vz, hives, groves, sleeves.

The groves are musical with living hives.

vst, improv'st, conniv'st, pav'st.

Thou improv'st thy mind and heart by closely observing the beauties of nature.

znd, impris'n'd, reas'n'd, seas'n'd.

It is only the seas'n'd bark that may safely tempt the wave.

treasons, mizzens, emblazons.

Treasons, treasons! brood of irreligion!

CHAPTER IV.

61

GESTURE.

Probably the best definition of gesture ever given is that of DELSARTE: "Gesture is the manifestation of the being through the activities of the body. Accepting this definition, we acknowledge that Gesture should come in answer to the inward impulse, or motive, and should be an outward expression of that motive or

emotion.

The student that would rest satisfied with mastering a number of formal Gestures, expressive of different meanings, would fail to grasp the correct idea of gesture. The Gesture must portray some emotion existing in the being. If the emotion within does not move the speaker to action, he is soulless and all the grace of a RoSCIUS would not make a good speaker of him. There is, no doubt, such a thing as the cultivation of those emotions, those impulses to action. The training of the soul in virtue, and of the mind in the arts and sciences, tends to develop in man keener perception and stronger emotions. The better our lives are the quicker do we shrink from evil; the more thorough our education is, the more easily do we distinguish between truth and falsehood. It may be noticed that artists, owing to to their refined sensibilities,

are more sensitive than others. They have unconsciously developed this sensitive nature by close application to the niceties and fine points of their art.

However the development of the emotions in man is not the chief aim of elocution. Elocution's task is to teach the correct, and therefore, the artistic portrayal of the emotions.

Professor BROWN, in his "Philosophy of Expression,' says: "A single caution should be whispered in the ear of the earnest student of technical gesture. We put our suggestions in two apothegms: I. Conscious technique kills expression. II. A gesture put on is a grimace. It has no art-expression."

Naturalness in gesture is only present when self is suppressed and the inward emotion spurs us on to action. Before you will be able to express the emotions of the soul correctly, you must become as the child, without self-consciousness. What is truer to nature, and at the same time more graceful than the little child! It manifests artlessly, and, yet,artistically, the emotions it feels. In applying ourselves to the study of gesture, we should copy this model: for here nature speaks untrammeled by art. He that is always straining after effect, will lose in the impression he would make. We must relax, not strain. We must learn to suppress self, and let the inward emotion give the impulse to action.

A course in the Relaxation of the different muscles of the body is, therefore, highly necessary in order to fit us for portraying the emotions. By Relaxation is meant the taking of the will power away from the muscles and allowing the limb to hang as if dead. We try by this means to get rid of self-consciousness in the

muscles, in order to let nature take its place. In other words, it is the relaxation of that tension which opposes natural grace of motion. By practice of the exercises in relaxation given below, the student will invigorate the muscles, and free the joints of the body so that each part of it will be not only free, but fitted to give the most exact response to the promptings of the inner man. These exercises are based on the laws laid down by Francois Delsarte, the great Catholic philosopher of expression. We do not give all that might be given; but exercises for the other muscles of the body will suggest themselves to the earnest student. Be not back ward in practicing them, for relaxation, far from producing an artificial mode of expression, enhances it vastly by giving the speaker a body fitted and eager to portray the inmost emotions of the soul spontaneously and harmoniously. Diligent practice of the following Exercises will tend to remove all awkwardness.

EXERCISES IN RELAXATION.

Legs.

Stand with weight of body on right foot. energy from the muscles of the left leg

Withdraw and swing it by a rotary movement of the upper body. Change to left foot and go through same motion with right. Practice

each of the movements given for about thirty seconds. Energize from hip to knee-joint and raise the leg having lower part relaxed, or decomposed. Drop the leg as if lifeless.

Torso.

Stand in Fourth Attitude. Withdraw energy from the neck muscles and let the head drop to the breast. Withdraw energy from the torso, or waist, and drop the trunk forward as far as it will go. Swing the relaxed part in a rotary motion, the ener y coming from the lower limbs.

Neck.

Decompose the neck and allow the head to drop forward. Raise and allow it to drop as if lifeless to the right and to the left sides and backward. By movements of the body cause the head to rotate. You must be careful not to carry the head to these different directions. Incline the body that way and let the head drop to its place.

Arms.

Raise the arms from the side toward each other till the fingers touch above the head. Withdraw will-power from the muscles and allow them to drop. Raise the arms in front and when the hands point to the zenith drop lifelessly as before. De-energize arm from shoulder down, and sway the body causing arm to swin loosely in all directions. Raise arm from shoulder, bend elbow, causing fore-arm to hang at right angle to upper arm, de-energize fore-arm and shake up and down.