RHETORIC. 



this species of eloquence. The funeral 

 discourses of the most celebrated French 

 and English preachers, the eloges pro- 

 nounced upon eminent men before the 

 French Academy, the generality of mo- 

 dern pulpit compositions, and the occa- 

 sional commendatory or vituperative 

 speeches which have at various times 

 been uttered in the British Parliament, 

 will afford rich subjects of study to him 

 who wishes to become acquainted with 

 the principles of demonstrative elo- 

 quence. 



Deliberative eloquence comprehends a 

 most extensive field, embracing- as its ob- 

 ject the whole extent of public affairs ; 

 such, for instance, as war, and peace, 

 political negotiations, domestic interests, 

 foreign alliances, the regulation of trade 

 and commerce, and in general all matters 

 connected with legislation and govern- 

 ment. This species of eloquence cannot 

 be cultivated in any other than a free 

 state. The will of an arbitrary monarch 

 supersedes its use, or terrifies it to 

 silence. It is therefore to the " high and 

 palmy state" of Athens and of Rome that 

 we must look for its energies as exhibit- 

 ed in ancient times, and we shall find its 

 proudest memorials in the works of De- 

 mosthenes and Cicero. In more modern 

 times, it has, by the operation of political 

 causes, been almost exclusively confined 

 to the limits of our own island. And 

 whilst the parliamentary speeches of Cha- 

 tham, of Burke, of Fox, and of Pitt, re- 

 main upon record, Britain may dispute 

 the meed of deliberative eloquence with 

 either of the haughty republics of anti- 

 quity. 



Judicial eloquence comprehends in its 

 purview the whole extent of judicial pro- 

 ceedings, both civil and criminal ; that is 

 to say, the attack and defence of persons 

 and of property. In ancient times the 

 business of judicial pleading was not con- 

 fined to one class of men. The Roman 

 orator was at all times ready to impeach 

 a state criminal, or to plead in defence of 

 the life, the honour, or the fortune of his 

 friend. These were the illustrious days of 

 forensic eloquence, when the first cha- 

 racters of -the republic displayed their 

 abilities at the bar ; when Cicero and 

 Hortensius, in amicable rivalry, gave full 

 scope to their superlative talents. But 

 degraded as the profession of an advo- 

 cate is now in some respects acknowledg- 

 ed to be, yet in the proceedings of a Bri- 

 tish court of justice, there have for a long 

 series of years, been evinced proofs of 



the most searching sagacity, the soundest 

 judgment, and the most ready wit. 



In regular orations of every species 

 there will generally be found the follow- 

 ing subdivisions. The exordium, or in- 

 troduction ; the statement of the subject ; 

 the narrative, or explanation; the rea- 

 soning, or argument ; the pathetic part; 

 and, lastly, the peroration, or conclusion. 



The object of the exordium is to con- 

 ciliate the good will of the hearers, to 

 awake their attention, and to render them 

 open to persuasion. The topics by 

 which these purposes may best be ef- 

 fected \vill suggest themselves to the 

 good sense of the speaker, as arisi'ig 

 from the character and peculiar preju- 

 dices of his auditors, from his o'.vn re- 

 lative situation, from the peculiar chv 'in- 

 stances of the times, or from the nature of 

 his cause. 



In the proposition of the subject, the 

 qualities chiefly to be aimed at are clear- 

 ness and distinctness. These qualities 

 are indeed of the most essential import- 

 ance, and the attainment of them is well 

 worth the utmost care and pains. In 

 debates of every kind, that speaker is 

 listened to with the greatest pleasure, 

 who is able briefly and plainly to give 

 the most accurate account of the points 

 principally in question. 



As the narrative, or explanation of 

 facts, is to be the ground-work of all the 

 future reasonings of the orator, it is ob- 

 viously his duty to recount them in such 

 a manner as may be most favourable to 

 his cause ; to place in the most striking 

 light every circumstance which is to his 

 advantage, and to soften such as make 

 against him He must also exercise con- 

 summate judgment, so that his narration 

 may be at once concise and full, copious 

 and distinct. In short, a perfect narra- 

 tion is one, from which nothing can be 

 taken without rendering it obscure, and 

 to which nothing can be added without 

 weakening its force. 



In his arguments, a speaker should, as 

 Quintilian expresses it, possess logic as a 

 philosopher, and employ it as an orator. 

 He should follow the lucid order of na- 

 ture in their disposition, and express 

 them in such a style and manner as to 

 give them their full force. He should take 

 care not to multiply them to too great an 

 extent, and to bring into a conspicuous 

 point of view those which are the most 

 weighty and cogent. 



In the pathetic part of his discourse, 

 which generally introduces and pervades 

 the peroration, the ancient orator col- 



