No one who will reflect can deny the great importance of conversation in the affairs of life; not merely to settle the concerns of the family, the market the social circle, but in the higher walks of professional life, of diplomacy, and statesmanship; and yet there are in society thousands who regard it as but a pastime, amenable to no rigorous laws, and by no means to be subjected to harsh judgment. The subject of conversation has many and most interesting points of consideration. Its moral character is of vast importance. Measured by that standard which declares that an account will be required for every idle word;" and which will be, of course, more exacting for every false and evil word, it is of great moment how we speak. " But again, considered in the light of social convention, it forms a most interesting topic. This view discloses to us the many forms which make up the varied talk of society. This man deals in hyperbole or exaggeration, in a manner which would never pass current in written discourse; his reason is to make himself the more strikingly interesting; and his excuse is that the proper allowance will be made, and he will, after all, be rightly understood. Another annoys us with his constant egotism, at variance alike with truth and taste, and with true modesty. Perhaps the most disagreeable of all is the man who monopolizes the conversation, forcing all others into the position of listeners, and actually haranguing and lecturing those who are unprepared for such an infliction. Notable historic examples of this class are found in Dr. Johnson, Coleridge, and Macaulay. And so we might refer to the flippant talker; the scientific talker, whose whole nomenclature astonishes without instructing; and the gossip, who lives to spy out the faults of others, that he may tell of them. But we come finally to the rhetorical view of conversation, and we are ready to declare that all the rules laid down for discourse apply to our ordinary talk in full force. We should always speak grammatically and rhetorically well. We should be careful in inventing the subjectmatter of our conversation; we should arrange it duly, and our language should be a just, full, and pleasing expression of our thoughts. The habit of speaking in a vulgar manner to ignorant people, and thus lowering ourselves, as it is supposed, to their standard, is wrong. We may, it is true, find a plainer word to express our thought than we might ordinarily use; but it should be pure, proper, and precise. In many cases of this kind the value of rhetorical rules is manifested by the fact that in our efforts to be very clear, we apply those rules with a minuteness which, perhaps, we do not always use when we are talking at random, or are indifferent as to making ourselves intelligible. Particularly, too, Apart from their should we avoid all slang phrases. inelegance, they foist upon the language new and vulgar words and idioms which it is far better with out. To talk like a book," is frequently used to express a fault; but it is the fault of pedantry, and not of rhetorical exactness. The errors of a conversational style are not so easily marked, of course, as those in a set discourse. Many a man of few ideas has an elegance of language, which, to the unobservant mind, causes his platitudes to sound like wisdom; while the taciturnity and bald speech of the philosopher have become proverbial. The faulty speech of many persons, even among those who call themselves educated, is a lamentable proof how necessary a branch of our subject is the Rhetoric of conversation. (112.) Conclusion. In bringing this work to a close, it has been thought best to supply a short list of subjects, upon which the student may be required to compose essays. It is intended rather as suggestive than complete, and the instructor will readily supply many excellent topics, under the various heads referred to. Historical and Biographical Themes. The last days of Queen Elizabeth. Spenser's Three Elizabeths. John Milton, the statesman, the poet, the theologian. Aristotle and his times. Cicero the orator. Quintilian the rhetorician. George III., his policy and his mind. Historic nights. Historic mountains. Historic rivers. Pompeii and its fate. St. Paul before Nero. Luther at the Diet of Worms. Milton visiting Galileo in prison. Spenser and Sir Philip Sidney as friends. The battle of the Nile. Nelson at the battle of Trafalgar. Homer and his poems. Robert Burns. The Rosicrucians. The Scandinavian Vikings. Cardinal Richelieu and his policy. Alexander Hamilton. The Moravians in history. Palissey the potter. Berthold Schwartz. God in history. Saratoga and Yorktown. The Gnostics. The sources of history. National sports. Ancient and modern modes of warfare. Supposed degeneracy of the present period. Eloquence in history. Charles I. and Cromwell. The English revolution of 1688. The first French revolution. Aphorisms and Maxims. Manners are the shadows of virtues. Worth makes the man. The rank is but the guinea's stamp. Post tenebras lux. Illa mihi patria est, ubi pascor, non ubi nascor. It is an ill-will that blows nobody good. It is a long lane that has no turning. Non habet anguillam, per caudam qui tenet illam. Few persons know how to be old. Time assuages grief. Enough is as good as a feast. Festina lente. Look before you leap. Hunger is the best sauce. Anger furnishes weapons. Account no man happy till his death. Truth is the daughter of time. A bet is a fool's argument. Ever vigilant but never suspicious. - Usury is the daughter of avarice. Action is the shortest answer. When the cat is away the mice will play. The workman is worthy of his hire. Handsome is that handsome does. Honour and Fame from no condition rise, Vice is a monster of so frightful mien, |