John Neal. 1793-1876, a brilliant but eccentric American writer, was born
in Portland, Maine. He went into business, when quite young, in company
with John Pierpont, the well-known poet. They soon failed, and Mr. Neal
then turned his attention to the study of law. He practiced his profession
somewhat, but devoted most of his time to literature. For a time he
resided in England, where he wrote for "Blackwood's Magazine" and other
periodicals. His writings were produced with great rapidity, and with a
purposed disregard of what is known as "classical English."
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In the academy I attended, elocution was taught in a way I shall never
forget--never! We had a yearly exhibition, and the favorites of the
preceptor were allowed to speak a piece; and a pretty time they had of it.
Somehow I was never a favorite with any of my teachers after the first two
or three days; and, as I went barefooted, I dare say it was thought
unseemly, or perhaps cruel, to expose me upon the platform. And then, as I
had no particular aptitude for public speaking, and no relish for what was
called oratory, it was never my luck to be called up.
Among my schoolmates, however, was one--a very amiable, shy boy--to whom
was assigned, at the first exhibition I attended, that passage in Pope's
Homer beginning with,
"Aurora, now, fair daughter of the dawn!"
This the poor boy gave with so much emphasis and discretion, that, to me,
it sounded like "O roarer!" and I was wicked enough, out of sheer envy, I
dare say, to call him "O roarer!"--a nickname which clung to him for a
long while, though no human being ever deserved it less; for in speech and
action both, he was quiet, reserved, and sensitive.
My next experience in elocution was still more disheartening, so that I
never had a chance of showing what I was capable of in that way till I set
up for myself. Master Moody, my next instructor, was thought to have
uncommon qualifications for teaching oratory. He was a large, handsome,
heavy man, over six feet high; and having understood that the first,
second, and third prerequisite in oratory was action, the boys he put in
training were encouraged to most vehement and obstreperous manifestations.
Let me give an example, and one that weighed heavily on my conscience for
many years after the poor man passed away.
Among his pupils were two boys, brothers, who were thought highly gifted
in elocution. The master, who was evidently of that opinion, had a habit
of parading them on all occasions before visitors and strangers; though
one bad lost his upper front teeth and lisped badly, and the other had the
voice of a penny trumpet. Week after week these boys went through the
quarrel of Brutus and Cassius, for the benefit of myself and others, to
see if their example would not provoke us to a generous competition for
all the honors.
How it operated on the other boys in after life I can not say; but the
effect on me was decidedly unwholesome--discouraging, indeed,--until I was
old enough to judge for myself, and to carry into operation a system of my
own.