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The Hands. The hand on the head indicates pain or distress; also thoughtfulness: on the eyes, shame: on the lips, an injunction of silence on the breast, it appeals to conscience, or to the affections. It waves, or flourishes, in joy or contempt. Both hands are held supine, or clasped, in prayer both descend prone, in blessing: they are clasped or wrung in affliction. The outstretched hands, with the knuckles opposite the speaker's face, express fear, abhorrence, rejection, or dismissal; with the palms towards the face of the speaker, they denote approval, acceptation, welcoming, and love.

"The other parts of the body aid the speaker; these, I can almost say, speak themselves. By them, we ask, promise, call, dismiss, threaten, supplicate, detest, fear, display joy, sorrow, doubt, acknowledgment, penitence, manner, abundance, number, time. Do they not excite? restrain? implore? approve? wonder at? express shame? Do they not obtain the place of adverbs and pronouns in pointing out places and persons? So that amid the great diversity of language among all races and nations, this appears to me to be the common speech of all men.” — Quintilian.

The Body. The body, held erect, indicates steadiness and courage; thrown back, pride; stooping forward, condescension, or compassion; bending, reverence, or respect. Prostration indicates the utmost humility or abasement.

The Lower Limbs. Their firm position signifies courage or obstinacy; bended knees, timidity, or weakness, reverence: frequent change, disturbed thoughts. They advance in desire or courage; retire, in aversion or fear; start, in terror; stamp, in authority, or anger; kneel, in submission and prayer.

Motions towards the body indicate self-esteem, egotism, or invitation; from the body, command or repulsion; expanding gestures express liberality, distribution, acquiescence, or candor; contracting gestures, frugality, reserve, or collection; rising motions express suspension, climax, or appeal; falling, completion, declaration, or response; a sudden stop in gesture denotes doubt, meditation, or listening; a sudden movement, decision or discovery; a broad and sweeping range of gesture illustrates a general statement, or expresses boldness, freedom, and self-possession; a limited range denotes diffidence or constraint, or illustrates a subordinate point: rigidity of muscle denotes firmness, strength, or effort; laxity, languor or weakness; slow motions are expressive of gentleness, caution, and deliberation; quick motions, of harshness, temerity, haste, &c.

The principal lines of gestures are:—

The descending, used with great energy in strong assertion and vehement argumentation, in emphatic declaration and forcible appeal.

The horizontal, (the hand rising to a horizontal leve with the shoulders,) appropriate in elevated and general thought cr description, and in geographical and historical allusions.

The ascending, (the hand rising nearly to a level with the head,) expressive of sublimity of thought or feeling.

From these arise three others:

The gesture in front, appropriately used in strong or emphatic statements, and terminating in the descending, horizontal, or ascending lines, according to the character of the thought and the language.

The gesture oblique, falling in an intermediate line between one drawn in front of the speaker's body, and one drawn from his side. This has neither the force of the gesture in front, nor the peculiarity of the gesture extended, terminating upward, downward, or horizontally, according to the nature of the sentiment expressed.

The gesture extended, (falling in a line with the side,) appropriate in the expression of ideas of extent and space, or forming the terminating point to a wave or sweep of gesture, in negation, rejection, &c., and closing in an upward or downward position, as before.

The movement or sweep of the arm, in preparing for gesture, should always be free and graceful, but avoiding too much extent of space, and performed in strict time with the movement of the voice in utterance. (In impassioned declamation, the gesture may immediately precede the utterance of the words.) The line of motion in gesture describes a curve, and avoids in all action but that of the humorous style, a confined or angular movement.

The frequency of gesture must be prescribed by the character of the sentiment, and the style of language, as moderate and plain, or impassioned and figurative.

All action must arise directly from the sense of what is spoken, and never from arbitrary notions of variety or grace. True variety is the result of a due observance of the preparatory and terminating lines of gesture; and grace consists merely in preserving these from awkward deviations.

The use of the left hand, whether singly or in conjunction with the right, depends not on arbitrary opinions of propriety or grace, but usually on necessity, felt by the speaker, either as regards himself or his audience. This form of gesture, as far as it is a matter of choice, should be rarely adopted.

Gesture should be fluent and connected, not abrupt and desultory, or appearing and disappearing in a capricious manner,

"A truly natural manner is free from local faults; it is formed on broad views and general principles; it is true to nature as a whole, not to some confined or accidental part of it. It is enlightened by comprehensive judgment, and refined by pure taste. In claiming nature as our standard, we are too prone to forget that habit becomes a second nature, and that to judge correctly, we must see beyond its narrow limits, and reach to principles and laws everywhere applicable, and recognized by all cultivated minds."

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SELECTIONS.

SCENE FROM "JULIUS CAESAR."- Shakespeare.

SPEECHES OF BRUTUS AND ANTNY, ON THE DEATH OF CESAR.

Had

Bru. Romans, countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my cause; and be silent, that you may hear: believe me for mine honour; and have respect to mine honour, that you may believe; censure me in your wisdom; and awake your senses, that you may the better judge. If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Cæsar's, to him I say, that Brutus' love to Cæsar was no less than his. If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Cæsar, this is my answer, -Not that I loved Cæsar less, but that I loved Rome more. you rather Cæsar were living, and die all slaves; than that Cæsar were dead, to live all free men? As Cæsar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him; but, as he was ambitious, I slew him: There is tears, for his love; joy, for his fortune; honour, for his valour; and death, for his ambition. Who is here so base, that would be a bondman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so rude, that would not be a Roman ? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so vile, that will not love his country? If any, speak; for him have I offended. I pause for a reply. Cit. None, Brutus, none. (Several speaking at once.)

I have done no more to The question of his death

Bru. Then none have I offended. Cæsar, than you should do to Brutus. is enrolled in the Capitol; his glory not extenuated, wherein he was worthy; nor his offences enforced, for which he suffered death.

Enter ANTONY and others, with CESAR's body.

Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony: who, though he had no hand in his death, shall receive the benefit of his dying, a place in the commonwealth; As which of you shall not? With this I depart; That, as I slew my best lover for the good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself, when it shall please my country to need my death.

Cit. Live, Brutus, live! live!

1 Cit. Bring him with triumph home unto his house.

2 Cit. Give him a statue with his ancestors.

3 Cit. Let him be Cæsar.

4 Cit.

Cæsar's better parts

Shall now be crown'd in Brutus.

1 Cit. We'll bring him to his house with shouts and clamours.

Bru. My countrymen,

2 Cit.

1 Cit. Peace, ho!

Peace; silence! Brutus speaks.

Bru. Good countrymen, let me depart alone,
And, for my sake, stay here with Antony:

Do grace to Cæsar's corse, and grace his speech
Tending to Cæsar's glories; which Mark Antony,
By our permission is allowed to make.

I do entreat you, not a man depart,
Save I alone, till Antony have spoke.

[Exit.

1 Cit. Stay, ho! and let us hear Mark Antony.

3 Cit. Let him go up into the public chair, We'll hear him :- Noble Antony, go up.

Ant. For Brutus' sake, I am beholden to you.

4 Cit. What does he say of Brutus? 3 Cit.

He find himself beholden to us all.

He says for Brutus' sake.

4 Cit. 'T were best he speak no harm of Brutus here.

1 Cit. This Cæsar was a tyrant.

3 Cit.

Nay, that's certain

We are blessed that Rome is rid of him.

2 Cit. Peace; let us hear what Antony can say.

Ant. You gentle Romans,

Cit.

Peace, ho! let us hear him.

Ant. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;

I come to bury Cæsar, not to praise him.

The evil that men do lives after them;

The good is oft interréd with their bones;
So let it be with Cæsar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you, Cæsar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault;
And grievously hath Cæsar answered it.
Here, under leave of Brutus, and the rest,

(For Brutus is an honourable man:
So are they all, all honourable men ;)
Come I to speak in Cæsar's funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says, he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.

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