Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-08-29
THE CHARACTER
las AN oRAroR1

or DR.. BRLNSLEY SRERTDXJw Esg.
There have been rules laid down for Ora
tory and Poetry but Mr.. Sheridan is as lit
ne indebted 70 the former. as good Poet is
70 the latter. : ~, 8
Ishall not attempt to trace Kim hy those
rules. ] take argument to be rhe vefy. fonn4
dation Of oratory and / believe it will be an
1ewsds siaas Mr S5eriaan is second to none.
"a this point.-Ff0p the manner ine~hjcif'
thape heard some iuustrious orators dsliSer
themselves, you would imagine that ,argu-
fuents danced in the mental eye, like atoms
IN sun beam and that they were only So
fcitous Ia regard TO numbers. With Mr.
Sheridan it seems to be otherwise.-He is
not impatient to snatch at every one that
presents itself In the midst of the battle he
Is cool, and guards at the very instant that
he makes the desperate pass. Hehas learn
ed the art of rejection, and knows that
weak argument on his side may strengthen
the hand Of his adversary: where there are
many, he only makes use of the strongest.
His language is always suited to the subject;
it is never turgid, like the language Of those
orators, who are seldom happy but in those
swells which but too often drown the sense.
He is convinced, that figures are souietimes
necessary to enliven the subject; and that
truth herself, when pe1sonihed although
yelled in robe Of the simplest attire, is not
without some ornament, III which nature her
self seems to take delight. But his figures
are always phiiosophicaly true bis SMILES
also may be compared toa mirror, in which
you can discern the very lineaments Of the
things compared. He is witty-and Sallust
says, that men generally take the djmensi-
ons of others by their own standard /; and
conceive all things to be impossible which
exceed theirs. Hence, doubt not, but ma
ny imagine that a man of wit cannot be a
man OF judgment; as if a diamond was less
solid Oh account of It's brillancy.
He takes all things in transitu, and insists
upon nothing too tediously. He has often
surprised Jme when heard sentence drop
from the lips OF another, which, at the time,
thought could not be better expressed, and
Jet when he had occasion to repeat Il, I al
ways found that I've expressed it in shorter
terris.--Thucydides was brevity, yet Sallusl
contracts his sentences when fc translates
theuL Z
lnqu6tatiohs he Is not less happy; lie does
not quote, however, so aftcn as did Mr.
SurEe; and perhaps, Mr.. Burke was the
most successful that ever existed. Mr. She
ridan principally exccls in acuteness and an
irnadve! sion. He has has attained To an un.
common felicity in the combination Of III.
own speech, and in the asalyzafion of his
adyersary's. Mr.. Pitt was sensible Of this
and when he cndeavorcd 10 varnish and
throw an article into the back ground, Mr.
sheridan was sure TO bring il forward, ant
exhibit il in It's true colors. IF he does mol
read at present, he must have read great
deal for you can scarcely quote an au'ho.
Tity that he is not acquainted with and i
you happen to strain or quote il falsely, he
Is sure to detect you. In short, Mr.. Sheri.
dams arguments are always coherent; anc
yet, the ccRtexture is go fine, that nothing j.
less conspicuous than the art, If may so cal
Il, Of the Composition.