The Art of Speaking

I HOPE the judicious Reader will think the labour I have bestowed in collecting, and altering, where proper, the foregoing LESSONS, not wholly lost. Though a greater number of passages might have been put together (which likewise must have enhanced the bulk and price of the book) I hope it will be owned, that this collection affords such a competent variety, that whoever can express or deliver, properly, all the matter contained in these Lessons, need be at no great loss in speaking any kind of matter that can come in his way.

There are in the Lessons, several humours, of passions, for expressing which there are no directions nominally given in the EssAY; but in the Essay there are directions for expressing the principal humours, or passions, which commonly occur, and the others are generally referable to them. For example, there is not in the Essay such an article as HYPOCRICY which occurs in the Lessons, page 163; but there is AFFECTATION of Piety, in the Essay, page 27, which is the same thing under a different name, and so of others, which every reader's understanding will enable him to trace out.

Masters of places of education, and private tutors, may easily enlarge the practice of their pupils, on the plan here given, to what extent they please; this part of education being, like all others, endless. The youth may be directed to translate from the ancients, especially the orators; and then, the master, correcting their translations, and marking the emphatical words with lines under them, and the various humours, or passions, on the margin, they may be instructed to commit the substance of them to memory, so as to be able, without having too often recourse to their papers, to speak them with ease and gracefulness, and with propriety as to tone of voice, looks and gesture.

II. Narration. Story of Damon and Pythias. Val. Max.
III. Narration. Story of Damocles. Cic. Tusc. Quest.
IV. Narration. Roman Charity. Val. Max. Plin.
V. Description. Character of Catiline. Sal. Bel. Catil.
VI. Arguing. Of moral certainty. Graves.
VII. Arguing. Absurdity of Atheism. Cic.
VIII. Sneer. Receipt to make an epic poem. Swift.

IX. Remonstrance, and contempt of pride.
X. Horrors of war. Pope's Hom. II.

XI. Petitioning with Dejection. Pens. Ing.
XII. Praise under the appearance of blame. Ibid.
XIII. A love-sick Shepherd's Complaint. Philips.
XIV. Remonstrance. Pens. Ing.

XVII. Description, sublime and terrible. Pope's Hom.

XXVI. Clownish Bashfulness. Steele.

XXVII. Mournful Description. Dryd. Virg.
XXVIII. Rusticity. Affectation. Steele.
XXIX. Asking. Reproof. Approbation. Pope.

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XXXI. Serious Meditation. Young,

XXXII. Seeming Civility. Spenser.
XXXIII. Trepidation. Vexation. Shakesp.

XXXIV, Various Characters. Pope.

XXXV. Reconciliation. Steele.

XXXVI. Characters. Pope.

XXXVII. Anxiety. Resolution. Addison.
XXXVIII. Anger. Threatening. Milton.
XXXIX. Deprecation. Recollection. Ibid.
XL. Vexation. Pertness, Cringing. Pope.