Litchfield enquirer., 1860-03-08
For the Ltchfeld Enquirer. COUNSELS TO YOUNG MEN
NUMBER NINE,

Br0Ggham, one of the greatest men of tn age. When that most illustrious historian and essayist, the late Lord lMacaulev, wa winning unfading laurels in Cambridge Uni versity. Lord Henry Brougham, then at tn, height of his brilliant parliamental career addressed the following letter to the fathel of the young student, who was fast rising into notice, and promising to be one of tn, brightest ornaments of the University. you have not seen it, am sure you vii thank the Old Man of the Mountains fol laying it before you, while he stands aside listening with yon, to the words of wisdom poured out spontaneously from the inexhaust ible store-house of B:oughams mind.
 NEWCASTLE, March 10, 1923
 My DEAR FRIEND t: My principal ob ject in writing to you to-day is to offer you some suggestions, in consequence of some conversation have just had with Lord Grey, who has spoken of your son Cat Cam. bridgc) in terms of the greatest praise He takes his account from bis son but from all l know, and have learned in other quarters, l doubt not that his judgment is we'll form ed. Now, you, of course, destine him for the bar, and, assuming this, and the public objects incidental to it, arc in his views I would lain impress upon you (and, through you, upon hm) a truth or two, which expe- rence has made me aware of, and which l l would have given great deal to have been acquainted with earlier in life from the ex- pcricnce of others.
 First, that tue foundation of all excel fence is to be laid in early application to general knowledge is clear that he is al- ready aware of and equally so it is (of which he may not be so we'll aware) that professional cmincnce can only be attained by entering betimes into the lowest drudge ry, the most repulsive labors of the profes- sion. A young man whose mind has once been well lmbncd witn general learning, and has acquired classical propensitcs, will nev- "r sink into mere drudge. He will always save himrelf harmless from the dull atmosphere he must live and work in, and the sooner he will emerge from it, and ar rive at emuence. But what l wish to in cnlcate especially, with view to the great talent for public speaking which your son happily possesses, is that he should cult- vate that talent in the only way in which it can reach t!.c height of the art, and wish to turn his attention to two points. speak on this subject with the authority both of experience and observation l have made it vcry much my study in theory have writ ten a great deal upon it which may never see the light, aud something which has been published have meditated much and con verscd much on it with famous men have had some little practical experience in it, but have prepared for much more than ever tried, by a variety of laborious meth ods-rcading, writing, much translation, composing in foreign languages, &c.-and l have lived in times when there were great orators among us therefore l reckon my opinion worth listening to, and the rather, because l have the utmost confidence in it myself, and should have saved world of trouble and much time, had started with a conviction of its truth.
 "l. The first point is this-the beginning of the art is to acquire q habit of easy speaking and in whatever Way this can be had (which individual inclination or acci- dent will generally direct, and may safely be allowed to do so, it must be had. Now, l differ from all other doctors of rhetoric in this--I say, let him first of all learn to speak easily and nucnt.y, as well and as sen sibly as l.e can, no doubt, but at any rats let him learn to speak. This is to eloquence, or good public speaking. what the being able to talk in child is to correct gram nautical speech. Iii is the requisite founda- ton, and on it you must build. Moreover, it can only be acquired young, therefore let it by all means, aud at any sacrifice, be got ten hold of forthwith. But in acquiring it, every sort of slovenly error will also be ac- qnircd. It must be got by habit of easy writing (which, as Wyndham said, proved hard reading ) by a custom of talking much in company by speaking in debating soci- cites, with little attention to rue, and mere love of saying something at any rate, than of saying anything we'll 1 can even sup pose that more attention is paid to the mat ter in such discussions than in the manner of saying it yet still to say it easily, ad Hbi- tum, to be able to say what you choose, and what ycu have to say-this is the first re- quiste, to acquire which everything else must for the present be sacrificed.
 "2. The next step is the grand ono; to convert this style ofeasy speaking into chaste eloquencc. Aud here there is but one rule l do earnestly entreat your son to set daily and nightly before him the Greek models First of all, he may look to the best modern speeches Gas he probably has already) Burkc's best compositions, as the "Thoughts on the Cause of the Present Discoutents,' speech "Oh the American Cancellation" and | "On the Nabob of Arcot's Debt;' Fox'' Speech on the Westminster Scrutiny" (the first part of which he should pore over till he has it by heart), "On the Russian Arma ment," and "On the War" (l8O3, with one or two of Wyndham's best. and very few or rather none, of Sheridan's. But he must oy no means stop here. If he would be great orator, he must go at once to the foun tam head, and be familiar with every one o the great orations of Demostheres. I take for granted that he knows those of Cicero ny heart; they are very beautiful, but moi very useful, except, perhaps, the Milo prt Ligario," and one or two more: but the Greek must positively be the model: and merely reading it, as boys do, to know tn, language won't do at all; he must enter in to the spirit of each speech, thoroughly know the positions of the parties, follow each turl of the argument, and make the absolutel. perfect and most chaste and severe compe sition familiar to his mind. His taste vii
 improve every time he reads and repeats himself (for he should have the fine passage hy heart\ md he will learn how much ma