The Northern Pacific farmer., 1883-09-20
Nervousness in Speaking.

A youthful speaker, nervous at the pro.
jeot of addressing literary society on its
anniversary, was advised by clergyman to
look upon the audience as il it were so m5py
cabbage'heads. The suggestion was not q
bad one, provided the youth had thoroughly
prepared his speech Tor heads with brains.
The youns man, though he did not know it,
held in that nervousness, at least, one claim
to place among orators. For, there is
scarcely public SPEAKER whose words move
men, who does not 1eel g similar tremor
every time he rises before great audience.
"My throat and lips" said the late Lord
Derry, surnamed tho Rupert of Debate, u
from bis dashing, fearless style, "when am
going to speak, are as dry IS those of q man
who is going to be hanged" ,.....
Mr.. Matthews, in his essay on "The Ora.
tors Trials" has collected q number OF
cases to illustrate tlefact that the very SEN
sibility which gives the orator his power
makes him nervOusly anxious before rising
TO address al audience.
Patrick Henry usually began with hesitat-
ing tinidity, which continued until the ex
element of speaking threw 1t of. William
PinkAey, hauty, defiant, and vehement
orator, would turn pale when about to
speaa, and his knees would tremble, as
though he were Belshazzar, gazing at the
mysterious hand writing on the wall.
Even years OF practice tailed to >repress this
It is fortunate for the orator that years
do not do this: For without the sensibility
which begets it, one of the forces of oratory
would be wanting. + ::
Tristan Burgess, ssthe bald.eagle of
Rhode Island" while speaking, on some
important question, in the hcnss of repre-.
sen atives, suddenly pointed his f,re-fnger
towards his opponent and made long
pause. s.s So r. E,s;.,l,,& r,y- - r. - S''
'"'lhat. pause was terrible" said q col
league to Mr.. Bdrgess, On leaving the house,
s'tO no one 20 terrible as to me-" replied the
orator, ""for ! couldn't. think Of anything to
'sy;~ yno.,,rn ~. ...o,,, -, :. ,n -,
be was looked upon asone OF the orators of
the house OF commons '.overcomes Ger.
tain reserve end mauvaise honte [bashtul-
ness1 which 7 have in speaking; not:a mau.
vaise honte which in the least confuses me
Or, makes me hesitate for Q word, which
keeps me from putting any fervor into my
tone or my action" ;se{{{ t5oss =: ls,;ftt- 49,.
DR.. Storrs, the most finished of pulpit or
ators, whose extemporaneous Sermons are
mafVele OF rhetoric, thought and elOquelces
it is said made.a dead failure when he first
preached without notes. After ,aoundering
for twenty five minutes, he came to . full
stop. s ~. H..
az = sank back in the chair, = he said, de-
scribing his mort ficatlon, '.almost wishing
that / had been with Pharaoh and his b osts
when the Red sea went over them" 4iis'
My lords, said the Earl Of Rochester,
as he began 4 speech ia the; house OF lords,
Ill rise this tine my lords, III
divide r. into four branches.
NJ le again In this house,
~! l. sut me of, root and
these incidents is
5th a master, but not
er ess. Canning, one
of moet classical Of
oral RS surs of speak.
Ing AZ = great fright.
the hes mora certain
ne ~ eaudience would
scon +. ympathstic rhy-
81 s lss1al dia announces th
finding hill. the young
ssalI sNnd home II 6t.