this many that are called religious people speak evil of him continually. And they speak many things that are palpably false, particularly when they affirm him to be a weak man; whereas a nobleman, who is not at all prejudiced in his favor, when he was pressed to speak, made this honest declaration: "Sir, I know him well; and I judge the king to be one of the most sensible men in Europe. His ministers are no fools; but his majesty is able to wind them all round his finger."

3. Now, when a clergyman comes into a place where this and many more stories equally false have been diligently propagated against the king, and are generally believed, if he guards the people against this evil speaking by refusing those slanders, many cry out, "O, he is preaching politics."

4. If you mean this by the term it is the bounden duty of every Christian minister to preach politics, it is our bounden duty to refute these vile aspersions in public as well as in private. But this can be done only now and then, when it comes naturally in our way; for it is our main and constant business to "preach Jesus Christ, and him crucified."

5. Again, many who do not so freely censure the king speak all manner of evil of his ministers. If any misfortune befalls us at home or abroad, by sea or land, it is "all their fault." If one commander in America is surprised with all his forces when he is dead drunk, "Lord North deserves to be hanged." If General Burgoyne or Lord Cornwallis is betrayed into their enemy's hand, all the blame is laid on our ministers at home. But still the king is wounded through their sides; the blame glances from them to him. Yet if we say a word in defense of them (which is in effect defending him), this also is preaching politics.

6. It is always difficult and frequently impossible for private men to judge of the measures taken by men in public offices. We do not see many of the grounds which determine them to act in this or the contrary manner. Gradually, therefore, it behooves us to be silent, as we may suppose they know their own business best; but when they are censured without any color of reason, and when an odium is cast on the king by that means, we ought to preach politics in this sense also; we ought publicly to confute those unjust censures, only remembering still that this is rarely to be done, and only when fit occasion offers, it being our main business to preach "repentance toward God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." JOHN WESLEY.

LEWISHAM, January 9, 1782.

DIRECTIONS CONCERNING PRONUNCIATION AND GESTURE.

SECTION I.

HOW WE MAY SPEAK SO AS TO BE HEARD WITHOUT DIFFICULTY AND WITH PLEASURE.

1. BEFORE we enter upon particular rules, I would advise all who can (1) to study the art of speaking betimes, and to practice it as often as possible before they have contracted any of the common imperfections or vices of speaking; for these may easily be avoided at first, but when they are once learned it is extremely difficult to unlearn them. I advise all young persons (2) to be governed in speaking, as in all other things, by reason rather than example, and therefore to have an especial care whom they imitate therein, and to imitate only what is right in their manner of speaking, not their blemishes and imperfections.

2. The first business of a speaker is so to speak that he may be heard and understood with ease. In order to this it is a great advantage to have a clear, strong voice; such, at least, as will fill the place where you speak so as to be heard by every person in it. To strengthen a weak voice, read or speak something aloud for at least half an hour every morning, but take care not to strain your voice at first; begin low and raise it by degrees to the height.

3. If you are apt to falter in your speech, read something in private daily, and pronounce every word and syllable so distinctly that they may all have their full sound and proportion. If you are apt to stammer at such and such particular expressions, take particular care, first, to pronounce them plainly. When you are once able to do this you may learn to pronounce them more fluently at your leisure.

The chief faults of speaking are:

(1) The speaking too loud. This is disagreeable to the hearers as well as inconvenient for the speaker. For they must impute it either to ignorance or affectation, which is never so inexcusable as in preaching.

Every man's voice should indeed fill the place where he speaks; but if it exceeds its natural key it will be neither sweet, nor soft, nor agreeable, were it only on this account, that he cannot then give every word its proper and distinguishing sound.

(2) The speaking too low. This is of the two more disagreeable than the former. Take care, therefore, to keep between the

extremes, to preserve the key, the command of your voice, and to adapt the loudness of it to the place where you are, or the number of persons to whom you speak.

In order to this, consider whether your voice be naturally loud or low; and if it incline to either extreme, correct this first in your ordinary conversation. If it be too low, converse with those that are deaf; if too loud, with those who speak softly.

(3) The speaking in a thick, cluttering manner.

Some persons mumble or swallow some words or syllables, and do not utter the rest articulately or distinctly. This is sometimes owing to a natural defect, sometimes to a sudden flutter of spirits, but oftener to a bad habit.

To cure this accustom yourself, both in conversation and reading, to pronounce every word distinctly. Observe how full a sound some give to every word, and labor to imitate them. If no other way avail, do as Demosthenes did, who cured himself of this natural defect by repeating orations every day with pebbles in his mouth.

(4) The speaking too fast. This is a common fault, but not a little one, particularly when we speak of the things of God. It may be cured by habituating yourself to attend to the weight, sense, and propriety of every word you speak.

(5) The speaking too slow is not a common fault, and when we are once warned of it it may be easily avoided.

(6) The speaking with an irregular, desultory, and uneven voice, raised or depressed unnaturally or unseasonably. To cure this you should take care not to begin your periods either too high or too low; for that would necessarily lead you to an unnatural and improper variation of the voice. And remember never either to raise or sink your voice without a particular reason, arising either from the length of the period or the sense or spirit of what you speak.

(7) But the greatest and most common fault of all is the speaking with a tone. Some have a womanish, squeaking tone; some a singing or canting one; some a high, swelling, theatrical tone, laying too much emphasis on every sentence; some have an awful, solemn tone; others an odd, whimsical, whining one not to be expressed in words.

To avoid all kinds of unnatural tones the only rule is this, endeavor to speak in public just as you do in common conversation. Attend to your subject and deliver it in the same manner as if you were talking of it to a friend. This, if carefully observed,

I will correct both this and almost all the other faults of a bad pronunciation.

For a good pronunciation is nothing but a natural, easy, and graceful variation of the voice, suitable to the nature and importance of the sentiments we deliver.

4. If you would be heard with pleasure, in order to make the deeper impression on your hearers, first study to render your voice as soft and sweet as possible, and the more if it be naturally harsh, hoarse, or obsteperous, which may be cured by constant exercise. By carefully using this every morning you may in a short time wear off these defects, and contract such a smooth and tuneful delivery as will recommend whatever you speak.

5. Secondly, labor to avoid the odious custom of coughing and spitting while you are speaking. And if at some times you cannot wholly avoid it, yet take care you do not stop in the middle of a sentence, but only at such times as will least interrupt the sense of what you are delivering.

6. Above all take care, thirdly, to vary your voice according to the matter on which you speak. Nothing more grates the ear than a voice still in the same key. And yet nothing is more common, although this monotone is not only unpleasant to the ear, but destroys the effect of what is spoken.

7. The best way to learn how to vary the voice is to observe common discourse. Take notice how you speak yourself in ordinary conversation, and how others speak on various occasions. After the very same manner you are to vary your voice in public, allowing for the largeness of the place and the distance of the hearers.

SECTION II.

GENERAL RULES FOR THE VARIATION OF THE VOICE.

1. The voice may be varied in three ways: First, as to height or lowness; secondly, as to vehemence or softness; thirdly, as to swiftness or slowness.

And (1) as to height, a medium between the extremes is carefully to be observed. You must neither strain your voice by raising it always to the highest note it can reach, nor sink it always to the lowest note, which would be to murmur rather than to speak.

(2) As to vehemence, have a care how you force your voice to the last extremity. You cannot hold this long without danger of its cracking and failing you on a sudden. Nor yet ought you to

speak in too faint and remiss a manner, which destroys all the force and energy of what is spoken.

(3) As to swiftness, you ought to moderate the voice so as to avoid all precipitation, otherwise you give the hearers no time to think, and so are not likely either to convince or to persuade them. Yet neither should you speak slower than men generally do in common conversation. It is a fault to draw out your words too slow or to make needless breaks or pauses. Nay, to drawl is (of the two) worse than to hurry. The speech ought not to drop, but to flow along. But then it ought to flow like a gliding stream, not as a rapid torrent.

2. Yet let it be observed that the medium I recommend does not consist in an indivisible point. It admits of a considerable latitude. As to the height or lowness of the voice, there are five or six notes whereby it may be varied between the highest and the lowest, so here is abundant room for variation without falling into either extreme. There is also sufficient room between the extremes of violence and of softness to pronounce either more vehemently or more mildly, as different subjects may require. And as to swiftness or slowness, though you avoid both extremes, you may, nevertheless, speak faster or slower, and that in several degrees, as best answers the subject and passions of your dis

course.

3. But it should likewise be observed that the voice ought not to be varied too hastily in any of these respects; but the difference is to be made by degrees, and almost insensibly, too sudden a change being unnatural and affected, and consequently disagreeable to the hearers.

SECTION III.

PARTICULAR RULES FOR VARYING THE VOICE.

1. If you speak of natural things merely to make the hearers understand them, there needs only a clear and distinct voice. But you would display the wisdom and power of God therein, do it with a stronger and more solemn accent.

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2. The good and honorable actions of men should be described with a full and lofty accent; wicked and infamous actions with a strong and earnest voice, and such a tone as expresses horror and detestation.

3. In congratulating the happy events of life we speak with a lively and cheerful accent; in relating misfortunes (as in funeral orations) with a slow and mournful one.