sufficient for all the purposes of those who wish to be come eloquent orators. We have alluded, indeed, to another sort of gestures-to those required for imitation; as, where the speaker personates another, and describes his actions :-But gestures of this kind are never wanted by a good orator, and generally subject those who make use of them, to the charge of buffoonery, of light, unnatural, and theatric mimicry. When an orator is compelled to exhibit things of this sort, let him convey their imagery to the minds of his hearers, in an animating manner; but never resort to those changes of the voice, attitude, gesture, and countenance which betray a forgetfulness of that self-respect, and that dignity, which ought ever to appear, in a distinguished orator. And, to close our remarks upon this subject, it is earnestly recommended, that every speaker, should most carefully guard against all affectation; which is the utter destruction of good pronunciation. Let his manner, whatever it be, be his own; not the product of an imitation of any one, nor taken from a model of the imagination; as this will always be unnatural. Whatever is natural, though it may be somewhat defective, will generally please; because it exhibits only the person before us, and appears to come unadulterated, from the heart. It is true, that to attain the art of an extremely correct, and graceful pronunciation, is what but few comparatively speaking, can accomplish; as it requires a concurrence, or combination of talents, which every one does not possess. At the same time, it is equally true, that it is in the power of the greatest part of mankind, to acquire a habit of speaking in a forcible and persuasive manner; and

those who do not acquire this habit when possessed of the means, evince a taste, which will forever debar them the pleasure of respectable and refined society.

REMARKS, &c.

Introductory to Rules to be observed in Composition.

It is generally understood that an acquaintance with the circle of the liberal arts, is indispensably necessary, to the successful study of Rhetoric and BellesLettres. It has been the sentiment, in every enlightened age, that in order to become distinguished for Oratory or real Eloquence, we first must be conversant with every department of science. And, indeed, it will forever be impossible for man to contrive an art, which shall give the merit of richness and splendour of expression, to a composition which possesses barren or erroneous sentiments. Oratory has frequently been debased by attempts to establish a false criterion of its value-some mistaken writers, have endeavoured to supply the want of matter by the graces of their composition; and to court the momentary applause of the ignorant and vulgar, instead of the enduring and valuable approbation of the enlightened and discerning. But the prevalence of such oratory is well known to be transitory; and the body, and basis of any valuable composition, must be produced by knowledge and science. The structure may be completed and polish

ed by the Rhetorical art; but it is the firm, solid, and durable body only, which is able to receive it. Indeed, it would be more than presumption, here to assert, that the study of Rhetorical rules will insure excellence in writing a discourse; in order to this, long and faithful application to study and practice are necessary, even for the brightest and most creative genius. At the same time, one of the most important objects in the education of youth is, to engage them very early in life, in such studies, as are calculated to produce a relish for the entertainments of taste. From a relish for these, to that of the discharge of the higher and more important duties of life, the transition will be natural and easy, From those minds among our youth which have this elegant and noble turn, we may cherish the most animating and pleasing hopes. On the contrary, from those who manifest an entire insensibility to the entertainments of eloquence, poetry, and the fine arts-such as music, painting, sculpture, architecture, and gardening, we can expect nothing but vulgarity and perverseness; inclinations for nothing but gratifications of an inferior order, and a capacity for only some of the lowest mechanical pursuits. And as that pithy sentence, "Ex nihillo, nihil fit," will always prove true, youth of this character ought never, to be compelled to engage in the study of the liberal arts and of Rhetoric and the Belles-Lettres. For they only become objects of ridicule for students of elevated and refined taste; and a disgrace to their parents and more intelligent connexions. It is, however, to aid those of opposite character; who thirst for improvement in the higher, ornamental and useful arts,

this little compend is designed; and for this purpose the following compilation from Philosophical and Rhetorical productions is most respectfully presented.

The Origin of Language.

Nothing, perhaps, is more evident, than the position, that our thoughts can never be considered as objects of attention, for the external senses. In order to communicate these to others, the earliest method resorted to, was undoubtedly the use of the voice and gesticulations. And, although language affords only audible signs, or arbitrary symbols of things, yet its superiority to gesture, in communication, being evinced by its greater certainty and variety-it has, from the commencement of the existence of our race, been the great and universal medium of mental intercourse.

The great similarity of the various languages used by the nations of the earth, however remote from each other, has generally been considered by the learned, as satisfactory evidence that they all are to be traced to the same origin. We indeed, cannot imagine how communities could exist, without language; and it would be folly in the extreme, to suppose that language existed in this world previously to the existence of society. To open the mouth of the dumb, and to cause their organs of speech to utter distinct and significant language, required the exercise of that powerful intelligence who made them. And hence, even heathen philosophers, have ascribed the origin of primitive language, to the invisible and unknown God-and these

who read, and believe divine revelation, find and are satisfied with the testimony, that God, our Maker, at first furnished man with the faculties of reason and speech, and actually influenced and taught him how to exercise them in his intercourse with his Maker. We indeed, know not how great a degree of perfection, that language had, which came immediately from the allknowing God; yet it may be fairly supposed, it was not only sufficient for all the purposes of man, but was more perfect than any language ever spoken by man, since he experienced the effects of that bewildering and woful shock, which the apostacy from his Maker occasioned! It being sufficiently clear, therefore, that the exercise of the faculties, of reason and speech, must have been produced by a divine influence, and words to communicate ideas, originated from the same source, we shall, in the next extract, furnish a view of the progress of both language and writing.

Progress of Language and Writing.

When the sphere of communication became enlarged it became necessary to have names applied to particular objects; and the question now is, how did they proceed in this application? Certainly, by assimilating, as much as they could, the sound of the name which they gave, to the nature of the object named; as a painter who would represent grass, must make use of a green colour; so in the infancy of language, (as some would term it) one employed in giving a name to any thing harsh or boisterous, would employ a harsh and bois