A system of elocution, with special reference to gesture, to the treatment of stammering, and defective articulation .. . When the persons addressed are on the leftside, the left hand naturally performs the prin-cipal gesture, in order to avoid the awkward-ness of gesticulating across the body. 2. Thenecessary discrimination of objects opposed toeach other, requires the left hand alternately toperform the principal gesture. 3. The advan-tage of variety. 4. The power of giving, notonly variety, but force, by occasionally elevating the retired hand,and bestowing upon it all the spirit and author
A system of elocution, with special reference to gesture, to the treatment of stammering, and defective articulation .. . When the persons addressed are on the leftside, the left hand naturally performs the prin-cipal gesture, in order to avoid the awkward-ness of gesticulating across the body. 2. Thenecessary discrimination of objects opposed toeach other, requires the left hand alternately toperform the principal gesture. 3. The advan-tage of variety. 4. The power of giving, notonly variety, but force, by occasionally elevating the retired hand,and bestowing upon it all the spirit and authority of the gesture. But it is not only in the use of the left hand that modern speakersdiffer from the ancients: they constantly violate another preceptenjoined by Quintilian and his followers, viz., that of speaking with lique position; x, extended position ; veq, hands vertical, armselevated oblique; a, ascending; br, breast — the right hand is laidon the breast; Bnef, both hands natural, the arms elevated for-wards; Bshfsh, both hands supine, arms horizontal forwards shak-ing ; R, rest, the hands fall to GESTURE. 113 the corresponding hand and foot advanced.* And yet, if the naturalemotions afford any just foundation for the manner of gesture, weshall be inclined to give the preference to modern custom. Thosepassions which incline us to advance towards their object, as love,desire, anger, and revenge, naturally cause the corresponding handand foot to advance together with the head and body; for, in thisway, the nearest approach is made to the object. And when pas-sions of a contrary nature, as aversion and terror, affect us, still thecorresponding hand and foot are advanced ; as if the better to guardthe body and head, which are thrown back. In such cases, it wouldproduce unnatural distortion to advance the contrary hand and tranquil circumstances, as when the speaker delivers narra-tive, or reasons calmly, the contrary hand and footf may advancetogether
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840, booksubjectgesture, booksubjects
