An exact position of the feet should be avoided. In the attitudes of ease and composure, the heels will be two or three inches, and the toes six or eight inches, apart. The figures of attitude in the "Chironomia," a large quarto volume on this subject by Austin, a teacher of elocution, about fifty years since, in Dublin, give various positions of the feet according to difficult and artificial rules. These have been extensively copied in books on elocution. Yet on inspection, we shall find the attitudes which they produce as unnatural as they are ungraceful, The figures lean as if they were falling to one side or the other. The only good authorities on this subject, are the works of the great masters in painting and sculpture.

In earnest address, the body should generally lean forward, for a time, on the right foot, while the left falls a little behind. The very attitude thus expresses earnestness and bespeaks sympathy.

The worst fault in attitude is observable in those who exhibit a weak and bombastic delivery. Such lean backwards, instead of inflecting the body earnestly towards their audience, They likewise throw back the head. One who in earnest address, leans forward towards his audience, will not be liable to serious faults of attitude.

Common propriety of manners requires that when a speaker is about to make a formal address, (except in the ordinary services of the pulpit,) he salute the audience, or the chairman of the meeting, with such a bow as is customary in society. The rules for this are the same as on ordinary occasions in private life. If propriety requires that the chairman receive a salutation of reverence and ceremonious respect, let the bow be low. But in other cases, it need be but slight. All the direction necessary to prevent awkwardness in bowing, is that the whole body be flexible, and the shoulders be not kept back. If the shoulders are suffered to relax, the arms will fall forward, ac

cording to the common rule. A bow should always be made with a deliberate ease. Suddenness of bending, gives an aspect of timidity, and is apt to be accompanied with a quick rebound of the body, which has a bad effect. If a bow is very low, the eyes are cast down; but if slight, they are steadily fixed on the person or persons saluted. In bowing moderately to a large audience, the eyes look steadily towards the more distant part of the assembly. When the person who salutes by a bow, is so situated that his feet are visible, it is necessary to let the heel of one foot meet the hollow of the other, at the time that the body bends. This is done in two ways-most formally, by drawing the heel of one foot into the hollow of the other-less formally, by stepping slightly forwards with one foot, and then suffering the hollow of the other to fall against the heel of the foot in advance. The reason why in bowing according to these common rules, the heel of one foot comes into the hollow of the other, is that with this position the base upon which the weight of the body rests is made so small, that the bending is natural and almost unavoidable. There are, however, a few slight variations from this position of the feet, which graceful persons often exhibit; and when such proceed from ease and composure, they produce no ill effect. Ceremonious and submissive bows are also sometimes made by retreating instead of advancing.

EXAMPLES FOR PRACTICE OF ATTITUDE AND SALUTATION. Mr. Chairman ! Gentlemen!

Mr. President!

Gentlemen of the Jury!

Romans, countrymen and lovers! My countrymen ! My brave associates! partners of my toil, my feelings and my fame!

Friends, Romans, Countrymen! lend me your ears. Most potent, grave and reverend Seniors! My very noble and approved good masters!

Sad, my fellow citizens! are the recollections and forebodings, which the present solemnities force upon the mind!

In the above examples the common rule of punctuation has been followed, which marks the nominative independent, of address, by an exclamation point. When the tone of address is grave and formal, and with a decided pause following, the falling inflexion of the voice is required at the end; but when the address is more familiar, or if it is with considerable excitement, the rising inflexion is more commonly used.

GESTURE.

The most common as well as most important of all the gestures that are used, is that of appeal and enforcement. This should be carefully studied and practiced. When the habit is once formed of using it with grace, spirit and variety, no awkwardness will be exhibited in the infinite variety of others that spring from imagination and feeling.

It is necessary to consider this gesture with care. The plate prefixed to this volume is intended to illustrate the attitude, and the position of the arm and hand, of one who by his very aspect bespeaks the attention of an audience, and is prepared to explain and enforce with spirit and grace what he is about to The erect yet easy attitude expresses composure, and a mind collected and concentrated on the subject and audience. The open and presented palm of the hand appeals to the minds of those addressed, while the arm raised and brought forward without relaxing the elbow, expresses freedom of impulse and a confident appeal to sympathy.

utter.

The fundamental principle of every gesture is SIGNIFICANCE. This may be either of some wish or effort connected with the understanding, or of some state of imagination or feeling.

The gestures that spring from the latter source, are cultivated by abandoning one's self freely to every such impulse. Those of feeling are a part of the natural language of emotion or passion, and all rules for them are worse than useless. The gestures of imagination either point to some image present to the mind of the speaker, and thus direct and assist the imaginations of the audience, or they slightly depict the visual outlines of such images, and in this way render the auditors still greater assistance. These likewise, are as various as the images to which they direct attention, and the attempt to reduce them to rule is evidently absurd.

The gestures that assist a speaker in explaining and enforcing thought, can be reduced to a few general classes. Yet when thus classified they will be found very numerous, and their explanation intricate and tedious. But even if this be done, and a student be patiently and perseveringly drilled in them, there will be great danger of his becoming artificial and formal, and of exhibiting what is one of the most disagreeable of all faults, an appearance of having been long occupied in imitating a model, or endeavoring to put in practice a set of rules.

All that is finally necessary after awkward habits, if any such exist, have become corrected, is to make gestures significant; first, of our wish to communicate and explain our ideas; secondly, of an effort to appeal to the assent and sympathy of those we address; and thirdly, of an intention to enforce occasionally the truth or importance of what we assert.

But five rules are necessary for establishing good habits in the common gesture of appeal and enforcement. (Vide the plate.)

1. Let the open palm always be presented to the part of the audience addressed.

To effect this, bend back the wrist as much as possible without a violent strain.

Open and bend back the thumb and forefinger.

Let the other fingers remain slightly bent in a natural and easy manner.

With some persons, these naturally remain nearly straight and almost in the same plane with the forefinger. With others they are more or less bent. No precise rule is needed in respect to this point.

2. Raise the arm directly from the shoulder, without bending the elbow.

The height to which the arm is raised, must correspond to the distance of the persons to whom the voice is addressed and to whom the eyes are directed. If they are towards the extremity of a large room, the hand must not be lower than the shoulder or upper part of the breast. When we are speaking to persons very near, it is somewhat lower, but in this case the body also bends more or less forward.

3. Bring the arm well forward towards the persons addressed.

Do not suffer it to extend laterally from the body. This makes the gesture unmeaning, by taking away its expression of appeal. It should be brought at least forty five degrees forward.

4. Let all the muscles of the arm be in a state of tension, corresponding to a spirited and animated state of mind.

Graceful, to say nothing of forcible gestures, cannot possibly be executed, when the muscles are slack. If these are not stiffened and kept tense, the elbow will drop and the motions be extremely awkward. Even in an easy and animated attitude, the principal muscles of the body are in the same state. The attitude will otherwise express not ease but laziness.

The true guide for the state and position of the arm, is to have in it a feeling of spirit and expression corresponding to that given by the voice. This causes the motions of the arm and wrist to be slow, graceful, significant, and expressive.