whilft the waves were in the most violent agitation, he pronounced harangues, to accuftom himself, by the confufed noise of the waters, to the roar of the people, and the tumultuous cries of public assemblies.

DEMOSTHENES took no less care of his action than his voice. He had a large looking-glass in his house, which served to teach him gefture, and at which he used to declaim, before he spoke in public. To correct a fault of shrugging up his shoulders, he practised standing upright in a narrow pulpit, over which hung a point in fuch a manner, that if in the heat of the action that motion escaped him, it might admonish and correct him.

His application to ftudy was no lefs surprising. To be the more removed from noife, and less fubject to diftraction, he caused a small room to be made under ground, in which he fhut himfelf up fometimes for whole months, having half his head and face, that he might not be in a condition to go abroad. It was there by the light of a small lamp he composed the admirable orations, which were faid by thofe who envied him to fmell of the oil. He rofe early in the morning, and ufed to fay that he was forry when any workman was at his business before him. We may judge of his efforts to acquire excellence, from his copying Thucydides's

history

history eight times, in order to render the style familiar to him.

From all this pains he became-the copious-the nervous-the majestic-orator,-who poffeffes the powers of elocution in their full extent.

This is the man whose enchanting and diffufive language was so much admired by listening nations, that they tamely suffered eloquence to rule the world;—but an eloquence whose course is rapid and sonorous!-an eloquence which every one gazes at and admires, and defpairs to equal!

This is the eloquence that bends and fways the paffions !

This the eloquence that alarms and fooths them at her pleasure !

This the eloquence that fometimes tears up all before it like a whirlwind; and at other times steals imperceptibly upon the fenfes, and probes to the bottom of the heart! The eloquence which ingrafts opinions that are new, and eradicates the old, and fuch was the eloquence of this great orator!

SECT. LX.

CICERO'S ACCOUNT OF HIS OWN STUDIES,

Qui ftudet optatam curfu contingere metam,

multa tulit fecitque puer.

HOR.

WHEN HORTENSIUS was in the height of his glory I made, fays CICERO, my first appearance in the Forum, The Marfic war breaking out, HORTENSIUS ferved the first campaign as a volunteer, and the fecond as military tribune. We had fcarce any body left at the bar but L. MEMMIUS and Q. POMPEIUS, who, though far from being orators of the first distinction, were yet tolerable ones. Befides these I had the benefit of hearing the harangues of C. CURIO, who was chofen tribune of the people. To him I may add Q, METELLUS CELer, who, though certainly no orator, was far from being destitute of utterance: but Q VARIUS, C. CARBO, and Cn. POMPONIUS, were men of real elocution, and might almost be said to live upon the Roftra. C. JuLIUS too, who was then a Curule Edile, was daily employed in making fpeeches to the people, which were compofed

compofed with great neatnefs and accuracy. As to the other speakers, there was not one, who had gained more than a common acquaintance with thofe parts of literature, which feed the fprings of eloquence :-not one who had been thoroughly nurtured at the breast of Philosophy, which is the mother of every excellence either in deed or speech :-not one who had acquired an accurate knowledge of the civil law, which is so neceffary to direct the judgment of the orator :-not one who was complete master of the Roman hiftory, which would enable him, on many occafions, to appeal to the venerable evidence of the dead :-not one who could entangle his opponent in fuch a neat and humorous manner, as to relax the feverity of the judges into a smile or an open laugh not one who knew how to dilate and expand his fubject:-not one who knew how to enliven it by an agreeable digreffion :-not one who could rouse the indignation of the judge, or extort from him the tear of compaffion, which is undoubtedly the first perfection of an orator. I therefore spent the remainder of my time away from the Forum, and was employed in reading, writing, and private declamation.

The next year, that I might acquire a complete knowledge of the principles of jurifprudence, I attached

6

myfelf

myself to Q. SCEVOLA, who though he did not choose to undertake the charge of a pupil, yet by freely giving his advice to thofe who confulted him, anfwered every purpose of inftruction to fuch as took the trouble to apply to him.

In the fucceeding year PHILO, a philosopher of the first name in the academy, with many of the principal Athenians, having deserted their native home, and fled to Rome, from the fury of Mithridates, I immediately became his scholar, and was exceedingly taken with his philofophy; and, befides the pleasure I received from the great variety of fublimity of his matter, I was still more inclined to confine myself to that study; because there was reason to apprehend that our laws and judicial proceedings would be wholly overturned by the continuance of the public diforders. Then alfo I attended the lectures of MOLO the Rhodian, who was newly come to Rome, and was both an excellent pleader, and an able teacher of the art.

The three following years the city was free from the tumult of arms. HORTENSIUS, of courfe, was the first speaker in the Forum. ANTISTIUs too was daily rifing into reputation, Piso pleaded pretty often, POMPONIUS not fo frequently, CARBO very feldom, and PHILIP

PUS