The most convenient mode of standing is to keep the left foot forward and allow the weight of the body to rest upon it; the right foot in the rear; the heel very lightly, if at all, touching the ground. The simple emphatic gesture is the downward movement of the right arm, or both arms, from the shoulder, the elbow being slightly bent. The pliability of the wrist conduces very much to graceful gesture. Too much action, especially of a purely imitative character in describing scenes and actions in a recitation, is to be deprecated. It should be mainly used to emphasize the most important parts of the speech, the conclusion of the argument. If the speaker wishes to emphasize a certain word, he should gradually raise his arm before that word is reached, so as to be able to give the gesture rapidly and spontaneously. When the arms are not required, they should be allowed to drop, without any exertion. If the pupil has once mastered the simple emphatic gesture, the other kinds of gesture-referential, argumentative, descriptive, and passionate—will be comparatively easy of acquirement.

Referential gesture may be given with the open hand, but an object may be particularized with the index finger; the palm of the hand being downwards, the pointing finger fairly straight, the others bent slightly downward. In all kinds of gesture the fingers should be kept close to each other, and held in a way consistent with the hollow in the hand being shown. The main lines of gesture may be practised in connection with the following verse. During the first line the right hand can be gradually raised, so as to be level with the shoulder; during the second an upward

sweep will be made to indicate "stars" and "sun." The hand being thus raised, it is ready for the downward emphatic movement on "spoke." The left hand can then join in the gesture, and both hands being raised high at "woke," the double downward sweep can be given on "done," the hands not brought down flat, but cutting the air sideways, and arrested in such a way as to produce a slight rebound :—

"When the Lord created the earth and sea,

The stars and the glorious sun,

The Godhead spoke, and the universe woke,
And the mighty work was done."

Referential gesture, leading to emphatic :—

"From the tapestry that adorns these walls the immortal ancestor of the noble lord frowns with indignation at the disgrace of his country."

In the words to "walls" the right hand can be gradually raised, and, having finished the reference, raised high and brought down quickly on "frowns," or "indignation," or "disgrace," whichever word the speaker decides is the most important.

Ascriptive gesture, followed by emphatic :

"Now glory to the Lord of Hosts, from whom all glories are! And glory to our sovereign liege, King Henry of Navarre!

Now, let there be the merry sound of music and of dance

Through thy corn-fields green, and sunny vines, O pleasant land of
France!

And thou, Rochelle, our own Rochelle, proud city of the waters,
Again let rapture light the eyes of all thy mourning daughters.

As thou wert constant in our ills, be joyous in our joy,

For cold, and stiff, and still, are they who wrought thy walls annoy. Hurrah! hurrah! a single field hath turned the chance of war, Hurrah! hurrah! for Ivry and King Henry of Navarre !"

The two hands raised high above the head by the curved or serpentine movement for the first line, and then slightly moved in preparation for the quick downward movement on

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Henry." For the first "hurrah" the right hand can be swung out, then raised high for the second; then brought down, not too quickly or strongly, on "turned," and dropped. For the third and fourth "hurrah" both hands swung out sideways, then, with a bend of the wrist, upwards, and both down emphatically on "Navarre."

In descriptive gesture the dignity and consistency of the speaker should not be sacrificed by a too close imitation of descriptive incidents in the course of his speech. Mimicry is a great power, but most effective when controlled. In Cassius' speech, when describing Caesar's fever, he does not put aside his passion and break the thread of his argument by a close imitation or mimicry of a sick girl's voice in "Give me some drink, Titinius." It is quite enough, in general oratory, to indicate without imitating. The essentially dramatic character of all speech need not therefore be lost. In the following lines the speaker cannot imitate the horse, but only indicate within the limit of his own human resources the action of the animal as metaphorically applied to the river. The hands can be slowly raised as the first line is spoken until "fell," when they should sweep downward, in accordance with the rule that gestures should be generally (not always, of course,) given upon the doing word; that is, the word that involves or specially expresses the action, which in this case is "fell," not "crash" or "thunder." In the emphasis of voice, of course, the manner in which a thing is done is of equal importance with the

thing itself; but in the emphasis of gesture, it is often best to reserve the movement for the action itself, as it is impossible to keep moving the arms at each qualifying word which the speaker may think important. Many exceptions to this rule might of course be mentioned. Gesture depends greatly on the judgment of a speaker. He should not be extravagant, especially if his audience are not prepared for extreme gestures. Extravagance is a sign of weakness. Moderation, that is, keeping well within resources, and producing an impression that all the powers of speaking are well under command, is strength. Reverting to the gesture for the lines, the two hands can be slowly raised, with apparent difficulty and restraint, at "struggled hard," suddenly uplifted at "tossed," kept up, and brought down not too strongly on "down," opened out sideways in words ending with "pier," swung up and brought down with full strength on "rushed," and then allowed to drop.

"But with a crash like thunder fell every loosened beam;
And like a dam the mighty wreck lay right athwart the stream,
And a long shout of triumph rose from the walls of Rome,
As to the highest turret tops was splashed the yellow foam.
And, like a horse unbroken when first he feels the rein,
The furious river struggled hard, and tossed his tawny mane,
And burst the curb and bounded, rejoicing to be free,

And whirling down in fierce career, battlement and plank and pier,
Rushed headlong to the sea."-Macaulay.

While, as above stated, in general oratory or declamation, gesture should be indicative rather than directly imitative, the special representation of particular passions requires actual embodiment. In dramatic representation, the actor

must not only show in outline the man, but for the time being he must sink his own individuality as much as possible and be the man, suffering or rejoicing, as the case may be. And yet he must not altogether lose his own identity, for in himself, in his own mental and emotional power, lies the force by which he illuminates and gives life and point to the character he plays. The actor must be real and not simply expository. He must rise above mere declamation to the actual realization of character and passion.

Humour has two main divisions, serious and comic: because tears and laughter both spring from a common centre of emotion, if such a term may be used. In both divisions of humour there is enormous range of feelings available for expression, from the passionate grief of Lady Constance to the quiet melancholy of Ophelia, from the dry wisdom of Touchstone to the rollicking joviality of Falstaff. For gaiety and solemnity of manner take the two following exercises :

L'ALLEGRO.

"But come, thou goddess, fair and free,

In heaven yclept Euphrosyne ;
And by men heart-easing Mirth,
Whom lovely Venus at a birth

With two sister Graces more

To ivy-crowned Bacchus bore ;

Haste thee, Nymph, and bring with thee
Jest and youthful jollity,

Quips, and cranks, and wanton wiles,

Nods, and becks, and wreathed smiles,