The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-06-03 00:00:00

Quousque tandem Jonathanus, abutere patientia nostra!

'0 THE EDITOR OF TL

LIVERPOOL STANDARD,

Siit,—Elocution, English elocution, is a neglected art; it
is so with us, from south to north. The theory may be
otherwise ; but practical delivery may be said to be one of
those open questions, subject to the arbitraries of opinion
and taste, which present a field, at once tempting and safe,
for trading and itinerant pretenders to exercise their calling,
upon dupeable meetings of subscribers to our public institu-
tions.
I have been at the Mechanics' Institution in Mount-street
three times of late, and was one of an attentive but not sa-
tisfied audience, desirous to hear what really new matter the
lecturer, " Jonathan Barber, Esq.," (whose name has been
pasted on the walls, in large letters, and by which it appears
that he was a professor of elocution in the U-sited States,)
had to advance, or say for himself. I assure such of your
d their families who were not present, that the
carer, who is an elderly gentleman, advanced nothing new
or important with reference to the art of elocution, although
he talked what in the Rhetorical States would be collo-
quially called a " taruation creation in uncommon quantity"
in praise and glory of himself. He is a rig'hr self-advertiser,
and takes extrayordinary pains to make the public disbelieve
what he is about to do, and his manner of doing it; both of
which, however, if people hadn't been foretold to the con-
trary, they would have found to be the very deeds and ways
which he had verbally repudiated ! Seriously, a more prosy,
self-opinionative lecturer has seldom occupied the,ear and
time of the public ; and this estimate is not confined to my-
self—it is general. He has some ability, and has lectured
himself into a belief that he has discovered a new way as a
Demosthenes-maker, nothing like which has been propound-
ed in this country, or which anybody else could teach but he
himself! That's modest, is n't it? But you could not but
admire the reckless and boldly-confident tone and manner
with which his views are advanced, were you to hear and see
so as to judge for yourself. If one-third of his audience
knew anything of the groundwork of elocution, as ably set
forth in the works of Sheridan and other departed men, and
of respectable competent and living professors of the science
and art, neither " Brother Jonathan " nor any other adven-
turer of old wares in new forms would have the modest as-
surance to " go a-head " at the Colonel-Crocket rate he has
been suffered to do for three successive nights at the Me-
chanics'. This want of general knowledge of the subject
maybe, and no doubt to some extent is, a national reproach;
but is it fair or respectful that a lecturer should take advan-
tage of the neglect, and its concomitant ignorance, to trade
on both, under an overrated expectation that, through igno-
rance or forbearance, he is not likely to be found out and
exposed ? Far be it from me to insinuate that it is my opi-
nion that Mr. Jonathan Barber is one of a cruising class of
tolerated and self-important Quizots: lam willing to think
better of him or any professor who comes before the public ;
but he has, or he has not, laid himself open to suspicion—a
suspicion which is extending that " all is not gold which
glitters." If what he said is true, either the present teach-
ers of elocution within the walls of the institution should
resign, or have a hint given to them to " clear out ;" and
parents of lads under former " professors should instruct
their attorneys to bring an action for the refunding of their
fees paid for value professed but not received. I say either
such is the alternative, or Mr. Jonathan Barber should be
made to eat his words as a pretender to teach what he has
yet to learn.

There is no real novelty worthy the appellation in his elo-
cutionary nostrums. Attempts were made in England over
and over again by known, and with modification by obscure,
Quixots, to " demonstrate" and to teach the art of speaking
by the musical scale ! We know that one after another of
such new methods of reviving old schemes were successively
got up, and lived long enough only to be derisively exploded.
The law and will of God, as the common experience of all
the spoken languages of nations attests, have made the
speaking-voice totally distinct from the singing-voice. It
may be all very well for illustration and comparison, that
lecturers point out occasional analogies between singing and
speaking as sciences or as arts; but such analogies are not
only occasional—merely occasional, but are analogies of de-
gree only, not of kind. Speaking is not singing, nor is sing-
ing speaking. Any attempt to blend them, as all of us know,
sets up a feeling and sense of the ridiculous in every one's
ear and breast who listens to it. Recitative and sing-song
uniformly suggest ideas of travesty and burlesque ; and, as
schoolboys and grown persons of taste are aware, a sing-
song, winning, canting mode of reading or speaking provokes
disgust, and is treated as offensive and ridiculous.

Jonathan Barber has some personal pretensions to
illustrate a sound system of elocution, which his mode,
" peculiar to himself!" is not. His voice, at the best, never
has had range or variety of modulation. It is not squeaky,
but is full enough for ordinary purposes of tuition. He is
best when he speaks low and without excitement. When
colloquial and speaking his own sentiments, his tone espe-
cially, and often his accent, betray the Yankee locality which
has influenced his " parts of speech." Upon the whole, he
delivers the language of others in very good English ; but his
action is bad, and savours of that pot-house " free and easy,"
such as the young bloods of every town may see practised by
frequenters of clubs and debating societies, who fancy them-
selves Pitt or Burke, and equal to follow them in parliament.
He saws the air, yea like a top-sawyer; his right terminus,
the while, working up and down in the air like a pump han-
dle. Now, the most finished enunciation of the most manly
organs of speech, per se, is tame, and can only be an inevita-
ble shortcoming if looks and emblematic action are not su-
peradded as appropriate accompaniments. Practically, there
is no ELOCUTION in the proper bearing of the epithet, sin-
less equal attention—equal science and art—equal taste and
judgment—be exemplified with regard to both, in felicitous
and harmonious co-operation, by the party who addresses an
assembly of his fellow men. That this is the true view of the
matter, every observer must be aware who has analysed dif-
ferences between the comparative failure and success of three
or any hundred men who rise to convey their meaning to
those on whom it is their purpose to produce some desired
impression. If effects, whether of success or failure, be traced
to their causes, each class or group of them find their foun-
tain-head in first principles, referable to the play of the feel-
ings, the passions, motives, &c., as made manifest, not merely
by the organs of voice, but by the physiognomy, and by con-
contributions of judicious and tasteful gesture of the whole
body, as so many subtle means to ends which the patriot and

ingly, if Mr. Jonathan Barber's pretensions be tried by this
true standard, those who have listened to his ways and
means will be enabled to determine of what estimate they are
intrinsically worthy.
Candour would not justify omitting to mention that the
lecturer seems to be a member of the Established Church ;
and although he coquets for attention to this—whether aware
of his position or not, is irrelevant—yet not only are his il-
lustrations irreverently frequent from the Holy Scriptures,
but his texts and readings must be the reverse of palat-
able or delicate to Unitarian ears, and to others also of his
auditors. He is evidently confined in his resources, and the
poverty of his illustration being meagre in the extreme, he,
as a consequence, is reduced to the shelter of technicalities
that are hacknied, to pet phrases, and even to groups of
words, which he falls back upon as if they had been set up
in stereotype, to meet emergencies. His style of reciting is
also confined, and therefore is inapplicable to the varied re-
quisites essential to a mastery of elocution—which, be it ob-
served, is a comprehensive and subtle art. This is so • it
being, not matter of opinion, but of fact, that his prevailing
manner of reciting poetry or prose is " mock-impressive."
As a lecturer, too, no less a fault of his is this :—he repeats
himself over and over again, like a man who has exhausted
his stock of drill manoeuvres at the review, or show-day of
his first " introductory."
On Saturday, he was so very tiresome, through overful-
ness of himself, and of a letter of remonstrance which his
injudicious and babbling self-praise had drawn upon him,
that he was called to order by a mild and feeling voice from
the body of the house, " that he had better proceed with his
lecture."
To conclude, Mr. Jonathan Barber's novelty is no novelty,
except in form or degree. Nil novi sub sole—which, trans-
lated, literally, means there are no new eggs under the hen—
is applicable to any thing he has yet advanced. That he has
invited exposure is clear, and that he deserves it, will be ad-
mitted by every one who is in any way competent to an opi-
nion with knowledge.—Yours, truly,
INDIGNATION.

[Since the above was in type, it seems that, at the com-
mencement of his lecture on Wednesday, Mr. Barber was
under the necessity of retracting apologetically many random
and wild strictures he had obtruded, when insulting the ac-
tual knowledge of Englishmen with reference to the neglected
but known subject of vernacular and English elocution. This
was as it should be ; and, from representations that are cur-
rent, he may congratulate himself on getting off, " slick
away," so cheaply. Much objectionable and puerile matter
was foisted on the ears of his audience ; and such fishings
for pupils as, by palpable implication, attended his anecdo-
tage of some silly speaker in parliament, of whom he " got"
(as the writer of this paragraph understood him to say) se-
veral " hundreds of pounds " for teaching him how to score
Milton, were disrespectful to the audience, and unbecoming
the dignity of the lecture-room.]

A
--.sr9l.

DR. BYRTH AND THE DISSENTERS

TO TIIE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD

Stn,—l perceive that your remarks upon the inconsistency
of the Rev. Dr. Byrth in attending a dissenting missionary
meeting, have called forth the displeasure of several of your
liberal contemporaries. I think, however, that your remarks
were very just; for I cannot understand how any clergyman
of the Church of England can pray, Sabbath after Sabbath,
to be kept "from all false doctrine, heresy, and schism,"
and yet lend his aid in promoting schism. But especially do
I consider it inconsistent in' Dr. Byrth ; for I distinctly
recollect, that at a meeting of the Young Men's Established
Church Society," held some time ago in the Amphitheatre
in this town, the reverend gentleman denounced dissent as a
" monstrous evil." Let y(

readers, then, judge of Dr.
By rth's consistency, and of the justice of your remarks upon
his conduct.—Your's respectfully,

June 2d, 1842

k CHURCHMAN

.....,,.. __
Baron Gros, however, had granted permission to M. Vallo
to make an engraving from it. The painting, was latterl
purchased by the civil list for the museum at'Versailes, an,
M. Gavard included it in his series of engravings t.aker
from those galleries. On its appearance, actions forf apyae:',
were commenced against M. Gavard by the widow ?s
_il. the
Gros and M. Vallot. These have taken the rope; ."`
. tial were
different courts, with varying decisions, and awt,iecii has de-
brought on appeal before the Supreme Court,
andn, asses with it
cided that the entire property of the PiCtU-
e publish en-
on a sale, and the consequent right tom ak
gravings from it, unless there be in
tto the contrary. The
the
c
or bill of
sale any cypress reserve or stipulation ~
appeal has therefore been dismissed w ki cost.s.—Galignanes
Messenger.

The decease of the venerable Lord Manners, formerly
Lord Chancellor of Ireland, took place on Tuesday, the 31st
ult. His lordship was in the 87th year of his age.
DEANERY OF ST. PATRICK'S, DUBLIN.-0111 Wednes-
day morning, Dr. Radcliffe gave judgment in this long liti-
gated cause, and decided that the Rev. Dr. Daly had been
duly elected Dean of St. Patrick's. The principal point in
the case was the claim set up by his Grace the Archbishop
of Dublin to vote as a member of the Chapter in the capa-
city of Prebendary of Cullen. The legality of this claim
was admitted by the learned judge ; but he contended that
his Grace not having previously taken the oath of canonical
obedience as a preliminary measure, he was not in a position
to exercise the privilege on the day of election. Another
question was raised as to the legality of Dr. Todd's vote,
who claimed in right of being Treasurer to the Chapter.—
The judge decided that that was an office suspended under
the Church Temporalities Bill, and that Doctor Todd was
merely a ministerial officer appointed by an act of the Chap-
ter to discharge certain duties in relation to the office of
Treasurer ; but that he was not at the time of the election
entitled to a stall in the choir, or a seat in the Chapter, and,
consequently, not entitled to vote. These two gentlemen
having supported Dr. Wilson, and their votes having been
declared invalid, leaves Doctor, now Dean Daly, in a ma-
jority. Dr. Wilson gave notice of an appeal.
COPYRIGHT OF PICTURES.—The Court of Cassation,
the day before yesterday, decided the question whether the
sale of a painting by the artist without any condition or
reserve conveyed to the purchaser the exclusive right of
taking and publishing an engraving of it. The question
arose out of the picture of the Battle of the Pyramids,
painted by Baron Gros in 1809, by order of the Imperial
Government, but not delivered before the restoration, during
which it was carefully concealed by General Bertrand..-7