Philosophical Society of London. 145 



the oratorical character. "Correspondent with the authority 

 of a pubhc speaker should be his air or character of ex- 

 pression. However we may be inclined to doubt the sin- 

 cerity of strangers, the intention ol a parent can never be 

 •disputed. An orator, then, whose character has not only 

 been irreproachable, but whose al);Hty has been proved, and 

 whose moral principle has been displayed by active social 

 love, may undoubtedly assume the authority of a parent, 

 and enforce every emotion of his mind with the earnestness 

 of a father prescribing sakjtary rules for the conduct and 

 governmenl of his children." 



Having shown h<nv the countenance and voice are affect- 

 ed in expressing some of the principal passions, Mr. Wright 

 proceeded, in his eighth lecture, to speak of the mechanical 

 means through which the various alterations of appearance 

 and sound may be accomplished. 



" Taking it as already granted, that when the body is di:*- 

 poscd to the appearance of any one passion, by a n^echani- 

 cal effort of the will tlie mind becomes sensible of alteration, 

 and feels the particular passion ;" ihe lecturer enforced, 

 as indispensably necessary, a ready and familiar acquaint- 

 ance with the various circumstances of countenance and 

 gesture, connected with the passions and their modilica- 

 tions ; advising, at the same lime, a frequent recurrence 

 to the mirror, and a comparison, by the student, of the 

 faithful transcript of his look with his actual feelings. 

 Much advantage he conceived attainable from an acquaint- 

 ance with the writings of Sterne ; whose readers indeed 

 may, at times, almost fancy themselves intent on a masterly 

 painting, rather than on a printed page. 



The insirumei:tal powers of voice next engaged the at- 

 tention of the lecturer; upon which he noticed at consider- 

 able length li)e best means of rendering them flexible, so- 

 norous, strong, melodious, and swelling. *' 1 he voice," 

 observed he, *' like every other faculty of the body, may 

 be improved by judicious cxcrci!^e. This too, like the 

 sight and other organic powers, may be so exerted as to 

 destroy rather than strengthen it. Every one in fatTiiliar 

 conversation may be said to have a key note, one which he', 

 more ordinarily employs than any in his compass. Thi* 

 sound should be improved by repeated exertion, being care- 

 ful to make the tone as sonorous as possible. This, with 

 the assistance occasionally of a musical instrument, while 

 pronouncing any uiven passage in a nKuiotone will he found 

 uf considerable service. The two inllexions should be tho- 

 roughly practised ; a themesliould then be selteied, in whieU 



Vol. 41. No. 178. i-W'. Ibl3. K the 



