TO

JOHN CARILL WORSLEY, Efq;

LATE PRESIDENT OF THE ACADEMY IN WARRINGTON.

SIR,

THIS work having been undertaken principally with the defign of affifting the Students at Warrington in acquiring a just and graceful Elocution, I feel a peculiar propriety in addreffing it to you, as a public acknowledgment of the steady support which you have given to this Inftitution, and the important fervices which you

have rendered it.

In this Seminary, which was at first established, and has been uniformly con. ducted, on the extenfive plan of providing a proper course of Instruction for young men in the most useful branches of Science and

Literature, you have seen many respectable characters formed, who are now filling up their stations in fociety with reputation to themselves,

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themselves, and advantage to the Public. And, while the fame great object continues to be pursued, by faithful endeavours to cultivate the understandings of youth, and by a fteady attention to discipline, it is hoped, that you will have the fatisfaction to opferve the fame effects produced, and that the scene will be realized, which OUR POETESS has fo beautifully described :

When this, this little group their country calls
From academic fhades and learned halls,
To fix her laws, her spirit to fuftain,
And light up glory thro' her wide domain;
Their various tastes in different arts display'd
Like temper'd harmony of light and fhade,
With friendly union in one mafs fhall blend,
And this adorn the state, and that defend.

I am,

With fincere Refpect and Gratitude,

DEAR SIR,

Your much obliged,

and most obedient Servant,

WILLIAM ENFIELD,

AN

ESSAY

ON

ELOCUTION.

MR

UCH declamation has been employed to convince the world of a very plain truth, that to be able to speak well is an ornamental and ufeful accomplishment. Without the laboured panegyrics of ancient or modern orators, the importance of a good elocution is fufficiently obvious. Every one will acknowledge it to be of fome confequence, that what a man has hourly occafion to do, fhould be done well. Every private company, and almost every public affembly affords opportunities of remarking the difference between a juft and graceful, and a faulty and unnatural elocution; and there are few perfons who do not daily experience the advantages of the former, or the inconveniences of the latter. The great difficulty is, not to prove that

it

it is a defirable thing to be able to read and fpeak with propriety, but to point out a practicable and easy method by which this accomplishment may be acquired.

FOLLOW Nature, is certainly the fundamental law of Oratory, without a regard to which, all other rules will only produce affected declamation, not just elocution. And fome accurate observers, judging, perhaps, from a few unlucky fpecimens of modern eloquence, have concluded that this is the only law which ought to be prescribed; that all artificial rules are useless; and that good fenfe, and a cultivated tafte, are the only requifites to form a good public speaker. But it is true in the art of fpeaking, as well as in the art of living, that general precepts are of little use till they are unfolded, and applied to particular cafes. To observe the various ways by which nature exprefses the feveral perceptions, emotions and paffions. of the human mind, and to distinguish these from the mere effect of arbitrary cuftom or falfe tafte to discover and correct thofe tones, and habits of fpeaking, which are grofs deviations. from nature, and as far as they prevail must destroy all propriety and grace of utterance: and o make choice of fuch a course of practical leffons