 musical phsenomena ; and that the smuKJs expressive of 

 all the modifications of feeling correspond, also, with 

 musical phsenomena, and all the varieties of concord and 

 discord ; and these are subservient to the complexity of 

 passion, emotion and scnLimL-nt. Laughing and crying are 

 the simple signs by which man expresses pleasure or pain ; 

 and as all his passions are modifications of love ami /talred, 

 it follows that these simple expressions of look must also 

 be modified to corrtspond witii the diversity. And further, 

 by analogv, as the sinjple signs of desire and aversion may 

 be produced by physical as well as mental causes, and by a 

 mere effort of the will as easily as by either, if follows 

 that all the other passions niay be produced in the same 

 way." 



From the paramount influence of passion over reason in 

 the mass of mankind, " the orator, (said Mr, W.) by a 

 judicious exerlion of that art which enables him to counter- 

 feit its external signs, will secure the sympathy and admi- 

 ration of his auditory ; — persuade while he endeavours to 

 convince, and soften the heart while he improves and 

 heightens the energies of tlie mind." Proceeding to enforce 

 in strong language the necessity of this sympathy, and de- 

 scanting on the requisites essential to its promotion, 

 Mr. \V. slightly touched on points he had before discus- 

 sed. " If the orator (he observed) would arrest the hearts 

 of an audience in hU favour, his Iruih or belief in what he 

 proposes to them must not, for a inoment, be disputed : 

 and that, as the expression of voice and gesture is the 

 outward attribute of this accurate disposition of mind, the 

 want of eariKMness in an orator demonstrates either hy- 

 pocrisy or imbecility." 



*' As no person can be called an orator, unless he possess 

 oratorical feelinir, and is enabled to depict any modification 

 <»f the mind at ici/l, — an arriingement of the passions, 

 euumt rating their never- erring outward effects upon the 

 human character, cannot fail of proving extremely in- 



• V,d.- Phil Mar. vol xxKii. p.'J'2.-— 233. 



D 3 tcrcsting 



