I mourn the pride

nef- shf st

And avarice that make man a wolf to man.- Cowper. But this passage would perhaps answer better with he auxiliary gesture, thus:

- vef

Bnef bn-Bshf st

R

And avarice that make man a wolf to man."

The transition of gesture relates to the manner of arriving at a gesture, and to the changes of gesture; and signifies either the particular changes of the position of the hand and arm, or the general change of the principal gesture from one hand to the other. • A gesture may have a very different character and effect, according to the manner in which the hand arrives at its destined point. It may ascend, descend, move towards the right, or towards the left, and may also make the stroke with various degrees of energy, and in various ways; and these motions constitute, in each, an absolutely different gesture, though, after the moment of the stroke, which a painter might choose to represent, the hand and arm of each should be in the same precise position. (Fig. 85, p. 100.) As, however, the emphatic gestures are liable to ambiguity, on account of the various transitions which might be supposed to bring them to their stroke, painters more frequently choose to represent the suspending gestures, which give an idea of action, and greater interest to their principal figures.

But the transition of gesture particularly relates to the change of the principal gesture from one hand to

Bphf a, both hands prone horizontal forwards ascending, ref (followed by a dash), right hand vertical elevated forwards; vef (preceded by a dash), left hand vertical elevated forwards; Bref bn, both hands natural elevated forwards bending; Bslf st, both hands supine horizontal forwards striking.

the other, which may be regulated, in some measure, according to the following principles. So long as there subsists a strict connexion between the sentiments, uninterrupted by any considerable pause, or change of persons, no transition can take place in this last sense: the same hand which began, continues to perform the principal gesture. And the variety which it is always desirable to produce, must not be attempted by the change of the principal gesture: it must arise alone from the graceful and well-regulated action of the advanced hand, supported by the combined assistance or accompaniment of the other. If the passage to be pronounced be of considerable length, the right hand should perform the principal gesture throughout the whole of it. For the left, though allowed to take its place occasionally, according to certain rules, by no means arrives at an equality of honour. The right hand always continues the better hand, both from long prescription, and the ability arising from use.

In the narrative parts of an oration, where different persons or things are to be described as variously dis posed, or in the recitation of descriptive poetry, when a picture, as it were, is to be represented by the speaker, consisting of many natural objects in different parts of a landscape, of which Gray's Elegy in a Country Church-yard will afford many examples, the right hand having first pointed out those persons or objects sup posed to lie adjacent to itself, may yield to the left the arrangement and ordering of those other parts, which may be imagined to be at its own side. This interchange, judiciously regulated, produces a pleasing variety in the gesture; and if the speaker possess the imagination of a painter, his disposition and colouring will produce the most distinct and vivid picture.

Variety, which is a most important object to be kept in view by a public speaker, allows, with advantage, an interchange of the principal gesture, even when the subject may be of a more abstruse and demonstrative

nature. When there is any opposition, or antithesis, among the ideas, or even in the structure of sentences, or where a new argument is introduced, after the discussion of a former is ended, as at a new division, or a new paragraph, there may be a change of the principal gesture. But it will be a point of judgment and taste in the speaker not to carry this balancing, or alternation of gesture, to an affected extreme, and not, even in allowable cases, to indulge in it overmuch; nor will he prolong too far the principal action permitted to the left hand, which he will always remember is the weaker, and admitted into the foremost place rather by courtesy than of right; and which he will, therefore, restrict with discretion in the exercise of this occasional distinction.

In the changes made from one hand to the other, the transition should be managed with ease and simplicity. As soon as the advanced hand has made the stroke of its last emphatic gesture, it should fall quietly to rest, whilst, at the same time, the hand which is, in its turn, to assume the principal action, commences its preparation for the ensuing gesture. It will be observed that a commencing, or discriminating gesture, should be gentle, as a modest beginning suits its first entrance into authority. An emphatic gesture immediately after one from the other hand, would be violent and outrageous; something like the gesticulations of those little wooden figures set up to frighten birds from corn, or fruit, which have the arms fixed on an axis in such a manner that they are alternately raised and depressed with equal vehemence, according as they are blown about by the wind.

When the orator finds it necessary to change the position of the feet, so as to advance that which was before retired, the general rule is that he should effect it imperceptibly, and not commence the change till after the hand has begun its change of action. Some times, however, in vehement passages, the orator is

allowed, by the highest authority, to advance suddenly and even to stamp.

The subordinate gesture, already mentioned, as performed by the retired hand, will be found to bear a close analogy to accompaniment in music. A little observation will suffice for acquiring a general knowledge of the accompaniment of gesture; and after attentively practising for some time, the inferior hand will as easily fall into a suitable accompaniment of the principal gesture, as the left hand of a performer on a keyed instrument, will strike correctly the fundamental bass.

The general rule for accompaniment of gesture, in calm and moderate speaking, when both hands do not perform the same gesture, is that the retired arm should be about one interval less raised than the advanced arm, and that in the transverse position it should be distant from it about two intervals, or a right angle. Hence, if the right hand should perform the principal gesture, and this gesture should be supine elevated forwards, the accompaniment would be expressed in the second set of letters, for the left hand, thus: sef-shx

prin. ac.'

(Fig. 38); and again, hf-pdx, (Fig. 33). When the

prin. ас.

force of the expression is strong, the accompanying hand is equally elevated with the principal. In this degree of force, the gestures are thus: vhf - vhx. These circumstances afford convenient opportunities for abridging the notation. When both hands perform the same, or nearly the same gesture, a capital B preceding one set of letters suffices for both hands, as Behf And when the accompanying gesture follows the general rule, and has nothing remarkable distinguishing it, the gesture of the principal hand only need be noted; the accompaniment is easily understood, and will fol low of course to the well-practised speaker.

But besides the motions of the subordinate gesture, other very important accompaniments are to be attended to; as those of the lower limbs, of the body, and of the head: otherwise the performance will be

rigid and absurd, like that of a puppet. Indeed, not only those more prominent and distinguished parts must accompany the voice and principal action of the speaker, but every muscle of the body, and every expression of the countenance, must join in harmony with those gestures, in order to impress upon them the character of nature and truth. There is no gesture, or change of gesture, which is not meant to enforce or to illustrate some new circumstance, which either calls into action muscles before at rest, or into a change of action those already in exertion. And this impression and influence extend not only to those muscles which are most strong and distinguished, but even to the most delicate fibres of the human frame, such as those which adjust the expression of the mouth, of the nostrils, of the brows, and of that wonderful organ the eye.

An example may here be given of some of the stronger changes of the head, body, and lower limbs, which accompany certain principal gestures. If the right hand be forcibly withdrawn, and presented vhfc (vertical horizontal forwards contracted), the left vdqc (vertical downwards oblique contracted), the

feet will naturally retire, and be rRlx (retire to the first position extended of the right foot). The body, at the same time, will be thrown backwards, whilst the whole countenance will express aversion, or horror. (Fig. 95).

The gesture of the right, phf ad, will be accompanied and noted thus:

Fphf ad-pdq, which signifies that

aR2

95

the head, and consequently the body, leans forwards, and that the eyes are turned earnestly in the same direction. This evident desire of inspect ing the object more nearly, is also accompanied by an advanced step of the right foot, the principal gesture