both of the laws of our country and the acts of the fenate, is vifible throughout their performances. All knowledge of the rights and customs of Rome is professedly ridiculed, and philofophy feems at prefent to be confidered as fomething that ought to be fhunned and dreaded. Thus Elquence, like a dethroned potentate, is banished her rightful dominions, and ⚫ confined to barren points and low conceits: and he who was once miftrefs of the whole circle of fciences, and charmed every beholder with the goodly appearance of her glorious train, is now ftripped of all her attendants, (I had almoft faid of all her ⚫ genius) and feems as one of the meanelt of the mechanic arts. This, therefore, I confider as the firit, and the principal reafon of our having fo greatly declined from the fpirit of the antients. If I were called upon to fupport my opinion by authorities, might I not justly name, among the Grecians, • Deniofthenes? who, we are informed, conftantly attended the lectures of Plato: as among our own countrymen, Cicero himfeif affures us, (and ⚫ in these very words, if I rightly remember) That he owed whatever advances he had made in eloquence, not to the Rhetoricians, but to the Academic philofophers. Other, and very confiderable, reafons might be produced for the decay of cloquence. But I leave them, my friends, as it is proper I fhould, to be mentioned by you; having performed my fhare in the examination of this question: and with a freedom, which will give, I imagine, as ufual, much offence. I am fure, at leaf, if certain ⚫ of our contemporaries were to be informed of what I have he maintain. ← ed, I should be told, that in laying it ⚫ down as a maxim, That a knowledge both of law and philofophy are effèn⚫tial qualifications in an orator, I have ⚫ been fondly purfuing a phantom of my own imagination." " • I am to far from thinking, replied Maternus, you have completed the undertook, that I should rapart you ther imagine you had only given us the firit general sketch of your defign. • You have marked out to us, indeed, • thoit sciences wherein the antient orn in frong contraft their fuccesful induftry, with cur unperforming ignorance. But fomething farther fill re'mains: and as you have fhewn us the • fuperior acquirements of the orators in thofe more improved ages of eloquence, as well as the remarkable deficiency of thofe in our own times, I fhould be glad you would proceed to acquaint us with the particular exercifes by which the youth of thofe earlier days were wont to ftrengthen and improve their geniuses. For I dare fay you will not deny, that oratory is acquired by practice far better than by precept: and our other two friends here feem willing, I perceive, to ad<mit it.' To which, when Aper and Secundus had fignified their affent, Meffalla, refuming his difcourfe, continued as follows: 6 Having, then, as it fhould feem, difciofed to your fatisfaction the feeds and first principles of antient eloquence, by specifying the feveral kinds` of arts to which the antient orators were trained; I fhall now lay before you the method they purfued, in order to gain a facility in the exertion of 'eloquence. This, indeed, I have in fome meature anticipate., by menticaing the preparatory arts to which they applied themfelves: for it is impossible to make any progrefs in a compafs fo various and fo abitrufe, unless we not only frengthen our knowledge by reAle&ion, but improve a general aptitude by frequent exercife. Thus it appears that the fame fteps must be purfued in exerting our Oratory, as in attaining it. But if this truch 'fhould not be un yerfally admitted; if any fhould think, that Eloquence may be poffeffed without paying previous court to her attendant fciences; most certainly, at leaft, it will not be denied, that a mind duly impregnated with the polite arts, will enter with fo much the more advantage upon those exercifes peculiar to the oratorical cir tors were inftructed, and have placed From that time the youth commenced • his many his conftant follower, attending him upon all occafions, whether he appeared in the public affemblies of the people, or in the courts of civil judicature. Thus he learned, if I may afe the expreffion, the arts of oratorical conflict in the very field of battle. The advantages which flowed from this method were confiderable: it animated the courage and quickened the judgment of youth, thus to receive their intructions in the eye of the world, and in the midst of affairs; when no man could advance an abfund or a eak argument without being rejected by the bench, exposed by his adverty, and, in a word, deIpifed by the whole audience. By this method they imbibed the pure and uncorrupted freams of genuine eloqunce. But though they chiefly attached themselves to one particular orator, they heard, likewife, all the ret of their contemporary pleaders, in of their respective debates. Hence, alfo, they had an opportunity of acquainting themfelves with the various fentiments of the people, and of obrerving what pleafed or difgufted them molt in the feveral orators of the forum. By this means they were fupphed with an instructor of the best and mot improving kind, exhibiting, nət the feigned femblance of Eloquence, but her real and lively manifeftation: not a pretended, but a genuine adyorfary, armed in earnett for the combat; an audience ever full and ever new, compofed of foes as well as friends, and where not a fingle expreffion could fall uncenfured, or unapplauded. For you will agree with me, I am well perfuaded, when I affert that a folid and lasting reputation of Eloquence must be acquired by the cenfure of our enemies, as well as by the applause of our friends; or rather, indeed, it is 'from the former that it derives it's fureft and most unquestioned strength and firmnets. Accordingly, a youth 'thus formed to the bar, a frequent and ' attentive hearer of the mott illuftrious orators and debates, inftructed by the experience of others, acquainted with the popular tafte, and daily converfant in the laws of his country; to whom 、 ་ On the other hand, our modern youth receive their education under certain declaimers called Rhetoricians: a fet of men who made their first appearance in Rome a little before the time of Cicero. And that they were by no means approved by our anceftors, plainly appears from their being • enjoined, under the censorship of Craffus and Domitius, to fhut up their fchools of impudence, as Cicero expreffes it. But I was going to say, we are fent to certain academies, where it is hard to determine whether the place, the company, or the method of intruction, is most likely to infect the minds of young people, and produce a wrong turn of thought. For nothing, certainly, can there be of an affecting folemnity in an audience, where all ⚫ who compofe it are of the fame low degree of understanding; nor any advantage to be received from their fellow-ftudents, where a parcel of boys and raw youths of unripe judgments harangue before each other, without the leaft fear or danger of criticifm. And as for their exercifes, they are ridiculous in their very nature. They confift of two kinds, and are either declamatory or controverfial. The first, as being eafier and requiring lefs fkill, is aligned to the younger lads: the other is the ask of more mature years. 'But, good gods! with what incredible abfurdity are they compofed! The truth is, the ftyle of their declamations is as falfe and contemptible, as the subjects are ufelefs and fictitious. Thus, being taught to harangue in a moft pompous diction, on the rewards due to tyrannicides, on the election to be made by deflowered virgins*, on the licentiouf nefs of married women, on the cere It was one of the questions ufually debated in thefe rhetoric schools, whether the party who had been ravished should chufe to marry the violator of her chaffity, or rather have him put to death. • monies monies to be obferved in times of peftilence, with other topics of the fame unconcerning kind, which are daily debated in the fchools, and scarce ever at the bar; "they appear abfo"lute novices in the affairs of the "world, and are by much too elevated "for common life." "* Here Meffalla paufed: when Se"cundus, taking his turn in the conver"fation, began with obferving, that"-The true and lofty fpirit of genuine eloquence, like that of a clear and yigorous flame, is nourished by proper fuel, excited by agitation, and still brightens as it burns.. It was in this ⚫ manner,' faid he, that the oratory of ⚫ our ancestors was kindled and spread it. felf. The moderns have as much merit of this kind, perhaps, as can be acquired * under a fettled and peaceable govern heightened his intereft with the no. bles, his authority with the fenate, and his reputation with the people in general. The patronage of thefe ad'mired orators was courted even by foreign nations; as the feveraf magiftrates of our own endeavoured to re'commend themfelves to their favour and protection, by fhewing them the highest marks of honour whenever they fet out for the adminiftration of their refpective provinces, and by ftudioufly cultivating a friendship with them at their return. They were 'called upon, without any folicitation on their own part, to fill up the fupreme dignities of the state. Nor were they even in a private station without great power, as by means of the perfuafive arts they had a very confiderable influence over both the fenate and the people. The truth is, it was an established maxim in those days, that without the oratorical talents, no man could either acquire or maintain any high poft in the govern ment. And no wonder, indeed, that fuch notion should univerfally prevail; fince it was impoffible for any person endued with this commanding art, to pafs his life in obfcurity, how much foever it might be agreeable to his own inclinations; fince it was not fufficient merely to vote in the fe nate, without fupporting that vote with good-fenfe and eloquence; fince in all public impeachments or civil caufes, the accufed was obliged to anfwer to the charge in his own perion; fince written depofitions were not ad ment: but far inferior, no doubt, to that which fhone out in the times of licentioufnefs and confufion, when He was deemed the nobleft orator, who • had most influence over a restless and ungoverned multitude. To this fituation of public affairs was owing thofe continual debates concerning the Agrarian laws, and the popularity confequent thereupon; thofe long ha rangues of the magistrates, thofe impeachments of the great, thofe factions of the nobles, thofe hereditary enmi. ties in particular families, and, in fine, thofe inceffant fruggles between the fenate and the commons: which, though each of them prejudicial to the ftate, yet most certainly contributed to produce and encourage that rich vein of Eloquence which difcovered itself inmitted in judicial matters, but the witthose tempestuous days. The way to 'neffes were called upon to deliver their dignities lay directly through the paths evidence in open court. Thus our of Eloquence. The more a man fig. ancestors were eloquent, as much by ⚫nalized himself by his abilities in this neceffity as by encouragements. To art, fo much the more eafily he open- be poffeffed of the perfuafive talents, ed his road to preferment, and main. was efteemed the higheft glory; as the tained an afcendant over his col- contrary character was held in the utleagues, at the fame time that it moft contempt. In a word, they were The latter part of Meffilla's difcourfe, together with what immediately followed it in the original, is loft: the chafm, however, does not feem to be fo great as fome of the commentators fufpe&t. The tranflator therefore has ventured to fill it up in his own way, with thofe lines which are diftinguished by inverted comma's. He has likewife given the next fubfequent part of the convelation to Secundus, though it does not appear in the original to whom it belongs. It would be of no great importance to the English reader, to justify this laft article; though, perhaps, it would not be very difficult, if it were neceffary. To fave the reader the trouble of turning to a fecons note upon a like occasion, it is. proper to obferve in this place, that he will find the fame invested comma's in p 118. The words included between them are alfo an addition of the tranilator's, and for the fa.ne reafon as that juft now mentioned. ⚫ incited • incited to the purfuit of Oratory by a ⚫ principle of honour as well as by a view of intereft. They dreaded the ⚫difgrace of being confidered rather as clients than patrons; of lofing those <dependents which their ancestors had tranfmitted to them, and feeing them mix in the train of others; in short, * of being looked upon as men of mean ⚫abilities, and confequently either passed over in the difpofal of high offices, or defpifed in the adminiftration of them. " 'I know not whether those antient hiftorical pieces, which were lately collected and published by Mucianus from maxim, that it is impoffible to fhine out in all the powerful luftre of genuine eloquence, without being inflamed by a fuitable importance of fubject: Thus the fpeech of Demofthenes against his guardians, fcarcely, I imagine, established his character; as it was not the defence of Archias, or Quinctius, that acquired Cicero the reputation of a confummate orator. It was Catiline, and Milo, and Verres, and Mark Antony, that warmed him with that noble glow of eloquence, which gave the finishing brightness to his unequalled fame. Far am I from infinuating, that fuch infamous chá the old libraries where they have hi-racters deferve to be tolerated in 'a ⚫therto been preserved, have yet fallen 'To these confiderations may be farther added, that the dignity and importance of the debates in which the 'antients were engaged, contributed 4 ་ greatly to advance their eloquence. Moit certain, indeed, it is, that an 'orator must neceffarily find great difference with respect to his powers, ' when he is to harangue only upon fome trifling robbery, or a little paltry form of pleading; and when the faculties of his mind are warmed and enlivened by fuch interefting and animating topics as bribery at elections, as the oppreffion of our allies, or the 'maffacre of our fellow-citizens. Evils thefe, which, beyond all peradventure, it were better thould never happen; ' and we have reafon to rejoice that we live under a government where we are trangers to fuch terrible calamities: till it must be acknowledged, that wherever they did happen, they were wonderful incentives to eloquence. For the orator's genius rifes and expands itself in proportion to the dig, nity of the occafion upon which it is xorted; and I will lay it down as a ftate, in order to supply convenient matter of oratory; all I contend for is, that this art flourishes to most advantage in turbulent times. Peace, no doubt, is infinitely preferable to war; but it is the latter only that forms the foldier. It is just the fame with Eloquence: the oftener the enters, if I may fo fay, the field of battle, the more wounds the gives and receives; the more powerful the adverfary with which the contends, so much the more ennobled the appears in the eye of mankind. For it is the difpofition of human nature, always to admire what we fee is attended with danger and difficulty in others, how much foever we may chufe eafe and fecurity for ⚫ ourselves. " 'Another advantage which the antient otators had over the moderns, is, that ⚫ they were not confined in their pleadings, as we are, to a few hours. On the contrary, they were at liberty fo adjourn as often as they thought proper; they were unlimited as to the num ber of days or of counfel, and every orator might extend his speech to the length most agreeable to himfelf. Pompey, in his third confulthip, was the first who curbed the fpirit of eloquence: till, however, permitting all caufes fo be heard, agreeably to the laws, in the forum and before the Prætors. How much more confiderable the bufinefs of thofe magiftrates was, than that of the Centumvirs, who at prefent determine all causes, is evident from this circumftance, that not à single oration of Cicero, Cæfar, or Brutus, or, in fhort, of any one celebrated orator, was fpoken before thefe lafty excepting only thofe of Pollio in favour of the heirs of Urbinia. Urbinia. But then it must be remem-bered, that thefe were delivered about the middle of the reign of Auguftus, when a long and uninterrupted peace abroad, a perfect tranquillity at home, together with the general good conduct $ of that wife prince, hail damped the flames of eloquence as well as thofe of fedition. You will fimile, perhaps, at what I am going to fay, and I mention it for that purpose: but is there not fomething in the prefent confined garb of our orators, that has an ill effect even Cupon their elecution, and makes it appear low and contemptible? May we not fuppofe, likewife, that much of the fpirit of Oratory is funk, by that ...clofe and defpicable fcene wherein many of our caufes are now debated? For the orator, like a generous fteed, requires a free and open space wherein. to expatiate; otherwife the force of his powers is broken, and half the energy of his talents is checked in their career. There is another circumstance also exceedingly prejudicial to the intereft of Eloquence, as it prevents a due attention to tyle: we are now obliged to enter upon our speech whenever the judge calls upon us; not to mention the frequent interruptions which arife by the examination of witneffes. Befides, the courts of judicature are at prefent, fo unfrequented, that the ora tor feems to ftand alone, and talk to bare walls. But Eloquence rejoices in - the clamour of loud applaufe, and ex ults in a full audience, fuch as used to prefs round the antient orators when the forum food thronged with nobles; when a numerous retinue of clients, when foreign ambassadors, and whole cities, affifted at the debate; and when even Rome herself was concerned in the ⚫ event. The very appearance of that prodigious concourfe of people, which attended the trials of Beftia, Cornelius, Scaurus, Milo, and Vatinius, must have enflamed the breaft of the colded orator. Accordingly we find, that of all the antient orations now extant, there are none which have more eminently distinguished their authors, than those which were pronounced under fach favourable circumftances. To thefe advantages we may farther add, likewife, the frequent general affemblies of the people, the privilege of arraigning the moft confiderable perfonages, and the popularity of fach impeachments; when the fons of Oratory spared not even Scipio, Sylla, ór Pompey; and when, in confequence of fuch acceptable attacks upon fufpe&èd power, they were fure of being heard by the people with the utmost attention and regard. How muft thefe united caufes contribute to raife the genius, and infpire the eloquence of the antients! "Maternus, whp, you will remem"ber, was in the midst of his harangue "in favour of Poetry when Meffalla "firft entered into the room, finding "Secundus was now filent, took that opportunity of refuming his invective "against the exercise of the oratorical arts in general."That fpecies of 'eloquence,' faid he, wherein poetry is concerned, is calm, and peaceable, moderate and virtuous: whereas that other fupreme kind which my twe friends here have been defcribing, is the offspring of licentiaufnefs, (by ⚫ fools mifcalled liberty) and the companion of sedition ; bold, obstinate, and haughty, unknowing how to yield or how to obey, an encourager of a lawlefs populace, and a ftranger in all well-regulated communities. Who ever heard of an orator in Lacedæmon or Crete? cities which exercised the fevereft difcipline, and were governed by the strictest laws. We have no account of Perfian or Macedonian eloquence, or indeed of that of any other ftate which fubmitted to a regular adminiftration of government. Whereas Rhodes and Athens (places of popular rule, where all things lay open to all men) swarmed with orators in⚫ numerable. In the fame manner, Rome, while fhe was under no fettled policy; while he was torn with parties, diffentions, and factions; while there was no peace in the forum, no harmony in the fenate, no moderation in the judges; while there was neither reverence paid to fuperiors, nor bounds ⚫ prescribed to magistrates-Rome, under thefe circumstances, produced, beyond all difpute, a ftronger and brighter vein of eloquence; as fome ⚫ valuable plants will flourish even in ⚫ the wildest foil. But the tongue_of the Gracchi did nothing compenfate the republic for their feditious laws; nor the fuperior eloquence of Cicero mak |