1809.) 
pupils to read with distinctness and pro- 
priety, and speak without obstruction: 
or offensive peculiarity. Even betore I 
adopted the profession. of a public 
teacher, | had clearly peveeived what 
pracuce has since demoustrated, the 
universality of the application of the ge- 
neral principles of elocution : that trom 
the stem of physiological’ analysis (to 
which every part of my system for the 
treatment of impediments is referred) na- 
“tually spring, not only the blossoms of - 
gracetul and harmonious utterance in 
conversation and reading, but the ma- 
tured and invigorating fruits of oratori- 
cal energy and impressiveness ; nay, 
that even the arrangements and flow of 
language (in composition. as well as 
speech) have a connection and depend- 
ence on the cultivation of the faculty of 
oral utterance :—the improvement of 
the nice perceptions of the ear, and a 
judicious attention to the action of the 
organs in the formation and combina- 
tions of the elements of spoken language, 
having an ultimate operation on the me- 
mory and imagination, in the recurrence, 
selection, and arrangement, of such 
words as enter into combination with the 
greatest facility and effect. 
This view of my subject led me to 
consider the apalication of my principles 
to ailthe higher purposes, and ultimate 
objects, of a liberal education—to the 
last finishing and accomplishment of the 
studies of those ingenuous youths, who 
look upwards to the most eligible. situa- 
tions of active and public life. And 
when I critically examine the educational 
establishifents, public and private, of my 
age and*country, I thought I perceived, 
that annstitution that would properly 
embrace these objects, was yet to be re- 
garded as a desideratum. 
{tardy in its growth, and imperfect in its 
developement, among’us) was already in 
its wane, required not the prejudices and 
fond partialities of age to suggest; even 
if I had been old enough, or cynical 
enough, for an infatuated partiality to 
the days that are past, merely because 
they were the days of fresher impression 
and more happy susceptibility; a much 
less elevated idea of. oratorical per- 
fection, than the contemplation of the 
models of antiquity, and the records of 
the effects of ancient eloquence, is cal. 
culated to inspire, might be sutlicient to 
evince—that, notwithstanding the in- 
ducements held out in this country for 
the cultivation of oratory, we had yet 
* mot trodden in those true paths of emu- 
s 
That oratory : 
Historical and Oratorical Society, Kee 153 
Jation, in which the efficient exccilence: 
of that accompiishwent 1s to be attamed, . 
Hence, though a Chatham, indeed, had 
phillipicised with almost Deimoschenean 
effect; though a second Pitt had tri- 
umphed ia the pomps of oratorical dic 
tion; though a Sheridan had. blazed 
awhile, with all the corruscations of wit; 
though a Burke bad astonished us, by his 
bold and successitd excursions tito ail the 
varied regions of science, of genius, and 
ot fancy; though an. Erskine had. sures 
passed all contemporary and compatriot 
Competition, in forensic eloquence; and’ 
a Fox had atoned for a delivery the most 
offensive, and an action the most extra. 
vagant and ungraceful, by all the ener= 
gies of oratomcal mind, and the exhaust- 
less affluence of thought and language ;—— , 
yet, that happy umion of dignity and ar- 
dour—of vehemence and harmony—of 
grace aud energy—of comprehension and , 
compression—thought, knowledye, voice, 
enunciation, and deportment—of ine, 
spired soul and excellent exterior, that 
constitute the genuine and perfect orator, 
had never but once (if once) illustrated 
the Senate and the name of Britain, 
Fully persuaded . that. the taramess, 
the imperfect manifestation, and premas 
ture decline, of oracorical phenomena, in 
a country, whose language, if properly 
wrought, is an exhaustiess mine of orato~ 
rical capability, could only be attributed 
to the want of a proper sy-tein of oratos 
rical education, it became an object. of 
iny ambition to supply this defect; and 
though» an institution, expressly estab- 
lished for the education of the orator, 
might have been too boid a singularity, 
yet the studies and habits of my life, hav- 
ing been alinost entirely. oratorical, it 
seemed not quite presumptuous to hope, 
that by blending together (what indeed . 
ought never to have been separated), 
the profession of the rhetorician with 
that of the teacher of elocution, and by 
making my mstitution, at the same time, 
a seminary for the study of history, and, 
the graces of literary composition, some- 
thing might be done towards the accom- 
phshment of this great national object ; 
without relinguishing, or in any way de- , 
tracting from, the principle and ostensi- 
ble objeet—the removal of those trouble. . 
some defects of utterance, that deprive 
so many of our. species of the noblest 
privilese of their nature. Nay, for the 
furtherance of that very object, this part 
of my project, andethe studies connected 
with it, appeared to be, if not absolutely 
indispensable, yet of the highest impor- 
_ tance; 
