Th' Oppreffor's Wrongs, the proud Man's Con

tumely,

The Pangs of defpis'd Love, the Law's Delay,
The Infolence of Office, and the Spurn's
That patient Merit of th' anworthy takes,
When he himself might his Quietus make
With a bare Bodkin? Who wou'd Fardles bear,
To groan and fweat under a weary Life?
But that the Dread of fomething after Death,
The undiscover'd Country, from whofe Bourn
No Traveller returns, puzzles the Will,
And makes us rather chufe thofe Ills we have,
Than fly to others that we know not of.

AS all these Varieties of Voice are to be directed by the Senfe,. fo the AEtion is to be directed by the Voice, and with a beautiful Propriety, as it. were to inforce it. The Arm, which by a strong Figure Tully calls The Orator's Weapon, is to be fometimes raifed and extended; and the Hand, by its Motion, fometimes to lead, and fometimes to follow the Words as they are uttered. The Stamping of the Foot too has its proper Expreffion in Contention, Anger, or abfolute: Command. But the Face is the Epitome of the whole Man, and the Eyes. are as it were the Epitome of the Face;

for

for which Reafon, he fays, the best Judges among the Romans were not extremely pleafed, even with Rofcius · himself in his Mask. No part of the Body, befides the Face, is capable of as many Changes as there are different Emotions in the Mind, and of expreffing them all by thofe Changes. Nor is this to be done without the Freedom of the Eyes; therefore Theophraftus called one, who barely rehearfed his Speech with his Eyes fixed, an abfent Actor.

AS the Countenance admits of fo great Variety, it requires alfo great Judgment to govern it. Not that the Form of the Face is to be fhifted on every Occafion, left it turn to Farce and Buffoonery; but it is certain, that the Eyes have a wonderful Power of marking the Emotions of the Mind, fometimes by a fteadfast Look, fometimes by a carelefs one; now by a fudden Regard, then by a joyful Sparkling, as the Senfe of the Words is diverfifyed : for Action is, as it were, the Speech of the Features and Limbs, and must therefore conform it felf always to the Sentiments of the Soul. And it

may

་

may be observed, that in all which. relates to the Gefture, there is a wonderful Force implanted by Nature, fince the Vulgar, the Unskilful, and even the moft barbarous are chiefly affected by this. None are moved by the Sound of Words, but thofe who understand the Language; and the Senfe of many things is loft upon Men of a dull Apprehenfion: but Action is a kind of Univerfal Tongue; all Men are fubject to the fame Paffions, and confequently know the fame Marks of them in others, by which they themselves express them.

PERHAPS fome of my Readers may be of Opinion, that the Hints I have here made ufe of, out of Cicero, are fomewhat too refined for the Players on our Theatre: In answer to which, I venture to lay it down as a Maxim, that without good Sense no one can be a good Player, and that he is very unfit to perfonate the Dignity of a Roman Hero, who cannot enter into the Rules for Pronunciation and Gesture delivered by a Roman Orator.

THERE

THERE is another thing which my Author does not think too minute to infift on, though it is purely mechanical; and that is the right pitching of the Voice. On this occafion he tells the Story of Gracchus, who employed a Servant with a little Ivory Pipe to ftand behind him, and give him the right Pitch, as often as he wandred too far from the proper Modulation. Every Voice, fays Tully, has its particular Medium and Compass, and the Sweetness of Speech confifts in leading it through all the Variety of Tones naturally, and without touching any Extreme.. Therefore, fays he, Leave the Pipe at bome, but carry the Senfe of this Cuftom with you.

Fri

N° 542

Friday, November 21.

Et fibi præferri se gaudet·

Ovid.

HEN I have been present in Affemblies where my Paper has been talked of, I have been very well pleased

to hear those who would

detract from the Author of it observe, that the Letters which are fent to the Spectator are as good, if not better than any of his Works. Upon this occafion many Letters of Mirth are usually mentioned, which some think the Spectator writ to himself, and which others commend because they fancy he received them from his Correfpondents: Such are those from the Valetudinarian; the Inspector of the Sign-Pofts; the Mafter of the Fan-Excife; with that of the Hopped Petticoat; that of Nicholas Hart the annual Sleeper; that from Sir John Envill; that upon the London Cries; with multitudes of the fame nature. As I love nothing more than to mortify

the