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And the fame standard author, in his 407th paper, complains as follows:

"Our preachers ftand stock-ftill in the pulpit, and will not "fo much as move a finger to fet off the beft fermons in the "world. We meet with the fame speaking ftatues at our "bars, and in all public places of debate. Our words flow " from us in a smooth, continued ftream, without thofe ftrain

ings of the voice, motions of the body, and majesty of the "hand, which are fo much celebrated in the orators of "Greece and Rome. We can talk of life and death in "cold blood, and keep our temper in a discourse, which turns upon every thing that is dear to us.

"It is certain, that proper geftures, and vehement exer"tions of the voice, cannot be too much studied by a public "orator. They are a kind of comment upon what he utters,

and enforce every thing he fays, with weak hearers" [and furely the bulk of hearers are weak] "better than the ftrongest argument he can make ufe of. They keep the "audience awake, and fix their attention to what is de"livered to them; at the fame time that they fhew the fpeaker is in earnest, and affected himself with what he fo "paffionately recommends to others.

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How cold and dead a figure in comparison of these two men" [Demofthenes and Cicero] "does an orator great "often make at the British bar, holding up his head with "the most infipid ferenity, and stroking the fides of a long wig, &c."

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Dean Swift (who was no friend to over doing on the ferious fide) advises his young clergyman as follows:

"

"I take it for granted, that you are already defirous to be feen in a pulpit. But, I hope you will think it prudent to pafs quarantine among the defolate churches "five miles round this town, where you may at least learn to read and speak, before you venture to expofe your parts in a city congregation. Not that these are better judges; but, because, if a man muft need expofe his folly, "it is more fafe and discreet to do fo before few witnesses, "and in a scattered neighbourhood. And you will do well, "if you can prevail with fome intimate and judicious friend "to be your conftant hearer, and to beg of him to give you

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notice, with the utmost freedom, of whatever he finds "amifs either in your voice or gefture. For want of such "early warning, many clergymen continue defective, and "fometimes ridiculous, to the end of their lives. Neither " is it rare to observe, among excellent and learned divines, a certain

"a certain ungracious manner, or unhappy tone of voice, "which they have never been able to shake off." LETTER TO A YOUNG CLERGYMAN.

Are the faults complained of by these authors, who wrote almoft fifty years ago, amended, or likely to be amended? Let the answer to this queftion be collected from the following verfes, by Dr. Byram, prefixed to Fordyce's ART OF PREACHING, published a few years ago.

For, what's a fermon, good, or bad,
If a man reads it like a lad?

To hear fome people, when they preach,
How they run o'er all parts of fpeach,
And neither raise a word, nor fink;
Our learned bishops, one would think,
Had taken School-boys from the rod,
To make embajadors of God.

And afterwards,

In point of fermons, 'tis confeft,
Our English clergy make the best :
But this appears, we must confefs,
Not from the pulpit, but the prefs.
They manage, with disjointed skill,
The matter well, the manner ill;
And, what feems paradox at first,

They make the best, and preach the worst.

If there is, as we have seen, so much room to lament the deficiencies of those who are to lead the devotions of congregations, and to inftruct them in their duty, and whofe bufinefs it is to win them, by every engaging and powerful art, to the faithful performance of it; if there is fo much reason to wish that thofe failures might be made up, and thofe errors amended, which are undoubtedly a great cause of the reluctance we observe in many to attend, and their coldness and indifferency in, places of public worship and inftruction; if the clergy are fo deficient in their public performances, what is left to me to fay of thofe devotion-confounding, earfplitting pefts of our churches, I mean the parish-clerks, and parish-children? I would only afk, whether, if we had declared a final and irreconcileable hoftility against common decency, not to fay propriety, and had fet ourselves to find out the most effectual means poffible for turning worship into burlesque; I would afk, I fay, whether, if this was our defign,

there

there could be a more certain way to gain it, than to place a fet of people in every church, who should come in between every two fentences fpoken by the minister, with a Squawl as loud as the found of ten trumpets, and totally difcordant from one another, and from the key in which the minifter fpeaks. If the minifter fpeaks properly, why do not the clerk and the charity-children fpeak in concord with him? If the clerk speaks properly, why do not the minifter and the children speak in the fame key with him? Or if the children are right, why do not the minifter and clerk scream as high, or, at least, take a concordant key with theirs " They cannot be all right, and all different, from one another. How much more rational would it be to spend the time, which is now fo ridiculously thrown away in teaching the poor children to fet the ears of the whole parith on edge, in making them understand thoroughly what they fo often repeat by rote, without understanding, I mean the answers to thofe ufeful questions in their catechism, "What is your duty to God?" and, "What is your duty "to your neighbour ?" This would be of fervice to them all their lives; whereas the other anfwers no end, that has the leaft connexion with common-fenfe.

It is by keeping clear of every thing difagreeable or grating, and by confulting all that may pleafe, entertain, and ftrike, that the fagacious Roman Catholics keep up, in their people, a delight in the public fervices of their foolish religion. If we were wife, and as much in earnest, as we ought, we fhould imitate them in this. But what avails it to attempt to oppofe that which has power to make wrong right, and abjurdity proper; I mean, the irrefistible tyrant, CUSTOM, whofe dominion is in no nation more abfolute (where there are fo many so capable of judging) than in this our dear country.

LESSON S.

T

I.

HISTORICAL NARRATION a.

HE Trojans (if we may believe tra- NARRA dition) were the first founders of the TION. Roman Commonwealth; who under the conduct of Æneas, having made their escape from their own ruined country, got to Italy, and there for fome time lived a rambling and unfettled life, without any fixed place of abode, among the natives, an uncultivated people, who had neither law nor regular government, but were wholly free from all rule or restraint. This mixed multitude, however, crowding together into one city, though originally different in extraction,

Narration requires very little of what is properly called expreffion, in pronouncing it; I have, however, ordered the emphatical words in this, and all the leons, to be printed in Italics, for the reader's help. See in the ESSAY, Narration, and the other passions put upon the margin of the lessons.

Of the manner of pronouncing matter contained in a parenthefis, fee the ESSAY, p. 10.

C

traction, language, and cuftoms, united into one body, in a furprisingly fhort space of time. And as their little state came to be improved by additional numbers, by policy, and by extent of territory, and feemed likely to make a figure among the nations; according to the common course of things, the appearance of profperity drew upon them the envy of the neighbouring states; fo that the princes and people who bordered upon them, begun to feek occafions of quarrelling with them. The alliances they could form were but few for most of the neighbouring states avoided embroiling themselves on their account. The Romans, feeing that they had nothing to trust to, but their own conduct, found it neceffary to beftir themselves with great diligence, to make vigorous preparations, to excite one another to face their enemies in the field, to hazard their lives in defence of their liberty, their country, and their families. And when, by their valour, they repulfed the enemy, they gave affiftance to their allies, and gained friendships by often giving ©, and seldom demanding favours of that fort. They had, by this time, established a regular form of govern

d

ment,

A fmall elevation of the voice will be proper here, to exprefs moderate avonder. See Wonder.

This fentence is to be spoken fomewhat quicker than the reft, to exprefs earneftness.

Twords often giving, and feldom demanding, being in

to one another, must be expreffed with fuch an emmay point out the antithefis, or opposition.

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