ment; but when expressing your own thoughts and sentiments to an audience, do not imitate any one in any thing. The thought, the feeling, and the occasion will suggest the proper tone and manner. Neither imitate any one in his manner of reading, declamation, or impersonation. Form your own conception of a piece, and present it according to your own ideas of the way in which it should be given, and its delivery will be marked by unmistakable originality.

GESTURE AND ACTION.

Action is that part of a speaker's manner which pertains to his attitude, posture, to the movement of his limbs, and to the use and carriage of his person. Gesture is a motion of the body or limbs expressive of sentiment or passion,any action or posture intended to express an idea or a passion, or to enforce an argument or opinion.

Action is the most difficult part of delivery; the exact adaptation of the word to the action, and the action to the word, in dramatic expression, can never be perfectly taught. To cultivate graceful and expressive action, practice movements of the body, and gestures, which, though not expressive of any particular feeling, are not inconsistent with ordinary feeling. In these exercises keep the body in a graceful position, and vary its movements and the movements of the head and limbs with different degrees of energy, in any direction and in any way that is not inconsistent with grace and propriety.

"What's a fine person, or a beauteous face,
Unless deportment gives it ease and grace?
With every other requisite to please,
Some want the striking elegance of ease.

The curious eye their various movements tires-
They seem like puppets moved about on wires-
Awkward, embarrassed, stiff,-without the skill

K. N. E.-9.

Of moving gracefully or standing still;
One leg, as if suspicious of his brother,
Desirous seems to run away from 't other."

Studied grace, or the appearance of art in the use of gestures, should be carefully avoided, as should every thing theatrical, stiff, affected, or pretentious. Action that is artificial will affect persons of good taste and good sense in a way the opposite of what was intended. Important as it is to be able always to avoid awkwardness, and under some circumstances to be very graceful, yet under other circumstances, decision and energy of action, when prompted by intense earnestness, will be far more effective than the most graceful action unaccompanied by the evidence of strong feeling. The language of gesture is not limited to the expression of deep emotion and strong passion. Upon every subject, and on every occasion on which we speak, some kind of feeling accompanies the words, and this feeling always has its appropriate action.

ACTION OF PASSION.

The passages requiring the expression of emotion or passion that the student may select for practice in gesture and action, must be thoroughly studied before delivered. He must have a clear and strong conception of the piece, and the action that should be used in its delivery.

In dramatic passages let the imagination be freely exercised in forming a strong mental picture of that which you wish to portray. Commence your practice in dramatic action on short and simple passages. Bring yourself as far as possible under the influence of the feeling you wish to express.

"To mark the passion's force, and paint it well,
The proper action Nature's self will tell."

Real feeling will always suggest the proper action.

ACTION IN UNIMPASSIONED DISCOURSE.

In unimpassioned discourse, gesticulation is not necessary, farther than occasionally to slightly change the position and movement of the hands, or to move the head and body sufficiently to look at your audience from right to left, etc. In discourse of this character, the gestures and movements should generally be executed slowly, and as gracefully as possible.

In stating unimportant particulars, or speaking about matters which require a quiet, narrative style, the right arm and hand should be chiefly used. But very little action is required in unimpassioned speaking.

DESCRIPTIVE GESTURES.

Descriptive gestures are those used in pointing out or describing objects. The pupil will soon acquire skill in the use of these by practicing in accordance with the following instructions:

Pronounce the names of a number of objects near you, and, as you give the name of each, extend the arm and point the forefinger in the direction of the object, completing the gesture the moment you utter the accented syllable of the name or word, thus:

1. The gentlemen on my right, the lady on my left, the vacant chair before me, the books, maps, and pictures all around me.

2. High, Low, Left, Right. On pronouncing the word High, raise the hand gracefully above the head; on Low, let it fall slowly and gracefully; Left, let the arm and hand be extended to the left; on the word Right, to the right.

3. Before commencing the gesture, always let the eye glance in the direction of the object concerning which you are about to speak.

4. Do not move the arm and hand to the intended position by the shortest course, but describe a curved line; let the motion be rather slow until the position is almost reached, then let the hand move quickly to its place in completing the gesture. The student should select or invent for himself short passages suitable as exercises in descriptive gesture and action.

EXAMPLES.

1. An honest man, my neighbor, there he stands, was struck,— struck like a dog by one who bears the badge of Ursini.

2. See through this air, this ocean, and this earth,

All matter quick and bursting into birth.
Above, how high progressive we may go;
Around, how wide, how deep descend below.

3. On right, on left, above, below,

Sprang up at once the lurking foe.

4. There is my dagger, here my naked breast; within, a heart dearer than gold-richer than Plutus' mine.

5. Look on these hands, these arms, this brow, this bosom, black with early wounds.

6. Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,

Cannon in front of them,
Cannon behind them,

Volleyed and thundered.

7. Mountains above, Earth's, Ocean's, plain below.

8. Until this hour I held some slack allegiance, but now my sword's my own.

9. The next gale that sweeps from the North will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms.

10. Then up with that flag, let it float on the air,

Though our fathers are cold in their graves;

They had hands that could strike,

They had souls that could dare,

And their sons were not made to be slaves. 11. The Douglas round him drew his cloak,

Folded his arms, and thus he spoke.

12. What, shall one of us that struck the foremost man of all the world but for supporting robbers, shall we contaminate our fingers

e bribes, and sell the mighty space of our large honors for so rash as may be grasped thus?

1. If, by charging me with theatrical behavior, any man mean to insinuate that I utter any sentiments but my own, I shall treat him as a calumniator and a villain. On such an occasion, I shall, without scruple, trample on all those forms with which wealth and dignity intrench themselves.

The simplest and the best way to cultivate easy, graceful, and appropriate action, either in expressing your own thoughts and sentiments, or in delivering the language of another, is to carefully imitate the graceful and expressive postures, gestures, and movements that you have noticed and admired in others. When an emphatic word is uttered with great abruptness, the gesture that accompanies it should be abrupt; when the utterance of the emphatic word is smooth, the gestures should be smooth. Generally, voice, features, and gestures should simultaneously express the same feeling and the same thought.

EXPRESSION BY THE HEAD, FACE, EYES, ARMS, BODY, AND LOWER LIMBS.

The Head and Face.

The hanging down of the head denotes shame or grief. The holding of it up, pride or courage.

To nod forward implies assent.

To toss the head back, dissent.

The inclination of the head implies diffidence or languor. The head is averted in dislike or horror.

It leans forward in attention.

The Eyes.

The eyes are raised, in prayer.

They weep, in sorrow.

They burn, in anger.