€92 O R A T 
paffions are to be fuppreffed, or kept out of fight, any 
otherwife than as they may be mentioned, or alluded to, 
in moral reprehenfion. Hence even the fimplicity and 
truth of principle may and mull produce, occafionally, 
much apparent difference of effedl; and the fame exercife 
of judgment (for the judgment of the player muff, in 
reality, (till be paramount over his paffion, though he be 
exhibiting the very reverfe) that leads the orator to tem¬ 
per and qualify, may induce the a£tor to exaggerate, the 
paffion. It is in thefe exaggerations, however, that the 
art and maftery of the performer are moll feverely tried, 
and fade *end judgment are alike imperioully requifite. 
They are neceffary undoubtedly to the perfection of 
his art; yet the inftant the exaggeration is apparent, dif- 
guft begins ; the inftant the vulgar feeling of wonder is 
excited, the tragedian finks to a level with the rope- 
dancer; and many a time ought he to be overwhelmed 
with confufion by thofe very plaudits, to the attainment 
of which he has facrificed all the finer touches of nature, 
that might have fecured the genuine applaufe of fympa- 
thy and emotion. 
Fully to attain, or even diftinftly to comprehend, the 
higher excellencies of theatrical elocution, requires a very 
different courfeof preparation and ftudy from what gene¬ 
rally falls to the deftiny, or enters into the apprehenfions, 
of the profeffors of this art. It is not in thefcienceof the 
green-room, the library of the prompter, and the technical 
knowledge of llage-trick, to make a finifhed aftor. To 
deliver language well, it is neceffary fully to comprehend 
it, not loofely and colloquially merely, but grammatically, 
etymologically, and lympathetically; to deteft the niceft 
(hades of allufion and difcrimination, and enter into the 
fentiment of the author; to realize the paffion, where 
paffion is ; and the character, where the compofition is 
charaCteriltic. To excel in any fpecies of oratory, there¬ 
fore, demands fome knowledge of general literature ; to 
be a mafter of that elocution that fliould illuftrate the 
fine paffages of Shakefpeare, will require a knowledge of 
our language, which, fully poffeffed, would entitle the 
Orator to the rare and valuable character of an Englijh 
J'cholar. But the fources of human paffion mull be ftudied 
alfo ; human nature mull be known, in the general and 
in the particular, in all ranks and conditions, and under 
all circumftances and affociations. The perceptions mull 
be diligently cultivated; the difcritninative powers mull 
be well exercifed ; feeling, keen vigorous varied feeling, 
mull be cheriftied ; and the imagination mull be perpe¬ 
tually at work. For the development of the flexible 
powers of the voice, no pains, well directed, can be too 
elaborate; and the mind ftiould comprehend, and the ear 
fhould perceive, the delicacies and varieties of rhythmus, 
with all the fubtile nicety of a poet. The aCtor lo quali¬ 
fied, will difcard from his elocution all the pedantries alike 
of the convent and of the green-room ; all profeffional 
affeClations and prefcriptive peculiarities ; he will copy 
nature in Inch a ftyle, that nature in her turn will copy 
him ; and, like the great aClors of Greece and Rome, he 
will be worthy to give, while he receives, inftruCtions to 
another Cicero or Demofthenes. 
But there is in particular one thing which ought al¬ 
ways to be attended to; namely, that aClors Ihould well 
confider their own make and genius, efpecially with re- 
fpeCt to the paffions. Wefeldom find that any aCtor can 
excel in all characters; but, if he performs one well, he 
is deficient in another; and therefore they are commonly 
fo prudent as to confine themfelves to 1'uch as bell fuit 
them. The cafe is the fame with every kind of oratory; 
the orator fliould ever keep within thofe bounds which 
nature feems to have prefcribed for him. Some are better 
fitted for aC'tion than others, and molt for fome particular 
aCtions rather than others; and what fits well upon one 
would appear very awkward in another. Every one, 
therefore, fhouhl firft endeavour to know himself; and 
with this recommendation we conclude. 
For farther elucidation of the points we have infilled 
O R Y. 
upon in this article, the reader may with great profit con- 
fult the following works: Campbell’s Philofophy of Rhe¬ 
toric. Blair’s LeClures, vol. ii. Cambray’s Dialogues on 
Eloquence. Bayly’s Alliance of Mufic, Poetry, and 
Oratory/ Spalding’s edit, of Quintilian de Oratore. 
Monthly Rev. vol. i. xxi. xxxii. lx. Auftin’s Chiromania. 
Ward’s Syftem of Oratory. 
ORATORY, f. [oratoire, Fr.] At firft it fignified a 
clofet; then, a private place, allotted for prayer alone ; 
and at length, a chapel or place for public worlhip.—They 
fliould firlt remove all company from them ; and in a fe- 
cret oratorie, or privy chamber, themfelves affemble all 
the powers of their wits to remember thefe feven articles. 
Sir T. Ehjot’s Gov. —They began to ereCl to themfelves 
oratories, not in any fumptuous or ftately manner, which 
neither was poffible by reafon of the poor eftate of the 
church, and had been perilous in regard of the world’s 
envy towards them. Hooker. —Do not omit thy prayers, 
for want of a good oratory or place to pray in; nor thy 
duty, for want of temporal encouragements. Bp. Taylor's 
Guide to Devotion. 
Within thefe oratories might you fee 
Rich carvings, portraitures, and imagery. Dryden. 
Oratory is alfo ufed for a fociety or congregation of 
devout perfons, who form a kind of monaftery, and live 
in community ; but without being obliged to make any 
vows. Thus, the Priejis of the Oratory are a community 
of fecular priefts, who live together in a monaftic manner, 
but without vows. They were firft eftablifhed at Rome, 
about the year 1540, by St. Philip Neri, a Florentine, under 
the title of “ Oratory of SanCla Maria in the Valicella.” 
The name of this religious fociety was derived from an 
apartment, accommodated in the form of an oratory, or 
cabinet for devotion, which St. Philip Neri built at Flo¬ 
rence for himfelf, and in which for many years he held 
fpiritual conferences with his more intimate companions. 
See the word Oratorio, p. 683. 
On the model of this, cardinal Berulle eftablilhed a 
Congregation of the Oratory of Jefus, in 1613, in France, 
which has fince increafed; fo that there arofe lixty lioufes 
of Priefts of the Oratory in that kingdom. 
The Fathers or Priefts of the Oratory are not, properly 
fpeaking, religious or monks, being bound by no vows, 
and their inftitute being purely ecclefiaftical or facerdotal. 
There is fome difference, however, between the Italian and 
French inftitutions. St. Philip Neri, to prevent the con¬ 
fufion which the great number of houfes ufually occa- 
fioned in congregations, would have his to be a Angle 
houfe; and, though others were at liberty to form the 
like congregations, yet they were to have no dependence 
on one another. For this reafon, the houfes of the ora¬ 
tory in Italy and Flanders are all independent; whereas, 
thofe in France have a relation to each other, and all de¬ 
pend on the fame chief, who has the quality of fuperior- 
general; and, with three affillants, governs all the con¬ 
gregations. 
ORATRESS, or Oratrix, / [oratrix, Lat. from ora¬ 
tor .] A female orator.—I fee love’s oratrefs pleads tedi- 
oufly to thee. Warner's Albion's England, 1602.—I fight 
not with my tongue; this is my oratrix. Trag. of Soliinan 
and Perfeda, 1599. 
Had fuch an oratreffe been heard to plead 
For faire Polixena, the murth’rer’s head 
Had been her pardon. W. Browne. 
ORAVA'IS, a town of Sweden, in Ealt Bothnia: twem- 
ty-two miles north of Wafa. 
ORAWIT'ZA, a river of Hungary, which runs into 
the Waag nine miles north of Arva. 
ORAYOI', a town of New Mexico : 150 miles weft of 
Santa Fe. 
ORB,/. [ orbe, Fr. orbis, Lat.] Sphere; orbicular body. 
—A mighty colledtion of water inclofed in the bowels of 
the earth, conllitutes an huge orb in the interiour or cen¬ 
tral parts; upon the furface of which orb of water the 
terreftrial 
