Their musical parts, to use the expreffion of a noble author, are but indifferent. Hence their comic poets, to move them, must have recourse to obfcenity; their tragic poets to blood and flaughter: And hence their orators, being deprived of any fuch refource, have abandoned altogether the hopes of moving them, and have confined themselves to plain argument and reasoning.

These circumstances, joined to particular accidents, may, perhaps, have retarded the growth of eloquence in this kingdom; but will not be able to prevent its fuccefs, if ever it appear amongst us: And one may safely pronounce, that this is a field, in which the most flourishing laurels may yet be gathered, if any youth of accomplished genius, thoroughly acquainted with all the polite arts, and not ignorant of public business, fhould appear in parliament, and accuftom our ears to an eloquence more commanding and pathetic. And to confirm me in this opinion, there occur two confiderations, the one derived from ancient, the other from modern times.

'Tis feldom or never found, when a falfe tafte in poetry or eloquence prevails among any people, that it has been preferred to a true, upon comparison and reflection. It commonly prevails merely from ignorance of the true, and from the want of perfect models, to lead men into a jufter apprehension, and more refined relish of those productions of genius. When these appear, they foon unite all fuffrages in their favour, and, by their natural and powerful charms, gain over, even the most prejudiced, to the love and admiration of them. The principles of every paffion, and of every sentiment, is in every man; and when touched properly, they rife to life, and warm the heart,

and

and convey that fatisfaction by which a work of genius is dif tinguished from the adulterate beauties of a capricious wit and fancy. And if this observation be true, with regard to all the liberal arts, it must be peculiarly so, with regard to eloquence; which, being merely calculated for the public, and for men of the world, cannot, with any pretence of reason, appeal from the people to more refined judges; but muft fubmit to the public verdict, without referve or limitation. Whoever, upon comparison, is deemed by a common audience the greatest orator, ought most certainly to be pronounced fuch, by men of science and erudition. And though an indifferent orator may triumph for a long time, and be esteemed altogether perfect by the vulgar, who are fatisfied with his accomplishments, and know not in what he is defective: Yet, whenever the true genius arifes, he draws to him the attention of every one, and immediately appears fuperior to his rival

Now, to judge by this rule, ancient eloquence, that is, the fublime and paffionate, is of a much jufter taste than the modern, or the argumentative and rational; and, if properly executed, will always have more command and authority over mankind. We are fatisfied with our mediocrity, because we have had no experience of any thing better: but the ancients had experience of both, and, upon comparison, gave the preference to that kind, of which they have left us fuch applauded models. For, if I am not mistaken, our modern eloquence is of the same stile or species with that which ancient critics denominated ATTIC eloquence, that is, calm, elegant and fubtile, which inftructed the reafon more than affected the paffions, and never raised its tone above argument or common discourse. Such was the eloquence of LYSIAS among the ATHENIANS,

and

and of CALVUS among the ROMANS. These were esteemed in their time; but when compared with DEMOSTHENES and CICERO, were eclipsed like a taper when set in the rays of the meridian fun. Those latter orators poffeffed the fame elegance and fubtilty, and force of argument, with the former; but what rendered them chiefly admirable, was that pathetic and fublime, which, on proper occafions, they threw into their discourse, and by which they commanded the refolutions of their audience.

Of this species of eloquence we have scarce had any instances in BRITAIN, at least in our public fpeakers. In our writers, we have had fome inftances, which have met with great applause, and might affure our ambitious youth of equal or fuperior glory in attempts for the revival of ancient eloquence. Lord BOLINGBROKE's productions, with all their defects in argument, method, and precision, contain a force and energy, which our orators scarce ever aim at; though 'tis evident, that fuch an elevated ftile has much better grace in a speaker than in a writer, and is affured of more prompt and more astonishing fuccefs. 'Tis there feconded by the graces of voice and action: The movements are mutually communicated between the orator and the audience: And the very aspect of a large affembly, attentive to the discourse of one man, must inspire him with a peculiar elevation, fufficient to give a propriety to the ftrongest figures and expreffions. "Tis true, there is a great prejudice against fet-fpeeches; and a man can scarce escape ridicule, who repeats a difcourfe as a school-boy his lesson, and takes no notice of any thing which has been advanced in the course of the debate. But where is the neceffity of falling into this abfurdity? A public fpeaker must know beforehand the

9

queftion

question under debate. He may compofe all the arguments, objections, and answers, fuch as he thinks will be most proper for his difcourfe*. If any thing new occur, he may fupply it from his invention; nor will the difference be very apparent between his elaborate and his extemporary compofitions. The mind naturally continues with the fame impetus or force, which it has acquired by its motion; as a veffel, once impelled by the oars, carries on its course for some time, when the original impulfe is fufpended.

I fhall conclude this subject with observing, that even though our modern orators fhould not elevate their stile or aspire to a rivalship with the ancient; yet there is a material defect in most of their fpeeches, which they might correct, without departing from that compofed air of argument and reasoning, to which they limit their ambition. Their great affectation of extemporary difcourfes has made them reject all order and method, which seems so requifite to argument, and without which 'tis scarce poffible to produce an entire conviction on the mind. 'Tis not, that one would recommend many formal divifions in a public discourse, unless the fubject very evidently offer them: But 'tis easy, without this formality, to observe a method, and make that method confpicuous to the hearers, who will be infinitely pleased to see the arguments rife naturally from one another, and will retain a more thorough persuasion, than can arise from the strongest reasons, which are thrown together in confufion.

• The first of the ATHENIANS, who compofed and wrote his fpeeches, was PERICLES, a man of business and a man of fenfe, if ever there was one, Пgwr years. λίγον ἐν δικαςηρίω εἶπε, τῶν πρὸ αὐτῶ σχεδιάζονταν. Suidas in Περίκλης.

ESSAY XIV.

OF THE
THE RISE AND

PROGRESS OF THE

ARTS AND SCIENCES.

T

HERE is nothing which requires greater nicety, in our inquiries concerning human affairs, than to distinguish exactly what is owing to chance, and what proceeds from causes; nor is there any subject, in which an author is more liable to deceive himself by false subtilties and refinements. To say, that any event is derived from chance, cuts fhort all farther enquiry concerning it, and leaves the writer in the fame flate of ignorance with the reft of mankind. But when the event is supposed to proceed from certain and stable caufes, he may then display his ingenuity, in affigning these causes; and as a man of any fubtilty can never be at a lofs in this particular, he has thereby an opportunity of fwelling his volumes, and difcovering his profound knowledge in obferving what escapes the vulgar and ignorant.

The distinguishing between chance and causes muft depend upon every particular man's fagacity, in confidering every particular incident. But, if I were to affign any general rule to help us in applying this distinction, it would be the following, What depends upon a few persons is, in a great measure, to be

afcribed