but having loft it, retired to Rhodes. Eloquence was then the quality most admired among men, and the magiftrates of that place having heard he had a cсру of the speech of Demofthenes, defired him to repeat both their pleadings. After his own, he recited also the oration of his antagonist. The people exprefsed their admiration of both, but more of that of Demofthenes. If you are, faid he, thus touched with hearing only what that great orator faid, how would you have been affected had you feen him speak? For he who hears Demofthenes only, loses much the better part of that oration. Certain it is, that they, who speak gracefully, are very lamely represented in having their speeches read or repeated by unskilful people; for there is something native to cach man, soinherent to his thoughts and sentiments, which is hardly possible for another to give a true idea of. You may observe in common talk, when a fentence of any man's is repeat, an acquaintance of this that immediately observe, that is fo like him, meibirks I fee how he locked when he jaid it.

But of all the people on the earth, there are none who puzzle me fo much as the clergy of Great Britain, who are, I believe, the most karned body of men how in the world; and yet this art of speaking, with the proper ornaments of voice and gesture, is wholly negIccted among them; and I'll engage, were a deaf man to behold the greater part of them preach, he would rather think they were reading the contents only of fome difcourse they intended to make, than actually in the body of an oration, even when they are upon matters of luch a nature, as one would believe it were impoflible to think of without emotion.

I own there are exceptions to this general observation, and that the Dean we heard the other day together, is an orator. He has so much regard to his congregation, that he commits to his memory what he is to say to them; and has fo foft and graceful a behaviour, that it must attract your attention. His perfon, it is to be confefsed, is no small recommendation; but he is to be highly commended for not lofing that advantage, and adding to the propriety of speech (which might pass the criticism of Longinus) an action which might have been approved by Demofthenes. He has a peculiar force in his way, and has many of his audience who could not be intelligent hearers of his discourse, were there not explanation as well as grace in his action. This art of his is used with the most exact and honest skill; he never attempts your paffions till he has convinced your reason. All the objections which he can form, are laid open and dispersed, before he uses the leaft vehemence in his fermon; but when he thinks he has your head, he very foon wins your heart; and never pretends to shew the beauty of holiness, till he hath convinced you of the truth of it.

Would every one of our clergymen be thus careful to recommend truth and virtue in their proper figures, and to thew fo much concern for them as to give them all the additional force they were able, it is not poffible that nonsense should have so many hearers as you find it hasin diffenting congregations, for no reafon in the world, but because it is spoken extempore: For ordinary minds are wholly governed by their eyes and ears, and there is no way to come at their hearts, but by power over their imaginations.

There is my friend and merry companion Daniel. He knows a great deal better than he speaks, and can form a proper discourse as well as any orthodox neighbour. But he knows very well, that to bawl out, my beloved; and the words grace! regeneration! fanctification! a new light! the day! the day! Ah, my beloved, the day! or rather the night! the night is coming! and judgment will come when we leaft think of it! and so forth-He knows, to be vehement is the only way to come at his audience. Daniel, when he fees my friend Greenhat come in, can give a good hint, and cry out, this is only for the faints! the regenerated! By this force of action, though mixed with all the incoherence and ribaldry imaginable, Daniel can laugh at his diocefan, and grow fat by voluntary fubfcription, while the parfon of the parish goes to law his dues. Daniel will tell you, it not the

VOL. II.

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shepherd, but the sheep with the bell, which the flock follows.

Another thing very wonderful this learned body should omit, is learning to read; which is a most neceffary part of eloquence in one who is to ferve at the altar: For there is no man but must be sensible, that. the lazy tone, and inarticulate found of our common readers, depreciates the most proper form of words, that were ever extant in any nation or language, to speak their own wants, or his power from whom we afk relief.

There cannot be a greater instance of the power of action than in little parfon Dapper, who is the common. relief of all the lazy pulpits in town. This smart youth has a very good memory, a quick eye, and a clean handkerchief. Thus equipped, he opens his text, shuts his book fairly, thews he has no notes in his bible, opens both psalms, and shews all is fair there too, Thus with a decisive air, my young man goes on without hesitation; and though from the beginning to the end. of his pretty difcourse he has not used one proper gefture, yet at the conclufion, the churchwarden pulls his gloves from off his hands: Pray, who is this extraordina ry young man ? Thus the force of action is such, that it is more prevalent, even when improper, than all the reason and argument in the world without it.. This gentleman concluded his discourse by faying, I do not doubt but if our preachers would learn to speak, and our readers to read, within fix months time we should not have a dissenter within a mile of a church in Great Britain. TATLER, Vol. II. No. 66.

EMILIA-Her Character.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

"F this paper has the good fortune to be honoured IF with a place in your writings, I hall be the more pleaf-ed, because the character of Emilia is not an imaginary, but a real one. I have industriousfly obfcured the

the whole by the addition of one or two circumftan-ces of no confequence, that the perfon it is drawn from might still be concealed; and that the writer of it might not be in the least suspected, and for fome other: reafons, I choose not to give it the form of a letter : But, if befides the faults of the compofition, there be any thing in it more proper for a correfpondent than the Spectator himself to write, I submit it to your better? judgment, to receive any other model you think fit.

Lam, SIR

Your very humble Servant."

There is nothing which gives one so pleasing a profpect of human nature, as the contemplation of wisdom and beauty: The latter is the peculiar portion of that fex which is therefore called fair; but the happy concurrence of both these excellencies in the fame perfon, is a character too celestial to be frequently met with. Beauty is an over-weening felf-fufficient thing, carelefs of providing itself any more substantial ornaments; ay, so little does it confult its own interests, that it too often defeats itself by betraying that innocence which renders-it lovely and defirable.. As therefore virtue makes a beautiful woman appear more beautiful, fo beauty makes a virtuous woman really more virtuous.. Whilit I am confidering these two perfections glorioufly united in one perfon, I cannot help representing to my mind the image of Emilia.

Who ever beheld the charming Emilia, without feeling in his breaft at once the glow of love and the ten-. derness of virtuous friendship? The unstudied graces of her behaviour, and the pleasingaccents of her tongue, infenfibly draw you on to with for a nearer enjoyment of them; but even her smiles carry in them a filent reproof to the impulfies of licentious love. Thus tho the attractions of her beauty play most irresistibly upon you and create defire, you immediately stand correct ed, not by the severity, but the decency, of her virtue. That sweetness and good-humour which is so visible in her face, naturally diffuses itself into every word and action: A man must be a savage, who, at the fight of

Emilia, is not more inclined to do her good than gratify himself. Her person, as it is thus studioufly embellished by nature, thus adorned with unpremeditated graces, is a fit lodging for a mind fo fair and lovely; there dwell rational piety, modeft hope, and cheerful refignation.

Many of the prevailing paffions of mankind do undeservedly pass under the name of religion; which is thus made to express itself in action, according to the nature of the constitution in which it refides. So that were we to make a judgment from appearances, one would imagine religion in fome is little better than fullenness and reserve; in many, fear; in others the despondings of a melancholy complexion; in others the formality of infignificant, unaffecting observances; in others feverity; in others oftentation. In Emilia it is a principle founded in reason, and enlivened with hope; it does not break forth into irregular fits and fallies of devotion, but is an uniform and confiftent tenor of action: it is strict without severity; compaffionate without weakness; it is the perfection of that good-humour which proceeds from the understanding, not the effects of an easy conftitution.

By a generous sympathy in nature, we feel ourselves disposed to mourn when any of our fellow-creatures are afflicted; but injured innocence and beauty in distress, is an object that carries in it something inexpressibly moving: it softens the most manly heart with the tenderest sensations of love and compaffion, till at length it confeffes its humanity, and flows out in

to tears.

Were I to relate that part of Emilia's life which has given her an opportunity of exerting the heroism of her chriftianity, it would make too fad, too tender a story: But when I confider her alone in the midst of her distreffes, looking beyond this gloomy vale of affliction and forrow, into the joys of Heaven and immortality, and when I fee her in conversation thoughtless and easy, as if she were the most happy creature in the world, I am transported with admiration. Surely never did such a philofophic foul inhabit such a