HAVING mentioned elegance of person, I will proceed to elegance of
expression.
IT is not one or two qualifications alone complete the gentleman; it
must be a union of many; and graceful speaking is as essential as
gracefulness of person. Every man cannot be a harmonious speaker; a
roughness or coarseness of voice may prevent it; but if there are no
natural imperfections, if a man does not stammer or lisp, or has not
lost his teeth, he may speak gracefully; nor will all these defects, if
he has a mind to it, prevent him from speaking correctly.
NOBODY can attend with pleasure to a bad speaker. One who tells his
story ill, be it ever so important, will tire even the most patient. If
you have been present at the performance of a good tragedy, you have
doubtless been sensible of the good effects of a speech well delivered;
how much it has interested and affected you; and on the contrary, how
much an ill spoken one has disgusted you. ’Tis the same in common
conversation; he who speaks deliberately, distinctly and correctly: He
who makes use of the best words to express himself, and varies his voice
according to the nature of the subject, will always please, while the
thick or hasty speaker, he who mumbles out a set of ill-chosen words,
utters them ingrammatically, or with a dull monotony, will tire and
disgust. Be assured then, the air, the gesture, the looks of a speaker,
a proper accent, a just emphasis, and tuneful cadence, are full as
necessary to please and be attended to, as the subject matter itself.
PEOPLE may talk what they will of solid reasoning and sound sense;
without the graces and ornaments of language, they will neither please
nor persuade. In common discourse, even trifles elegantly expressed will
be better received than the best of arguments homespun and unadorned.
A GOOD way to acquire a graceful utterance is to read aloud to some
friend every day, and beg of him to set you right, in case you read too
fast, do not observe the proper stops, lay a wrong emphasis, or utter
your words indistinctly. You may even read aloud to yourself, where such
a friend is not at hand, and you will find your own ear a good
corrector. Take care to open your teeth when you read or speak, and
articulate every word distinctly; which last cannot be done, but by
sounding the final letter. But above all, endeavour to vary your voice,
according to the matter, and avoid a monotony. By a daily attention to
this, it will, in a little time, become easy and habitual to you.
PAY an attention also to your looks and your gestures, when talking even
on the most trifling subjects; things appear very different according as
they are expressed, looked and delivered.
NOW, if it is necessary to attend so particularly to our _manner_ of
speaking, it is much more so, with respect to the _matter_. Fine turns
of expression, a genteel and correct style, are ornaments as requisite
to common sense, as polite behaviour and an elegant address are to
common good manners; they are great assistants in the point of pleasing.
A gentleman, ’tis true, may be known in the meanest garb, but it admits
not of a doubt, that he would be better received into good company,
genteelly and fashionably dressed, than if he appeared in dirt and
tatters.
BE careful then of your style upon all occasions; whether you write or
speak, study for the best words and best expressions, even in common
conversation, or the most familiar letters. This will prevent your
speaking in a hurry, than which nothing is more vulgar; though you may
be a little embarrassed at first, time and use will render it easy. It
is no such difficult thing to express ourselves well on subjects we are
thoroughly acquainted with, if we think before we speak; and no one
should presume to do otherwise. When you have said a thing, if you did
not reflect before, be sure to do it afterwards; consider with yourself,
whether you could not have expressed yourself better; and if you are in
doubt of the propriety or elegancy of any word, search for it in some
dictionary,[1] or some good author, while you remember it: Never be
sparing of your trouble while you would wish to improve, and my word for
it, a very little time will make this matter habitual.
Footnote 1:
Johnson’s folio Dictionary _you will find very serviceable_; _and the_
Difference between Words reputed synonimous; _a work in two volumes,
written by me some years ago, and published by Dodsley_.
IN order to speak grammatically, and to express yourself pleasingly, I
would recommend it to you to translate often any language you are
acquainted with into English, and to correct such translation till the
words, their order, and the periods, are agreeable to your own ear.
VULGARISM in language is another distinguishing mark of bad company and
education. Expressions may be correct in themselves, and yet be vulgar,
owing to their not being fashionable; for language and manners are both
established by the usage of people of fashion.
THE conversation of a low-bred man is filled up with proverbs and
hackneyed sayings. Instead of observing that tastes are different, and
that most men have one peculiar to themselves, he will give you, ‘What
is one man’s meat is another man’s poison;’ or, ‘Every one to their
liking, as the old woman said, when she killed her cow.’ He has ever
some favourite word, which he lugs in upon all occasions, right or
wrong; such as _vastly_ angry, _vastly_ kind; _devilish_ ugly,
_devilish_ handsome; _immensely_ great, _immensely_ little. Even his
pronunciation carries the mark of vulgarity along with it; he calls the
earth, _yearth_; finan’ces, _fin’ances_; he goes _to words_, and not
towards such a place. He affects to use hard words, to give him the
appearance of a man of learning, but frequently mistakes their meaning,
and seldom, if ever, pronounces them properly.
ALL this must be avoided, if you would not be supposed to have kept
company with footmen and housemaids. Never have recourse to proverbial
or vulgar sayings; use neither favourite nor hard words, but seek for
the most elegant; be careful in the management of them, and depend on it
your labour will not be lost; for nothing is more engaging than a
fashionable and polite address.