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ISOCRATES..

ELOQUENCE.

THE character of Isocrates presents the rare combination of a man, who, devoid of fear, is recorded to have passed through a long life, without having made an enemy of a single individual, by the boldness of his eloquence. When Theramenes, proscribed by the thirty tyrants, took refuge at the altar, Isocrates generously volunteered to plead in his defence at the hazard of his own life; and after the death of Socrates, when all his disciples, struck with dismay, fled into distant parts, Isocrates alone had the courage to appear in mourning in the public streets of Athens.

PERICLES.

The eloquence of Pericles, which his countrymen were wont to designate by the attribute of "thunder and lightning," must have mingled a wondrous share of the persuasive in its power over the passions. When Thucydides, the Milesian, one of his great opponents in state matters, was asked by Archidamus, King of Sparta, which was the better wrestler, Pericles or himself?" "It is in vain," replied Thucydides, "to wrestle with that man. As often as I have cast him to the ground, he has as stoutly denied it; and when I would maintain that he had got the fall, he would as obstinately maintain the reverse; and so efficaciously withal, that he has made all who heard him, nay, the very spectators, believe him."

CRILLON KING CLOVIS.

The brave Crillon attending on a Good Friday the public offices of devotion, was so affected by an eminent preacher's delineation of our Saviour's death and sufferings, that, laying his hand upon his sword, he cried out in a transport of generous resentment, "Where art thou, Crillon?"

It would be idle to suspect Crillon of plagiarism in his honest anger and mode of venting it. Yet his behavior was merely a copy of that of King Clovis, on a similar occasion. "Had I been present at the head of my valiant Franks," exclaimed that monarch indignantly, "I would have redressed his wrongs!"

PETER THE HERMIT.

It is difficult to fix limits to human achievements, when superstition or enthusiasm is aided by the power of eloquence. The celebrated Peter the Hermit having made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, towards the close of the eleventh century, was deeply impressed with the oppression sustained by the Christians from the Turks, and resolved to make an effort to rouse the

western nations to arms in their behalf. The appearance of Peter was mean, his stature small, his body meagre, and his countenance shrivelled; but with these disadvantages, he had a keen and lively eye, and a ready eloquence. Being encouraged by Pope Urban 11., he travelled as a missionary through the provinces of Italy and France. He rode on an ass; his head and feet were naked, and he bore a weighty crucifix. He prayed frequently, fed on bread and water, gave away in alms all that he received, and by his saintly demeanor and fervid address, drew innumerable crowds of all ranks to listen to his preaching. When he painted the indignities offered to the true believers at the birth-place and sepulchre of the Saviour, every heart was melted to compassion, and animated to revenge. His success was such as might be expected from the rude enthusiasm and martial spirit of the age; and Peter soon collected an army of 60,000 followers, with which he proceeded towards Jerusalem.

MASSILLON.

-There stands

The legate of the skies! his theme divine,
His office sacred, his credentials clear
By him, the violated law speaks out
Its thunders; and by him, in strains as sweet
As angels use, the gospel whispers peace."

COWPER.

When this illustrious preacher was asked where a man like him, whose life was dedicated to retirement, could borrow his admirable descriptions of real life, he answered, "from the human heart; however little we examine it, we shall find in it the seeds of every passion. When I compose a sermon, I imagine myself consulted upon some doubtful piece of business. I give my whole application to determine the person who has recourse to me, to act the good and proper part. I exhort him, I urge him, and I quit him not till he has yielded to my persuasions."

On preaching the first Advent sermon at Versailles, Louis XIV. paid the following most expressive tribute to the power of his eloquence. "Father, when I hear others preach, I am very well pleased with them; when I hear you, I am dissatisfied with myself."

The first time he preached his sermon on the small number of the elect, the whole audience were at a certain part of it seized with such violent emotion, that almost every person half rose from his seat, as if to shake off the horror of being one of the cast-out into everlasting dark

ness.

When Baron, the actor, came from hearing one of his sermons, "Friend," said he, to one of the same profession, who accompanied him, "here is an orator; we are only act ors."

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DR. BARROW.

Charles II. was wont in his humorous way to say of his chaplain, Dr. Barrow, that "he was the most unfair preacher in England; because he exhausted every subject, and left no room for others to come after him. It was indeed too much the doctor's way; when he got hold of a topic, he never knew how to leave anything unsaid upon it. One of his best discourses, that on the Duty and Reward of Bounty to the Poor, actually took him up three hours and a half in delivering!

INDEPENDENCE OF THE BAR.

So low in point of independence was the profession of the bar in the time of Henry the Sixth, that in the case respecting precedence between the Earl of Warwick, and the Earl Marshal, both the advocates for the parties, viz. Sir Walter Beauchamp (the first lawyer by-the-bye who ever wore the spurs of knighthood in England) and Mr. Roger Hunt, made most humble protestations, each entreating the peer against whom he was retained not to take amiss what he might be obliged to advance on the part of his client.

Mr. Hume, speaking of a later period, says, "That the answers given into court by the famous Prynn and his associates were so full of invectives against the prelates, "that no lawyer could be prevailed on to sign them." The truth, however, is, that the lawyers allowed themselves to be intimidated by the menaces of the court from defending them at ali. Mr. Holt, one of their number, signed Prynn's answer, and was told by Lord Chief Justice Finch, that he deserved to have his gown pulled over his ears for drawing it, though it contained nothing but mere explanations of points of fact, and a dry recital of acts of parliament; and afterwards, when it was expunged by order of the judges, and another prepared, Mr. Holt, in excuse for not signing the second, being appealed to by Prynn in open court, submissively replied, that "he durst not set his hand to it, for fear of giving their honors dis

taste."

THE LONG PARLIAMENT.

There perhaps was no period in the history of the British senate, in which our senators more nearly approached the nervous eloquence of the Greeks and Romans, than during the sitting of the long parliament. The language was clear and copious, and often displayed strong marks of the most animated eloquence. In one of the debates at this period, the lord keeper, Finch, having observed, "That whatever supplies had been raised from the subject, had been again restored to them in fructifying showers; remark Lord Digby very spiritedly answered, to this "It has been a frequent metaphor with these ministerial oppressors, that whatever supplies have been raised from the subject, have been

again restored to them in fructifying showers; but it has been in hail-stones and mildews, to wither our hopes, and batter and prostrate our affections."

BISHOP ATTERBURY.

In the debates on the Occasional Conformity and Schism Bills in the House of Lords, in December, 1718, they were very warmly opposed by Atterbury, Bishop of Rochester, who said, " he had prophesied last winter this bill would be attempted in the present session, and he was sorry to find he had proved a true prophet." Lord Coningsby, who always spoke in a passion, rose immediately after the bishop, and remarked, that "one of the right reverends had set himself forth as a prophet; but for his part, he did not know what prophet to liken him to, unless to that famous prophet Balaam, who was reproved by his own ass. "" The bishop, in reply, with great wit and calmness exposed his rude attack, concluding in these words: "Since the noble lord hath discovered in our manners such a similitude, I am well content to be compared to the prophet Balaam; but, my lords, I am at a loss how to make out the other part of the parallel. I am sure that I have been reproved by nobody but his lordship." From that day forth, Lord Coningsby was called "Atterbury's Pad."

ment.

FREDERIC THE GREAT.

Frederic the Great being informed of the death of one of his chaplains, a man of considerable learning and piety, determined to select a successor with the same qualifications, and took the following method of ascertaining the merit of one of the numerous candidates for the appointHe told the applicant that he would furnish him with a text the following Sunday, when he was to preach at the Royal Chapel. The morning came, and the chapel was crowded to The king arrived at the end of the prayers; and on the candidate ascending the pulpit, he was presented with a sealed paper by one of his majesty's aids-de-camp. The preacher opened it, and found nothing written. He did not however lose his presence of mind; but turning the paper on both sides, he said, " brethren, here is nothing, and there is nothing; My out of nothing God created all things; " and proceeded to deliver a most eloquent discourse on the wonders of the creation.

excess.

SIR THOMAS SEWELL.

Sir Thomas Sewell, Master of the Rolls, who usually sat in the House of Commons in his great wig, spoke in favor of the adjournment of the debate on the illegality of general warrants in 1764, because that such adjournment, though short, would afford him an opportunity to examine his books and authorities upon the subject, and he should then be prepared with an opinion upon it; which at present he was not." the adjourned debate, the same gentleman said, Upon

that "he had that very morning turned the whole matter over in his mind as he lay upon his pillow, and after ruminating and considering upon it a good deal, he could not help declaring, that he was of the same opinion as before." Mr. Charles Townshend, on this, started up, and said, "He was very sorry to find that what the right honorable gentleman had found in his nightcap, he had lost in his periwig."

EFFECT.

Mr. Lee, the barrister, was famous for studying effect when he pleaded. On the circuit of Norwich, a brief was brought to him by the relatives of a woman who had been deceived into a breach of promise of marriage. Lee inquired among other particulars, whether the woman was handsome?" A most beautiful face," was the answer. Satisfied with this, he desired she should be placed at the bar, immediately in front of the jury. When he rose, he began a most pathetic and eloquent address, directing the attention of the jury to the charms which were placed in their view, and painting in glowing colors the guilt of the wretch who could injure so much beauty. When he perceived their feelings worked up to a proper pitch, he sat down, under the perfect conviction that he should obtain a verdict. What then must have been his surprise, when the counsel retained by the opposite party rose and observed, "that it was impossible not to assent to the encomiums which his learned friend had lavished on the face of the plaintiff; but he had forgot to say, that she had a wooden leg!" This fact, of which Lee was by no means aware, was established to his utter confusion. His eloquence was thrown away; and the jury, who felt ashamed of the effects it had produced upon them, instantly gave a verdict against him.

EDWARD IV.

On this prince's declaration of war against Louis XI. of France, he addressed his parliament in an able speech, which concluded with the following impressive words:

"But I detain you too long by my speech from action. I see the clouds of dire revenge gathered in your hearts, and the lightning of fury break from your eyes, which bodes thunder against our enemy; let us therefore lose no time, but suddenly and severely scourge this perjured court to a severe repentance, and regain honór to our nation, and his kingdom to our crown."

PHYSIOGNOMY.

A witness was one day called to the bar of the House of Commons, when some one took notice, and pointedly remarked, upon his ill looks. Mr. Fox (afterwards Lord Holland), whose gloomy countenance strongly marked his character, observed, "That it was unjust, ungenerous, and unmanly,' to censure a man for that signature which God had impressed upon his coun

tenance, and which therefore he could not by any means remedy or avoid." Mr. Pitt rose hastily and said, "I agree from my heart with the observation of my fellow member; it is forcible, it is judicious and true. But there are some (throwing his eyes full on Fox) upon whose face the hand of Heaven has so stamped the mark of wickedness, that it were IMPIETY not to give it credit."

BISHOP PORTEUS.

In one of the debates in the House of Peers in 1794, a noble lord quoted the following lines from Bishop Porteus' Poem on war:

"One murder makes a villain;

Millions, a hero! Princes are privileged
To kill, and numbers sanctify the crime.
Ah! why will kings forget that they are men,
And men, that they are brethren? Why delight
In human sacrifice? Why burst the ties
Of nature, that should knit their souls together
In one soft bond of amity and love?
They yet still breathe destruction, still go on,
Inhumanly ingenious to find out

New pains for life; new terrors for the grave.
Artificers of DEATH! Still monarchs dream
Of universal empire growing up
From universal ruin. Blast the design,
Great God of Hosts! Nor let thy creatures fall
Unpitied victims at Ambition's shrine."

The bishop, who was present, and who generally voted with the minister, was asked by a noble earl, then accustomed to stand alone in the discussions of the house, if he were really the author of the excellent lines here quoted? The bishop replied, "Yes, my lord; but they were not composed for the present war!”

NAVAL ORATORY.

Admiral Blake, when a captain, was sent with a small squadron to the West Indies, on a secret expedition against the Spanish settlements. It happened in an engagement, that one of the ships blew up, which damped the spirits of the crew; but Blake, who was not to be subdued by one unsuccessful occurrence, called out to his men, "Well, my lads, you have seen an English ship blown up; and now let's see what figure a Spanish one will make in the same situation!" This well-timed harangue raised their spirits immediately, and in less than an hour he set his antagonist on fire. "There, my lads," said he, "I knew we should have our revenge soon."

MR. BURKE.

When the trial of Mr. Hastings commenced in Westminster Hall, the first two days were taken up in reading the atricles of impeachment against him; and four more were occupied by Mr. Burke in opening the case, and stating the grounds of the accusation. Never were the powers of that great man displayed to such advantage as on this occasion. The contrast which

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he drew between the ancient and the modern state of Hindostan, was sketched with the hand of a master, and wrought up in a manner that could not fail to fix the attention, and to command admiration. When at length he came to speak of Mr. Hastings, no terms can describe the more than mortal vehemence with which he uttered his manifold accusations against him. He seemed for the moment as if armed to destroy with all the lightning of all the passions. The whole annals of judicial oratory contain nothing finer than his conclusion.

"I impeach Warren Hastings," said he, "in the name of the Commons of Great Britain, in parliament assembled, whose parliamentary trust he has abused.

"I impeach him in the name of the Commons of Great Britain, whose national character he has dishonored.

"I impeach him in the name of the people of India, whose laws, rights, and liberties he has subverted; whose properties he has destroyed; whose country he has laid waste and desolate.

"I impeach him in the name of human nature itself, which he has so cruelly outraged, injured, and oppressed. And I impeach him in the name and by the virtue of those eternal laws of justice, which ought equally to pervade in both sexes, every age, condition, rank, and situation, in the world."

The agitation produced by this speech, was such, that the whole audience appeared to have felt one convulsive emotion; and when it was over, it was some time before Mr. Fox could obtain a hearing.

Amidst the assemblage of concurring praises which this speech excited, none was more remarkable than the tribute of Mr. Hastings himself.

"For half an hour," said that gentleman, "I looked up at the orator in a reverie of wonder; and during that space I actually felt myself the most culpable man on earth." Had the sentiment concluded here, our readers would not believe that it was in the language or manner of Mr. Hastings. "But," continued he, "I recurred to my own bosom, and there found a consciousness which consoled me under all I heard, and all I suffered."

Mr. Burke, in speaking of the indisposition of Mr. Fox, which prevented his making a motion for an investigation into the conduct of Lord Sandwich, said, "No one laments Mr. Fox's illness more than I do; and I declare, if he should continue ill, the inquiry into the conduct of the First Lord of the Admiralty should not be proceeded upon; and should the country suffer so serious a calamity as his death, ought to be

followed up earnestly and solemnly; nay, of so much consequence is the inquiry to the public, that no bad use would be made of the skin of my departed friend, (should such, alas ! be his fate) if, like that of John Zisca, it should be converted into a drum, and used for the purpose of sounding an alarm to the people of England."

While Mr. B. was speaking in the House of

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Commons on the Scotch anti-popish mob, which he attributed to the supineness of the government, he observed, that the prime minister was indulging himself in a profound nap. "I hope," said Burke, "government is not dead, but asleep; and pointing to Lord North, added, "Brother Lazarus is not dead, only sleepeth." The laugh upon this occasion was not more loud on one side of the house, than it appeared to be relished on the other. Even the noble lord himself enjoyed the allusion as heartily as the rest of the house when he was apprized of the joke.

Though upon great occasions Mr. B. was one
of the most eloquent men that ever sat in the
British senate, he had in ordinary matters as much
as any man the faculty of tiring his auditors.
During the latter years of his life, the failing
gained so much upon him, that he more than
once dispersed the house; a circumstance which
procured him the nick-name of the Dinner-bell
A gentleman was one day going into the house,
when he was surprised to meet a great number
of people coming out in a body. "Is the house
up?" said he. "No," answered one of the fu-
gitives, "but Mr. Burke is up."

The following idea of Mr. Burke, attributed to
General Fitzpatrick, is very characteristic.
Ask any person in either house, who is the best
informed man? the answer will certainly be, Mr.
Burke. Who is the man of the greatest wit?
Mr. Burke. Who is the most eloquent? Mr.
Burke. Who is the most tiresome of all ora-
tors? he will still receive the same answer, Mr.
Burke.

DAVID HARTLEY.

Mr. Burke was not the only tiresome speaker
in his days, as will be seen from the following
anecdote, which Lord North used to relate, as
containing the best specimen of wit he ever heard
in the House of Commons.

One afternoon, the opposition had come down
to the House to give the ministers battle on a
very important point. The business was opened
by one of the ministerial party. Mr. Burke
was ready to rise the moment his antagonist sat
down; but beheld David Hartley, who sat a few
benches behind Mr. Burke, was on his legs before
him. Mr. Hartley received the usual nod from
the speaker, and began his oration. The wilder-
ness style of Mr. Hartley's eloquence is well
known; in the course of three hours, almost
every member who could possibly get away, had
left the House. Mr. Burke sat writhing on the
tenter-hooks of impatience, till at length Mr.
Hartley stumbled on some idea which made him
call for the reading of the Riot Act.
Riot Act!" said Burke, starting up, "what
"The
does the gentleman mean? Why, they are all
dispersed already."

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'cause, and they were considered the leading champions of the House of Commons. But on the commencement of the French revolution, they not only took opposite sides in politics, but actually terminated a private friendship of many years, and never afterwards had a private interview. It was on a debate relative to the army estimates on the 9th of February, 1790, that the|| first violent shock, or conflict of opinions, between Mr. Burke and Mr. Fox, took place; both much regretted the circumstance, and passed the highest eulogies on each other.

Mr. Fox said, "He must declare, that such was his sense of the judgment of his right honorable friend, such his knowledge of his principles, and such the value which he set upon them, and the estimation in which he held his friendship, that if he were to put all the political information which he had learnt from books, all which he had gained from science, and all which the knowledge of the world and its affairs had taught him, into one great scale; and all the improvements which he had derived from his right honorable friend's instruction and conversation into the other, he should be at a loss to decide to which to give the preference. He had learnt more from his right honorable friend, than from all the men with whom he had ever conversed."

Mr. Burke said, that "he could, without the least flattery or exaggeration, assure his right honorable friend, that the separation of a limb from his body could scarcely give him more pain, than the circumstance of differing from him violently and publicly in opinion."

A bill introduced by Mr. Pitt in the following year for the better government of Canada, gave rise to another debate between Mr. Burke and Mr. Fox, which completely dissolved their political connexion.

Mr. Burke, in a very eloquent speech, which treated almost entirely of the French revolution, said, that although on some occasions he had differed with Mr. Fox on political questions, yet, "in all the course of their acquaintance and intimacy, no one difference of political opinion had ever for a moment affected their friendship. It certainly was indiscretion at any period, but much greater at his time of life, to provoke enemies; or to give his friends cause to desert him; yet if that was to be the case, by adhering to the British constitution, he would risk all; and as public duty and public prudence taught him, in his last words exclaim, 'Fly from the French constitution.'"

On this, Mr. Fox whispered, "There is no loss of friendship, I hope." Mr. Burke answered with some warmth, " Yes there is; I know the price of my conduct, our FRIENDSHIP IS AT AN END." In the course of this brilliant speech, Mr. Burke reasoning with great warmth, checked himself, and addressing himself to the chair, said "I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and soberness."

Mr. Fox rose to reply; but for some time was so overpowered by his feelings, that the tears trickled down his cheeks. He took a review of the close intimacy which for nearly twentyfive

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EXTRAORDINARY INSPIRATION. On the day that the Emperor Domitian was slain at Rome, Appollonius Tyanæus was preaching to a numerous assembly at Ephesus; and at the very moment the blow was struck, he suddenly lowered his voice, apparently seized with fear, but nevertheless pursued his discourse, often however stopping, as if his attention was intent upon another subject. At length, he left off speaking, fixed his eyes steadfastly on the ground, and after a short silence, exclaimed, "Strike home! strike the tyrant dead-courage! despatch the tyrant!" The audience, astonished at his extraordinary rhapsody, stood in silence; but he soon recollected himself, and bade them rejoice, for Domitian was no more. According to Philostratus, Appollonius even mentioned in his reverie the name of Stephanus, who actually struck the blow.'

MR. FOX'S INDIA BILL.

When the India Bill of Mr. Fox was brought from the committee, and read in the House of Commons, Mr. Sheridan observed, that twentyone new clauses were added, which were to be known by the letters of the alphabet from A to W; he therefore hoped that some gentleman of ability would invent three more for X, Y, and Z, to complete the alphabet, which would then render the bill a perfect horn-book for the use of the minister, and the instruction of rising politicians.

-QUIN,

The instruction of King George III. in elocution, was assigned to the celebrated Quin, under whose direction plays were sometimes performed at Leicester House by the young branches of the royal family. Quin, who afterwards obtained a pension for his services, was justly proud of the distinction conferred on him; and when he heard of the graceful manner in which his majes

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