O R A 1 
fophi/l, or fophifter, has been more generally ufed in an ill 
fenfe, to iignify one (killed rather in the arts of cavilling, 
than qualified to fpeak well and accurately upon any 
fubjeft. 
It is not neceflary to ufe many words, to prove that 
oratory is an art. For it is comprifed under certain rules, 
agreeable to reafon, delivered in a regular method, and 
fuited to attain the end it propofes; which are characters 
fufficient to denominate it an art. Indeed, the cafe is the 
fame here as in molt other things, that a good genius is of 
itfelf more ferviceable than the molt exaft acquaintance 
with all the rules of art, where that is wanting. But it 
is fufficient that art help nature, and carry it farther than 
it can otherwife advance without it: and he who is de- 
firous to gain the reputation of a good orator, will find 
the afliftance of art very neceflary. Some perfons have 
thought, that many of the common fyftems written upon 
thefubjeCl of oratory have been attended with this incon¬ 
venience; that, by burdening the mind with too great a 
number of rules about things of fmall importance, they 
have oftentimes rather difcouraged than promoted the 
ftudy of eloquence. This undoubtedly is an extreme 
which (hould be always carefully avoided. But, how¬ 
ever, an indifferent guide in a ftrange road is better than 
none at all. It may be worth while to hear Quintilian’s 
opinion upon this head : “ I would not (fays he) have 
young perfons think they are fufficiently inftru< 5 ted,if they 
have learned one of thofe compends which are commonly 
handed about, and fancy themfelves fafe in the decrees, 
as it were, of thefe technical writers. The art of fpeaking 
requires much labour, conftant ftudy, a variety of exer- 
cife, many trials, the greateft prudence, and readinel’s of 
thought. However, thefe treatifes are ufeful, when they 
fet you in a plain and open way, and do not confine you 
to one narrow track, from which he who thinks it a crime 
to depart, mull move as (lowly as one that walks upon a 
rope.” We fee he is not for having us confine ourfelves 
too clofely to fyftems, though he thinks they are of fervice 
at firft, till ufe and experience render them lefs neceflary. 
The principal end and defign of oratory is to perfuade; 
fof which reafon it is frequently called the art of perfuafion. 
It attempts to produce convittion concerning fome parti¬ 
cular objeft, that it may influence the will to a correfpond- 
ing determination. It feeks either to aroufe the mind to 
action, or to difluade it from a&ing upon the refolutions 
already taken, or fuch as are in contemplation. Its im¬ 
mediate employment is not to fearch after truth, but to 
render acknowledged or fuppofed truths influential. It 
leaves to logic the province of cool inveftigation, and of 
drawing legitimate conclufions from admitted premifes, 
without any regard to motives. The orator is folicitous 
to effeft fome particular purpofe, and calls in the art of 
reafon merely as an auxiliary. He attempts to influence 
the will by reafoning with the aft'e&ions ; knowing that, 
if they be gained over to the party efpoufed, the will is 
ready to follow. He therefore artfully conceals, or 
(lightly pafles over, every circumftance which is not fa¬ 
vourable to his views, and brings forward, and largely 
expatiates upon, thofe which are. He fuggefts motives of 
pleafure, utility, fafety, honour, pity, &c. as the fubjebt 
admits. He not only prefuppofes the obje£t in view of 
the firft importance, but he employs every method to im¬ 
plant this conviftion in the minds of thofe whom he en¬ 
deavours to perfuade. Thefe attempts become moftfuc- 
cefsful by a clofe imitation of that train of ideas, and 
thofe modes of expreflion, which any particular paflion 
or affection is prone to fuggeft. If the defign be to ex¬ 
cite anger and refentment , oratory imitates the language of 
anger. It places the fuppofed offence in the ftrongeft 
point of view, and defcribes it in the molt vivid colours. 
It afliduoully collefts and expatiates upon every circum¬ 
ftance which contributes to the aggravation of the crime. 
It is indignant againft that fpiritlefs tranquillity which 
can patiently endure fuch infults, and attributes reluc¬ 
tance to revenge, to mean and cowardly motives. If its 
Vat. XVII. No. 1208, 
'ORY. 669 
objefl be to excite horror, it aflembles together every cir¬ 
cumftance which has a tendency to alarm with a fenfe of 
danger. It ftigmatifes courage with the epithet of raffi- 
nefs, and flight is dignified with the title of prudence, 
&c. If compajfion be the objedft, it expatiates upon the 
wretched (late of the fufrerer, his fears, his apprebenfions, 
his penitence. It palliates his faults, extols his good 
qualities, and thus colle&s, in one point of view, all his 
claims on commiferation. The fpecies of argument 
which perfons under the influence of paflions and ftrong 
affeftions perpetually adopt, is rendered more efficacious 
by appropriate language. The orator, therefore, ftudies 
and imitates the particular language of each paflion, ei¬ 
ther in its energy, vivacity, or diifufenefs. Hence he li¬ 
berally employs all thofe tropes and figures of fpeech 
which nature fuggefts, and art has clalfified. 
Oratory adds to rhetorical coinpofition the advantages 
of elocution. It adapts the manner of delivery to the na¬ 
ture of the fubjebt and the appropriate language. It 
takes the charafteriftic figns of each emotion for its model, 
as far as it dares to imitate, without the imputation of 
mimicry ; it enters into the attitudes, geftures, tones of 
voice, accents, emphafis, expreflions of countenance, in- 
fpired by the particular emotion, in fuch a manner, that 
not an idea is fuffered to lofe its proper efFeft, by any de¬ 
ficiency in kind or degree of energy communicated to it; 
and thus it enjoys every advantage to be derived from the 
power of fympathy. 
An obje&ion may, perhaps, hence be formed againft elo¬ 
quence, as an art which may be employed for perfuading 
to ill as well to good. There is no doubt that it may ; 
and fo reafoning may alfo be, and too often is, employed 
for leading men into error. But who would think of 
forming an argument from this againft the cultivation of 
our reafoning powers ? Reafon, eloquence, and every art 
which ever has been ftudied among mankind, may be 
abufed, and may prove dangerous in the hands of bad 
men ; but it were perfe&ly childiffito contend that, upon, 
this account, they ought to be aboliflied. 
While the orator employs his art in purfuing only thofe 
ends for which it was at firft defigned, the perfuading 
men to good and virtuous aftions, and diffuading them 
from every thing that is ill and vicious ; nothing can be 
more commendable in itfelf, or ufeful to human lociety. 
The component parts of oratory are four— invention, 
difpojition, elocution, and pronunciation. This will appear 
by confidering the nature of each of them, and what it 
contributes in forming an orator. 
1. Every one who aims to fpeak well and accurately 
upon any lubjeft, does naturally in the firft place inquire 
after, and purfue, fuch thoughts as may feem moft proper 
to explain and illuftrate the thing upon which lie defigns 
to difcourfe. And, if the nature of it requires that he 
(hould bring reafons to confirm what he fays, he not only 
feeks the ftrongeft, and fuch as are likely to be beft re¬ 
ceived, but alfo prepares to anfwer any thing which may 
be offered to the contrary. This is invention. 
2. After this, he deliberates with himfelfin what me¬ 
thod to difpofe of thofe things which have occurred to 
his mind, that they may appear in the plained light, and 
not lofe their force by diforder and confufion. This is 
the bufinefs of difpojition. 
3. His next concern is to give thoughts an agreeable 
drefs, by making choice of the fitted words, cleared ex¬ 
preflions, fmooth and harmonious periods, with other 
ornaments of ftyle, as may beft fuit the nature of his fub- 
je 61 , brighten his difcourfe, and render it moft entertain¬ 
ing to his hearers. And this is called elocution. 
4. The Lift thing he attends to, is to deliver what he 
has thus compofed, with ajuft and agreeable pronunciation, 
or delivery; and daily experience convinces us how 
much this contributes both to engage the attention, and 
imprefs whatisfpoken upon the mind. This then is the 
method to which nature directs, in order to qualify our¬ 
felves for difcourfing to the beft advantage 5 though by 
8 N cuftom 
