" with the Ornaments of Speech: but "rather full of the most pathetick Emo"tions.... For the Speaker following "the impulfe of his Thoughts, does not

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induftriously study the Beauties of E"locution; but naturally ufes fuch as "rife from the Subject itself." The fame Father obferves that a Man who fights refolutely with a Sword enrich❜t with Gold and Jewels, uses these Arms, (without regarding the Value of them,) because they are fit for fighting. He adds that GOD had permitted S. CYPRIAN to ufe fome affected Ornaments in his Letter to Donatus; that Pofterity might fee how much the Purity of the Christian Doctrine had corrected this fuperfluous Vanity, and brought him to a more grave and modeft Eloquence.

But nothing can be more affecting than the two Storys that S. AUSTIN relates to fhew us the true way of preaching with Succefs. In the firft Inftance, he was as yet but a Prieft. The holy Bishop VALERIUS appointed him to preach to the People of Hippo, in order to reclaim Epift. them from riotous Feafting on folemn xxix. ad Days. He open'd the Scriptures, and read to them the moft vehement and threatning Reproaches. He earneftly befought his Hearers, " by the Ignominys "and the Sorrows, by the Crofs, by the

*

Alyp.

*

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Blood

"Blood of CHRIST, not to destroy "themselves; to pity him who fpake to "them with fo much Affection; and to "fhew fome Regard to their venerable "old Bishop, who, out of Tenderness to "them, had commanded him to inftruct

them in the Truth. I did not make "them weep, (fays he,) by firft weeping "over them: but while I preach't, their "Tears prevented mine. I own that "then I cou'd not reftrain my-felf. Af"ter we had wept together, I began to "entertain great Hope of their Amnend"ment." On this Occafion he quite vary'd from the Difcourfe he had prepar'd; because he did not now think it futable to their penitent Difpofition. In fine, he had the Satisfaction of feeing this People tractable, and reform'd from that very day.

The other Occafion wherein he powerfully fway'd the Minds of his Audience, is thus related by himfelf: "We must "not imagine that a Man has spoken in a lofty fublime Manner, when he re"ceives many Acclamations, and great Applaufe. These are sometimes given "to the loweft Turns of Wit, and the "Ornaments of the moderate fort of Eloquence. But the fublime Strain oft"times overwhelms People's Minds with its Vehemence: it renders them fpeech

lefs:

"lefs: it melts them into Tears. When "I endeavour'd to perfwade the People "of Cæfarea in Mauritania to abolish a Combat among the Citizens, in which

σε

Relations, Brothers, Fathers, and Sons, "being divided into two Party's, fought. publickly for feveral Days, at a certain "time of the Year; and every Man en"deavour'd to kill the Perfon he attack't: According to the utmost of my Abili

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ty, I us'd the most pathetick Expref"fions to extirpate fuch a cruel inveterate "Custom from the Minds and Manners

of this People. However I thought "I had done nothing, while I only heard "their Acclamations. But their Tears

gave me fome Hope: Their Applaufes "Thew'd that I had inftructed them ; "and that they were pleas'd with my "Difcourfe but their Tears declar'd "that their Minds were chang'd. When "I faw them weep, I believ'd that this "horrible Custom they had receiv'd from "their Ancestors, and been fo long en"flav'd to, wou'd be abolish't 'Tis "now eight Years ago, and upwards, "and by the Grace of GoD they have

been reftrain'd from attempting any "fuch Practice." If S. AUSTIN had weaken'd his Difcourfe by the affected Ornaments of the florid kind of Rhetorick, he wou'd never have been able

to

to reformn the People of Hippo, and Gefarea.

DEMOSTHENES likewife follow'd this Rule of true Eloquence. * « Ο Α "thenians! (faid he) do not fancy that "PHILIP is like a Deity, affur❜d of "Succefs in all his Attempts. Among «thole who feem devoted to his Intereft, “ there are fomne that hate, and dread, " and envy him But your Negligence and Sloth puts all things to a ftand - - Confider, Ο Athenians, to what « Condition ye are reduc'd. This wicked Man is gone fo far as to leave you no " Choice betwixt Vigilance and Inacti

* Μὴ γὰ ὡς θεῷ νομίζετ ̓ ἐκείνῳ τα παρόντα πεπηγέ και πράγματα αθάνατα, ἀλλὰ μισεῖ τὶς ἐκεῖνον, καὶ δέδιεν, ὦ ἄνδρες Αθηναῖοι, και φθονεί, και τα πάνυ νῦν δοκέντων οικείως έχειν αὐτό κατέπληκε μεν τοι ταῦτα πάντα νυ ἐκ ἔχοντα ἀπότροφων διὰ τω ὑμετέραν βραδυτῆτα και ραθυμίαν - οεατε γδ, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τὸ πράγμα δι προελήλυθεν ασελγείας ανθρωπΘ, ὃς ἐδ' αιρεσιν ὑμῶν δί δωσι τρέπειν ἢ ἄγειν ἡσυχίαν, ἀλλ ̓ ἀπειλεῖ καὶ λόγος ύρη. φάνες, ὥς φασι, λέγει, καὶ ἐκ' διός τέ ὅσιν ἔχων & κατέςραπε ται, μένειν ἐπὶ τέτων, αλλ' αίει τι προσειε, κύκλῳ πανταχή μέλλοντας ὑμᾶς καὶ καθημες εις τοιχίζει ται. Πότ ̓ ἂν ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, πότε χρὴ πράξετε ; ἐπειδὰν τι γένη), επειδὰν νὴ Δία ἀναγκη τις ᾖ ; νὸν ἢ τι χρὴ τα γιγνομενα ηγείσαι, ἐγὼ γδ διμαι τοῖς ἐλευθέ τοις μεγιστην ανάγκην τω π 7 πραγμάτων αχείην * · ' βέλεθε, είπε μοι, πειϊόντες αυ ' πυνθάνεται και τω αγοράν, λέγεις τι καινόν ; γένοιτο γδ' ἂν τί καινότερον ἢ Μακεδών ανὴς 'Αθηναίες καταπολεμω, καὶ τὰ Ελλήνων διοικῶν ; τέθνηκε Φίλιππο; ἐ μα Δί ἀλλ' ἀπενεῖ τί δ' ὑμῖν διαφέρει ; κὶ ν ἂν ἔτG τι πάθη, ταχέως ὑμεῖς ἔτερον Φίλιππον ποιήσετε

αν

DEMOSTHENES in PHIL, I.

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vity. They say he threatens you; and "talks arrogantly. He is not content "now with what he has already conquer'd: He forms new Projects every day; and lays Snares for you on all Sides, while you continue ftill back"ward and flothful. When then, O "Athenians! when is it that ye will "do what ye ought to do? When will "ye attempt fomething? When will Neceflity determine you to act? What "must we think of what is now a-doing? In my Opinion, no Neceffity "can be more urgent upon a free People " than what arifes from the Shame of "their past ill Conduct. Will ye still "wander about in publick Places, in

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'

quiring after News? What ftranger "News can there be, than that a Man "of Macedon fubdues the Athenians, " and governs all Greece? Is PHILIP "dead? fays one: No, fays another, he "is only fick. What avails it, which "he is for if he were dead, you wou'd "foon raise up another PHILIP." Here Good-Senfe fpeaks without any other Ornament than its native Force. The Orator makes the Truth plain to all the People: he awakens them: he fpurs them on to Action: he fhews them their impending Ruin. Every thing is spoken for the common Good; not a Word to fhew

his