122 



ORATORY AND ELOCUTION. 



It is known that Brougham was 

 laboriously studying optics in the 

 brief intervals oi' the Queen's trial, 

 one of the most absorbing judicial 

 proceedings of modern times, and 

 in which he took a leading part as 

 counsel. 



LORD ERSKTNE. 



When Lord Erskine made his 

 debut at the bar, his agitation al- 

 most overcame him, and he was 

 Just going to sit down. "At that 

 moment," said he, " I thought I felt 

 my little children tugging at my 

 gown, and the idea roused me to an 

 exertion of which I did not think 

 myself capable." 



JEFFREY AND JOHN KSMBLE. 



In February 1818, he did what 

 he never did before or since. He 

 stuck a speech. John Kemble had 

 taken his leave of our stage, and 

 before quitting Edinburgh, about 

 sixty or seventy of his admirers 

 gave him a dinner and a snuff-box. 

 Jeffrey was put into the chair, and 

 had to make the address previous 

 to the presentation. He began 

 very promisingly, but got confused, 

 and amazed both himself and every- 

 body else, by actually sitting down, 

 and leaving the speech unfinished ; 

 and, until reminded of that part of 

 his duty, not even thrusting the 

 box into the hand of the intended 

 receiver. He afterwards told me 

 the reason of this. He had not 

 premeditated the scene,,-and thought 

 he had nothing to do, except, in 

 the name of the company, to give 

 the box. But as soon as he rose to 

 do this, Kemble, who was beside 

 him, rose also, and with the most 

 formidable dignity. This forced 

 Jeffrey to look up to his man ; when 

 he found himself annihilated by the 

 tall tragic god; who sank him to 

 the earth at every compliment, by 

 obeisances of overwhelming grace 

 and stateliness. If the chairman 

 had anticipated his position, or re- 



covered from his first confusion, 

 his mind and words could easily 

 have subdued even Kemble. (Life 

 of Lord Jeffrey.) 



CHARLES JAMES FOX. 



"What a man," says Walpole, 

 " Fox is ! After his long and ex- 

 hausting speech on Hastings's trial, 

 he was seen handing ladies into 

 their coaches, with all the gaiety 

 and prattle of an idle gallant." 



MELODRAMATIC TRICK. 



Burke's was a complete failure, 

 when he flung the dagger on the 

 floor of the House of Commons, and 

 produced nothing but a smothered 

 laugh, and a joke from Sheridan : 



" The gentleman has brought us 

 the knife, but where is the fork ?' 



Dtt. CHALMERS IN LONDON. 



When Dr. Chalmers first visited 

 London, the hold that he took on 

 the minds of men was unpre- 

 cedented. It was a time of strong 

 political feeling ; but even that 

 was unheeded, and all parties 

 thronged to hear the Scottish 

 preacher. The very best judges 

 were not prepared for the display 

 that they heard. Canning and 

 Wilberforce went together, and got 

 into a pew near the door. The elder 

 in attendance stood alone by the 

 pew. Chalmers began in his usual 

 unpromising way, by stating a few 

 nearly self-evident propositions, 

 neither in the choicest language, 

 nor in the most impressive voice. 

 " If this be all," said Canning to his 

 companion, " it will never do." 

 Chalmers went on the shuffling of 

 the conversation gradually subsided . 

 He got into the mass of his subject ; 

 his weakness became strength, his 

 hesitation was turned into energy, 

 and, bringing the whole volume of 

 his mind to bear upon it, he poured 

 forth a torrent of the most close and 

 conclusive argument, brilliant with 

 all the exuberance of an imagination 



