Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1858-10-08

occssioh. when listening 10 The sohn6rous
and pleasing aeloquence OF CalIistratus.
that the. ambition OIL was
frss aroused {; aud he de'erminrd 70, de
vote his life TO the attainment Of distinc
iiUn as an orator. He Immediately com.
mvnced = course of luxurious study under
the direction of Iseussand Plsto.,adI 10
An opportunity soun afforded in which
be WAS enabled to test hts adoption OF
mind and person TO his new pursuit
When seventeen years old he appeared
before the public uribunals to prosecute
his. guardisns for the waste and plumber
OF bis patrimony s. and SO ably did be con
lduct the suit that he gained triumph
over them. and at the same time impress
ed his audience with just couceE zion OF
his oratoricai Abilities Deceived and
Atttered by this result, he undertook. on
a subsequens occasion. to address the
general assembly of the ci izens and
completely failed. Overcome probably
by I,ipiialIon Irom tbe novelty and diff
cuiIyoi The task which he had assumed,
hts voice was feeble. his delivery confused,
MS respiration ln.errupted. his gestures
awkward and inappropriate. and his ut
te'ance stamuering. Heexcitrd the gen
eial ridicule aud Hiaughter OF the assem-
bly,. and he returned home overwhelmed
with mort icatlon aud shame. IL is re-
corded that al tuis bitter ,nUmenL he was
visited by benevolent &C or named Sa
tyIus. who had been "itness OF his lail.
ure. and had detec ed lis cause He re.
questsd Demosthenes 10 repeat before
htm cer,alu passage from q dramatic
pVe.. He did SO III the rapid, confused,
aud uultn, re.slve manner OF ordinary
readers. When he ha finished Sttyrus
nlmseh readylhe passagewIth The dramat
lc skilI ~nlcn usually char cteiiz.s his
| profession aud ns at once ope ned the
eyes vi Demosthenes To a new world ot
kuo" ledge. rs to the lmpo tance Of he
arr vi eIvcutIon 10 public speakers. He
Instantly resolved "a Commence aud pur
sue thorough course OF framing which
smUuid overcome svorJ detect. and render
hlM MASTER vi every art aud qualification
witch could be attained.
TIE iu1u>try aud perseverance, with
which DemosIhenes carried out this puT
pose has passed INTO u proyerb, which
mas lung been familiar Lhroughu Ut the
civllz d world. Though gifted by ma
lure with talents OF the highest order. he
had the greatest physical defects TO over
come. He was an inyeterate stammerer
whenever he became excited. To RENE
dy This detect he practlsed speaking with
pebbles 10 his month. He was unable
to pronounce Ihe letter with cieainess ;
bu by endless repeuuons and trials be
,alned 50 singular mastery over the
IIfticuiL letter. aud in subsequent times
tue lmpresrISeness With whI:h he pro-
uuunced il won Ihe attention and the APP
plnuse q, his hearers. His features be
came rtfcnsIreiy distorted when thinking;
and To correct this ,Ief.tmiIy he declaln,
ed before n mirror. He had u hablL o ele
va'ing his lett shoulder awk "ardly when
speaking. To cure hImseli OF his h- sus
pended a naked sword above the uff- nd :
ing part. so that ito pom pricked the h-.h
whenever it WAS unduly elevated. His
voice and lungs we're weak and TO
srrength then thsm he practiced decIsiming
while running up high bills and over rug
ged pathways. The nOi-e and hustle OF
a popular as>embage confused hun : but
To accus,om himself To this peculiarly OF
the theatre OF his peculiar etf 'rts. he
especially WHEN y violent storm dashed
its waves in.o fury. To prevent hi stud
irs from being in errup,ed, he consLucred
n sublerrauean apartment. here he. some
times remained secluded three m"n,hs 1T
y time. There. by the glimmerIng light
"t his lamp. he c"pied and re copied ~
least ten times all the crati0ns which are
scattered through the works of Thucy-
,iides. in order to acquire familiarity
with the best style " urst"ry. Aud At
last. 10 prevent his ambiri"n from getting
the better of his prudence. and inducing
I'm 10 cu'tnil is preparatory studirs. he
-hnved Il the hair from one side of his
head. thai he might nnI brttmPled to 80
abroad Eight years ut uHwenried indus
trS OI theoretical culture. and oi ptacti-
cal Experiment.. we're employed by this
remar EabIe man in labnrs such as these
after which. at the age Of twenty i've. he
reappeAred on the stage OF action. pos
sessing = degree OF orseOrical kill aud art
which no other youthful speaker ever Al
tanned
Only short time elapsed before De
mOsthenes assumed a prominent portion
among the .Iatesmen OF Athens AZ the
period when he commenced his public ca
re r. the nneient glory OF A rica had in a
great measure passed away the public
spirit aud patriotic pride OF that once glU-
iUu+ and tree State were at Ihe lowest
-hb luxury. Incidence aud ,rnmlity had
,akeu the place OF the Punitive aust rity.
industry and prubity " ieh had once
a0uru, d the Aihrnians and the Vinues
., their tUretathrrs we're no torger rmuIa-
ted by the contemporaries d the youthful
nra,,,r The A,hanian r..nuhI,c y As Iend.