which requires tlio greatest eiertioTi of the poncra of e qtienoe, was constantly left to you," " It was," said I; "a Hortonsiua (induced, I suppose, by the warmth of hia frien ship] EiliTayB resigned the post of honour to me. But, ns mjgclf, what rank I hold in the opinion of the people I ai unable to determine; as to others, however, I tnaj saH^ assert, that such of them as were reckoned most cloqoent fl the judgment of the vulgar, were equally high in the edf mation of the teamed. For even. Demosthenes himself cool not have said what is related of Antimachus, a poet of C who, when he was rehearsing to an audience, assembled fi tho purpose, that voluminous piece of his which you a acquainted with, and was deserted by all his hearers exc Plato, in the midst of his performance, cried out, / diall p eeed ttotmt/atandinff; far Plata alone w of n to me tfutfi many Ihoutand*. The remark was very just For an abstruse poem, such as hia, only requires the approbatiim of the judicious few; but a diecourse intended for the peo^ds should be perfectly suited to their tasta. If DemoGthei ' therefore, after being deserted by the rest of his audien had oven Plato left to hear him, and n^ answer for it, he could not have uttered another syllable. N<|B could you yourself, my Brutus, if the whole assembly v leave you, as it once did Curio )" " To open my whole n to you," replied he, " I must confess that even in such c aa liill under the cognisance of a few select judges, and not d the people at large, if I were to be deserted by the csaoi crowd who came to hear the trial, I should not be iibls % proceed." " The case, then, is plainly this," said I: ' jiute, which will not return its proper sound when it is applic to tho lips, would be laid aside by the musician as tis^eri. so, the ears of the people are the instrument upon which ■ orator is to play; and if these refuse to admit the breath a bestows upon them, or if the hearer, like a restive horse. i not obey the spur, the speaker must cease to eiert tin any further.
LII, " There is, however, this exception to be made; people sometimes give their approbation Xa an orator wh( does not deserve it. But even here they approve what t have had no opportunity of comparing with something better jl i, for instance, when they are pleased with an indifferent, otjjk 9, a bad speaker. His abilities satis^ their expectation |K BEMAItKS OK SMISKST ORATORB. 4^7 they have seen nothing preferahle; and, therefore, the merit of the day, whatever it may happen to he, meets thoir full applause. For even a middling orator, if he is possessed of any degree of eloquence, will always captivate the ear; and the order and beauty of a. good discourBe has an astonishing effect upon the human mind. Accordingly, what common hearer who waa present when Quintus Scajvola pleaded for JIucius Coponius, in the oauao above-mentioned, would have wished for, or indeed thought it possible to iind anything which was more correct, more elegant, or more complete i When he attempted to prove, that, as Muoius Curiua was left heir to the estate only in case of the death of bis futm-e ward before he came of age, he could not possibly be a legal heir, when the expected ward waa never bom; what did he leave unsaid of the scrupiilous regard which should he paid to the literal meaning of every testament? what of the accuracy sud preciseuess of the old and established forms of law 1 and how carefully did he specify the manner in which the will would have been expressed, if it had intended that Curins should be the heir in case of a total default of issue 1 in what a masterly manner did he represent the ill consequences to the public, if the letter of a will should be disregarded, its intention decided by arbitrary conjectures, ana the written bequests of plain illiterate men left to the artfu.
interpretation of a pleader 1 how often did he urge the authority of his father, who had always been an advoaite for a strict adherence to the letter of a testament 1 and with what emphasis did he enlarge upon the necessity of supporting the common forms of law? All which particulars he discussed not only with great art and ingenuity; but in such a ueat, such a close, aad, I may add, in so florid and so elegant a style, that there was not a single person among the common part of the audience, who could expect anything more complete, or even think it possible to exist.
LIII. " But when Crassus, who spoke ou the opposite ude, began with the story of a notable youth, who, having found an oar-niche of a boat as he was rambling along the shore, took it into his head that he would build a boat to it; and when he applied the tale to Scwvola, who, from the oar-nicke of an argument [which he had deduced from certaiu imaginary ill consequences to the public], represented the decision f a private will to bo a matter of such importance aa t I deserve the attention of tho Centumviri; when Crussu*, I gi ill the beginning of his discourse, hod thus taken off the o of the strongest plea of his anti^nist, he entertained 1 hearers with many other turns of a similar kind; and, in a short time, changed the serious apprehensions of all who were present into open mirth and good-humour; which is one of those three effeotB which I have just observed an orator should ht able to produce. Ho then proceeded to retnark that it was evidently the intention and the will of the testator, that in case, either by death, or default of issue, there should happen to bo no eon to fail to his charge, the inheritance should devolve to Curius; that most people iu a similar case would BipresB themselves iu the same manner, and that it would certainly stand good in law, and always had. By these, and many other obBervations of the same kind, he gained the assent of his hearers; which ia another of the three duties of tm orator. Lastly, he supported, at all events, the true meaning and spirit of a will, against the literal construction; justly observing, that there would be an endless cavilling about words, not only in wills, but in all other l^nl deeds, if the real intention of the party were to be disregarded; and hbting very smartly, that his friend SciBTola had assumed a most unwarrantable degree of importance, if no person must afterwards presume to indite a l^aoy, but in the musty form which ho himself might please to preacrihe. Aa he enlarged on each of these arguments with great force and propriety, supported them by a number of precedents, exhibited them in a variety of views, and enlivened them with many ocoaaonal turns of wit and pleasantry, he gained so much applause, and gave such gener^ satisfaction, that it was scarcely remembered that anything had heen said on the contraiy side of tie questbn. This waa the third, and the most important duty we assigned to an orator. Here, if one of the people were to bo judge, the same person who had heard the first speaker with a. degree of admiration, would, on hearing the second, despise himself for liis former want of judgment; whereas a man of taste and erudition, on heai'iug Scffivolo, would have observed that he was really master of a rich and ornamental style; but if, on comparing the manner in which each of them concluded his cause, it was to be inquired which of ti» two WHS the best orator, tlie decision of the man would not have differed from that of the Tulgar.
LIV. " What advantage, then, it will be said, has the skilful critic over tha illiterate hearer? A great aud very important advantage; if it is indeed a matter of any consequence, to be able to discover by what means that which is the true and real end of speaking, is either obtained or lost. He has likewise this additional Buperiority, that when two or more orators, as has frequently happened, have shared the applauses of the public, he can judge, on a careful observation erf the principal merits of each, what is the moat perfect character of eloquence; since whatever does not meet the approbation of the people, must be equally condemned by a more intelligent hearer. For as it is easily understood by the Bound of a harp, whether the strings are skilfully touched; so it may likewise bo discovered from the manner in which the passions of an audience are affected, how far the speaker is able to command them. A man, therefore, who is a real connoissem" in the art, can sometiaies by a. single glance, as he passes through the fonim, Bjnd without stopping to listen attentively to what is said, form a tolerahle judgment of the ability of the speaker. When he observes any of the bench either yawning, or speaking to the person who is nest to him, or looking carelessly about him, or sending to inquire the time of day, or teazing the quaisitor to dismiss the court; he concludes very naturally that the cause upon trial is not pleaded by an orator who understands how to apply tha powers of language to the passions of the judges, as a skilful musician applies his fingers to the harp. On the other hand, if, as he passes by, he beholds the judges looking attentiTely before them, as if they were either receiving some material information, or visibly approved ivhat they had already heard; if he sees them listening to the voice of the pleader with a kind of ecstasy, like a fond bird to some melodious tune; and, above all, if he discovers in their looks any strong indieations of pity, abhorrence, or any other emotion of the mind; though he should not he near enough to hear a single word, he immediately discovers that the cause is managed by a real orator, who is either performing, or has already played his part to good purpose."
LV. After I had concluded these digressive remark^ my two friends were kind enough to signify their approbation, and I resumed my subject. " As this digression," said I, " took its rise from Cotta and Sulpicins, whom I mentioned as the I DauTus; on, two most approved orators of the age they lived ii first return to i/iem. and aftertrards notice the rest i proper order, according to the plan we begau upon. I hav9 ulretidy observed that there are two clasEcs of good oratora (for we have no concern with any otherB), of which the former are distinguished by the simple neatneaii and brevity of their language, and the latter by their copious dignity and elevation; but although the preference must always be given to that which is great and striking; yet, in speakers of real merit, whatever is most perfect of the kind, is justly entitled to our commendation. It must, however, be observed, that the close and simple orator should be careful not to sink into a dryness and poverty of eipresaion; while, oa the other hand, the copious and more stately speaker should be equally on his guard against a swelling and empty parade of words.
To begin with Cotta, he had a ready, quick invention, and spoke correctly and freely; and aa he very prudently avoided every forcible exertion of his voice, on account of the weakness of his lungs, so his language was equally adapted to the delicacy of his constitution. There was nothing in his style hut what wns neat, compact, and healthy; and (what may justly be considered as his greatest excellence) though he was scarcely able, and therefore never attempted to force the paBsions of the judges by a strong and spirited elocution, yet ho managed them so artfully, that the gentle emotions he luised in them, answered exactly the same purpose, and {adduced the same effect, as the violent ones which were excited liy Sulpicius. For Sulpicius was really the most striking, and, if I may be allowed the expression, the most tragical orator I ever hoard: his voice was strong and sonorous, and yet sweet and flowing; his gesture and his deportment were gtncefol and oruamental, but in such a style as to appear to have been formed for the forum, and not for the stage; and his language though rapid and voluble, wns neither loose nor exuberant He was a professed imitator of Crassus, while Cotta chose Antonius for his model; but the latter wanted the force of AntoniuB, and the former the agreeable humour of Craasus.".
" How extremely difficult, then," said Brutus, " must % tbe ai't of speaking, when such consummate orators o were each of them destitute of one of its principal beautiesfl liVI. "We may likewise observe," said I, "in tbe pre instance, that two oratots may have the highest degree e OH BHENSHT ORATOBS.
merit, who are totally unlike each other; for none could be more bo than Cotta and Sulpiciua, and yet both of them were far Buperior to any of their contemporaries. It is therefore the business of every intelligent master to notice what is the natural bent of his pupil's capacity; and taking that for his guide, to imitate the conduct of Isocrates with his two scholars Theopompus and Ephorus, who, after remarking the lively genius of the former, and the mild and timid boshfulness of the latter, is reported to have said, that he applied a spur to the one, and a curb to the other. The orations now extant, which bear the name of Sulpioiiift, are supposed to have been written after his decease by my contemporary Publius Canutius, a man indeed of inferior rank, but who, in my mind, hod a great command of language. But we have not a single speech of Sulpiciua that was really his own; for I have often heard him say, that he neither had, nor ever could commit anything of the kind to writing. And as to Cotta's speech in defence of himself, called a vindication of the Varian law, it was composed, at his own request, by Lucius jEHub. This iEliua was a man of merit, and a very worthy Eoman knight, who was thoroughly veraed in -Greek and Roman literature.
He had likewise a critical knowledge of the antiquities of his country, both aa to the date aud particulars of every new improvement, and every memorable transaction, and was perfectly well read in the ancient writers; a branch of learning in which he was succeeded by our friend Varro, a man of genius, and of the most eitensive erudition, who afterwards enlarged the plan by many valuable collections of his own, and gave a much ftiller and more elegant system of it to the public. For ^lius himself chose to assume the character of a Stoic, and neither aimed to be, nor ever was an orator; but he composed several orations for other people to pronounce; as, for Quintus MeteUus, Fabius Qnintus Ctepio, and Quintus Pompeius Rufns; though the latter composed those speeches himself which he spoke in his own defence, but not without tlie assistance of jEUub. For I myself was present at the writing of them, in the younger part of my life, when I used to attend jElius for the benefit of his instructions. But I am surprised that Cotta, who was really an excellent orator, imdfiman of good le&ming, should be willing that the trifling Bpeechea of jClius should he published to the world as hu. LVII. " To the two above-mentionedj no third person of e age vas esteemed an equal; PompotiiaB, howevaq «sE a speaker much to my taste; or, at least, I imve « little tsLult to find with him. But there was no employmeiit* fot any in capital causes, eiceptiog for those I have alreai^ mentioned; because Antonias, vho was always courted on these occasions, was Teiy ready to give his service - and CntsBOB, though not so compilable, gcneraUy consented, on any pressing soUcitation, to give hit. Those who had not interest enough to engage either of these, commonly applied to Phiiippus or Casar; but when Cotta and Sulpiciua were st liberty, they generally had the preference; so that all the causes in which any honour was to be acquired, were pleaded by these six orators. We may add, that trials were not so frequent then as they are at present; neither did people employ, as they do now, several pleaders on the same ude of the question; a practice which is attended with many disadvantages. For hereby we are often obliged to speak in reply to those whom we had not an opportunity of liearingj in which case, what has been allegeil on the opposite side, is often represented to us either falsely or imperfectly; and besides, it is a very material circunastance, that I myadf should be present to eoo with what countenance my antagonist Euppoi-Ls bis allegations, and, still more so, to observe the effect of every part of bis diHCourse upon the aodience; And as every defence shoidd be conducted upon one uniform plan, nothing can be more improperly contrived, than to recommence it by assigning the peroration, or patbetical part of it, to a second advocate. For eveiy cause can have bnt one natural introduction and conclusion; and all the othra parts of it, like the members of an animal body, will best retain their proper strength and beauty, when they are regularly disposed and connected. We may add, that, as it is very difficult in a single oration of any length, to avoid saying something which does not comport with the rest of it so well as it ought to do, how much more difScult must it be to COU' trive that nothing shall be said, which does not tally exactly with the speech of another person who has spoken before yoal> But as it certainly requires more labour to plead a who' cause, than only a part of it, and as many advantageous co neaions are formed by assisting in a suit in which BeTeR_^ persons are interested, the custom, however preposterous iM itself, bos been readily adopted.
KEitABES OK BUIKENT ORATORS, 463 LVni, " There were Bonie, however, wiio esteemed Curio the third best orator of the age; perhaps, because his language was brillinut and pompous, and because he bad a habit (fur which I suppose he vdb indebted to his domestic education) of expressing himself with tolerable correctness; for he was B. man of very little learning. But it ia a circumstance of great importance, what sort of people we are used to converse with at home, especially in the more early part of life; and what sort of language we have been accustomed to Lear firom our tutors and parents, not excepting the mother. We have all read the letters of Cornelia, the mother of the Gracchi; and are satisfied, that her sons were not so much nurtured in their mother's lap, aa in the elegance and purity of her language. I have often too enjoyed the agreeable conversation of Lselia, the daughter of Cains, and ob' Bervod in her a strong tincture of her &ther's elegance. I have likewiae conversed with his two daaghters, the Mucis, and his grand-daughters, the two Lioinise, with one of whom (the wife of Scipio) you, ray Bnitns, I believe, have sometimes been in company." " I have," replied he, " and was much pleased with her coaversation; and the more so, because she was the daughter of Crassiis." " And what think you," said I, " of Craasua the son of that Licinia, who was adopted by Craasus in his willT' " He ia said," replied he, "to have been a man of great genius; and the Saipio you have mentioned, who was my oollc^ue, likewiae appears to me to have been a good speaker, and an elegant companion."
" Tour opinion, my Brutus," said I, " is very just. For this femily, if I may be allowed the espression, seems to havo been the o&pring of wisdom. As to their two grandlathers, Scipio and Crassus, wo have taken notice of them already; as we also have of their great grandfathers,Quiatu8MeteHu8, who had four sous; Publius Scipio, who, when a private citizen, rescued the republic from the arbitrary influence of Tiberius Gracchus; and QuintuB ScEevoIa, the augur, who was the ablest and most affable civiUan of his time. And lastly, how illustrious are the names of their next immediate progenitors, Publiua Scipio, who was twice consul, and was called the darling of the people; and Caitis Ltelius, who was esteemed the wisest of men." "A generous stock indeed!" cried Brutus, " into which the wisdom of many has been successively ingroftfid, like a number of scions on the same tree '. " ] LIX. " I have likewise a suspicion," replied I, " (if wo may compare small things with great,) that Curio's family, though he himself was left an orphan, was indebted to his fatlier'a instniction, and good example, for the habitual purity of their language; and bo much the more, because, of all those who were held in any estimation for their el(>-quence, I never knew one who was so totally uninformed and unskilled in every braach of liberal science. He had not read a single poet, or studied a single orator; and he knew little or nothing either of public, civil, or common law. We might say almost the same, indeed, of several others, acd some of them very able onttora, who (we know) were hut little acquainted with these useful parts of knowledge; as, for insttmce, of Sulpicius and Antonius. But this deficiency was supplied in them by an elaborate knowledge of the art of speaking; and there was not one of them who was totally unqualified in any of the five' principal parts of which it is composed; for whenever this is the case, (and it matters not in which of those parts it happens,) it entirely incapacitates a man to shine as an orator. Some, however, excelled in one part, and some in another. Thus Antonius could readily invent such arguments aa were most in point, and afterwards digest and methodize them to the best advantage; and he could likewise retain the plan he bad formed with great exactness; but his chief merit was the goodnes of his delivery, in which he was justly allowed to esceL la some of these qualifications be was upon an equal footing with Crnssus. and in others he was superior; but then the langiiapu of Cr.usus was indisputably preferable to kig. In the Nvnie manner, it cannot be said that either Sulpicius or Cotta, or any otiicr speaker of repute, was absolutely deficient in «uy otio of tlie five parts of oratory. But we may justly infer &WU1 the example of Curio, that nothing will more recommend an orator, tliau a brilliant aod ready flow of eipr^ioit; { be wait remarkably dull in the invention, and very loose a) uuOvMiuected in the disposition, of hia aipmients.
LX. "The two remaining parts are, pronunciation a tnvnkory; in each of which he was so miserably defective) |j to excite tlie laughter and the ridicule of his hearers.
anture was really such as Caius Julius represented i ~ft,SBVGre sarcasm, tlkat will never be forgotten; for as he wltf * laTUotioDi diapontion, eioeatioii, memoty, and praciuiciatiaii.
iMABKS ON EMISEKT ORATORS.
swaying and reeling hia whole body from side to side, Juiina facetiously inquired wAo it was that was speaking from, a hoai? To the same purpose was the jest of Cnieus Siciniua, a man very vulgar, hut esceedingly humorous, which waa the only qualification he had to recommend him as an orator. "When this man, as tribune of the people, had summoned Curio and Octavius, who were then consuls, into the forum, and Curio had delivered a tedious harangue, while Octavins sat silently by him, wrapt up in flannels, aud besmeared with oiotmenta, to ease the pain of the gout; Octavius, said he, 2/ou are infinitely obliged to your colleagtie; for if he had not toa$ed and filing kinigelf abirut to-day, in the manner ke did, you would certainly have been devoured by the fiiea. As to his memory, it was so extremely treacherous, that after he had divided his subject into three general heads, he would sometimes, in the course of speaking, either add a fourth, or omit the third. In a capital trial, in which I had pleaded for Titinia, the daughter of Cotta, when he attempted to reply t« me in defence of Serviua Ntevius, he suddenly forgot everything he intended to say, and attributed it to the pretended witchcraft and magio artifices of Titinia. These were undoubted proofs of the weakness of his monioiy. But, what ]& still more inexcusable, he sometimes foi-got, even in hia written treatises, what he had mentioned but a little before.