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fion, and mixed flattery with his addreffes; but it was all in vain. The Nymph was pre-engaged, and had long devoted to heaven those charms for which he fued. My dear Orlandino," faid fhe, " you "know I have long been dedicated to St. Catharine, "and to her belongs all that lies below my girdle; "all that is above, you may freely poffefs, but far❝ther I cannot, muft not, comply. The vow is "paffed; I with it were undone, but now it is "impoffible." You may conceive, my companions, the embarraffment our young lovers felt upon this occafion. They kneeled to St. Catharine, and though both defpaired, both implored her affiftance. Their tutelar faint was entreated to fhew fome expedient, by which both might continue to love, and yet both be happy. Their petition was fincere. St. Catharine was touched with compaffion; for lo, a miracle! Lucretia's girdle unloofed, as if without hands; and though before bound round her middle, fell fpontaneoufly down to her feet, and gave Orlandino the poffeffion of all those beauties whieh lay

above it.

THE

THE BEE, N° VII.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1759.

OF ELOQUENCE.

Of all kinds of fuccefs, that of an orator is the moft pleafing. Upon other occafions the applaufe we deserve is conferred in our absence, and we are infenfible of the pleasure we have given; but in eloquence the victory and the triumph are infeparable. We read our own glory in the face of every fpectator, the audience is moved, the antagonist is defeated, and the whole circle burfts into unfolicited applaufe.

The rewards which attend excellence in this way are so pleasing, that numbers have written profeffed treatises to teach us the art; schools have been established with no other intent; rhetoric has taken place among the inftitutions, and pedants have ranged under proper heads, and diftinguished with long learned names, fome of the ftrokes of Nature, or of paffion, which orators have used. I fay only fome; for a folio volume could not contain all the figures, which have been used by the truly eloquent, and fcarcely a good speaker or writer, but makes ufe of fome that are peculiar or new.

Eloquence has preceded the rules of rhetoric, as languages have been formed before grammar. Nature renders men eloquent in great interefts, or great paffions. He that is fenfibly touched, fees

things with a very different eye from the reft of mankind. All Nature to him becomes an object of comparison and metaphor, without attending to it; he throws life into all, and inspires his audience with a part of his own enthusiasm.

It has been remarked, that the lower parts of mankind generally exprefs themselves moft figuratively, and that tropes are found in the moft ordinary forms of converfation. Thus in every language the heart burns; the courage is rouzed; the eyes fparkle ; the fpirits are caft down; paffion enflames; pride fwells, and pity finks the foul. Nature every where fpeaks in those strong images, which from their frequency pafs unnoticed.

Nature it is which infpires thofe rapturous enthufiafms, those irrefiftible turns; a ftrong paffion, a preffing danger, calls up all the imagination, and gives the orator irrefiftible force. Thus a captain of the firft caliphs feeing his foldiers fly, cried out, "Whither do you run? the enemy are not "there! You have been told that the caliph is dead; "but God is ftill living. He regards the brave, and "will reward the courageous. Advance !"

A man therefore may be called eloquent, who tranf fers the paffion or sentiment with which he is moved himfelf, into the breaft of another; and this definition appears the more juft, as it comprehends the graces of filence, and of action. An intimate perfuafion of the truth to be proved, is the fentiment and paffion to be transferred; and who affects this, is truly poffeffed of the talent of eloquence.

I have called eloquence a talent, and not an art, as fo many rhetoricians have done, as art is acquired by exercife and ftudy, and eloquence is the gift of NaRules will never make either a work or a difcourfe eloquent; they only ferve to prevent faults, but not to introduce beauties; to prevent those pas

ture.

fages

fages, which are truly eloquent and dictated by Nature from being blended with others, which might difguft, or at least abate our paffion...

What we clearly conceive, fays Boileau, we can clearly exprefs. I may add, that what is felt with emotion is expreffed alfo with the fame movements; the words arife as readily to paint our emotions, as to express our thoughts with perfpicuity. The cool care an orator takes to exprefs paffions which he does not feel, only prevents his rifing into that paffion he would feem to feel. In a word, to feel your fubject thoroughly, and to speak without fear, are the only rules of eloquence, properly fo called, which I can offer. Examine a writer of genius on the most beautiful parts of his work, and he will always affure you that fuch paffages are generally thofe which have given him the leaft trouble, for they came as if by infpiration. To pretend that cold and didactic precepts will make a man eloquent, is only to prove that he is incapable of eloquence.

But, as in being perfpicuous it is neceffary to have a full idea of the fubject, fo in being eloquent it is not fufficient, if I may fo exprefs it, to feel by halves. The orator fhould be ftrongly impreffed, which is generally the effect of a fine and exquifite fenfibility, and not that tranfient and fuperficial emotion, which he excites in the greateft part of his audience. It is even impoffible to affect the hearers in any great degree without being affected ourfelves. In vain it will be objected, that many writers have had the art to infpire their readers with a paffion for virtue, without being virtuous themfelves; fince it may be answered, that fentiments of virtue filled their minds at the time they were writing. They felt the inspiration strongly, while they praised justice, generofity, or good-nature; but unhappily for them, thefe paffions might have been VOL. IV. difcontinued,

S

difcontinued, when they laid down the pen. In vain will it be objected again, that we can move without being moved, as we can convince without being convinced. It is much easier to deceive our reason than ourselves; a trifling defect in reasoning may be overfeen, and lead a man aftray; for it requires reafon and time to detect the falfhood, but our paffions are not eafily impofed upon, our eyes, our ears, and every fenfe, are watchful to detect the impofture.

No difcourfe can be eloquent, that does not elevate the mind. Pathetic eloquence, it is true, has for its only object to affect; but I appeal to men of fenfibility, whether their pathetic feelings are not accompanied with fome degree of elevation. We may then call eloquence and fublimity the fame thing, fince it is impoffible to be one without feeling the other. Hence it follows, that we may be eloquent in any language, fince no language refufes to paint thofe fentiments, with which we are thoroughly impreffed. What is ufually called fublimity of style seems to be only an error. Eloquence is not in the words but in the fubject, and in great concerns the more fimply any thing is expreffed, it is generally the more fublime. True eloquence does not confift, as the rhetoricians affure us, in faying great things in a fublime ftyle, but in a fimple ftyle; for there is, properly fpeaking, no fuch thing as a fublime ftyle, the fublimity lies only in the things; and when they are not fo, the language may be turgid, affected, metaphorical, but not affecting.

What can be more fimply expreffed than the following extract from a celebrated preacher, and yet what was ever more fublime? Speaking of the fmall number of the elect, he breaks out thus among his audience: "Let me fuppofe that this was the

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