Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1815-09-11

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Court, tile supreme tribunal Of Virginia
among constellation of eminent lawyer!
and scholars, and was in great request
even en- questions for which he had moi
been prepared by much previous erudi.
ton. Upon the theatre Of Legislation he
had entered regardless Of the criticism.
which was profusely bestowed ON his
language, pronunciation, and gesture.
Nor was he absolutely exempt from an
ifregularity in his language, certain
homespun pronunciation, and degree Of
awkardness in the cord commencement Of
gesture. But the corresponding looks
andemotions ofthoss whom he address
ed, speedily announced, that language
may be sometimes peculiar and esen
quaint, while it is expressive, and even
appropriate that a proaunciation which
might disgust in drawing-roem, may
yet find access to the hearts Of a popular
assembly ; and thata gesture at first too
much the creature OF Incidence may ex-
pand itself in the progress Of delivery,
into forms which would be above the rule
and compass, and yet within tllepromp-
tings Of nature. Compared with any Of
his more refined contemporaries, and RI
walls, he by his imagination, which paint
ed to the soul, eclipsed the spsrklings Of
art; and knowing what chord Of the
heart would sound in nnissn with his
immediate purpose, and tie strength on
.peculiarity with which it ought to be
touched, he had scarcely ever fangaished
in minority at the time, up to which his
character is now brought. Contfasted
with the most renowned Of British ora
tors, the elder William Pitt, he was not
inferior to him IN the intrepidity Of me-
taphor. Like him, be possessed vein
of sportive ridicule, but not of dictatorial
malignity.
In Henry's exordium, there was a
simplicity, and even carelesness, which
to stranger, who had neverbefore heard
him, promised little. A formal division
of his intended discsarse he never made;
but even the first distance which he took
from his main object, was not so remote
as to obscure IL or to require any distor-
ton of his course, toreachit. With an
eye, which possessed neither positive
beauty nor acuteness, and which he fixed
upon the chairman, or moderator of the
assembly, he never strayed in quest of
applause. He was the focus, to which
every person present was directed, even
at the moment ofthe apparent languor of
bis opening. He transGxed into the
breasts of others, the earnestness depict
ed i'll his own features, which even for
babe doubt of sincerity.
In others, rhetorical artifce, and un.
meaning explosives have been often en-
ployed as scouts to seize the wandering
attention of an audience. In him the
constituted the triumph of nature. His
was the only monotony which ever
heard recenciiab!e with true elocution I;
It's chief note was melodious, and tie
sameness seemed to be diversified by a
dramatic versatilit, ofaction and of coun- |
tenance. His pauses, which, from their |
length, might sometimes De feared to dis |
band the attention, rivetted it the more
oy raising the expectation of renewed |
bri!liancy.
In pure reasoning, he encountered /
many successful competitors: in the wis i
lom of books many superiors but al /
.hough he might be inconslusive, he never /
vas frivolous and arguments, which, at /
irst, appeared to drop by chance, were
afterwards discovered to be select in |,
heir kind, because adapted to some pc
,uliarity in his audience.
His ability as writer cannot be in
sisted on nor was hefond of details -
,ut for grand impressions in The defence
If liberty, tha western world has not yet
presented rival.
His style of oratery was vehement,
without transporting him beyond the
,ower of self-command. or wounling his
pponents by deliberate acrimony. After
! debate had ceased, he was generally
surrounded by them on the first occasion
With pleasantly on some Gifts incidents.
lis figures of speech were borrowed,
When borrowed, from the sculptures
Fhe prototype of those not scriptural,
we're sublime scenes and objects of ma
ure and an occurrence at tie instant !
e never failed to employ with all the
nergy of which it was capable. His
ghtnings consisted in quick successive
ashes, which rested only to alarm the