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22. Every action of the arm should be terminated by an ACCENTUAL MOTION OF THE HAND, from the wrist. In calm and unimpassioned speaking, the accentual beat of the gesture will coincide with the vocal accent; in strong emotion, the gesture will precede the words. The motions of the hand must be made entirely from the wrist joint, which must therefore be held perfectly slack. 23. Every accentual motion must have a PREPARATORY movement in the opposite direction, more or less sweeping, according to the nature and emphasis of the accentual motion. A DIRECT rise, fall, or lateral movement would be ungraceful, and unnatural. As we first bend the body in order to leap up, and raise the hammer in order to strike the nail, so we must carry the hand towards the left, before a gesture to the right; raise it before a downward motion, and vice versa.

24. The line described by the hand in any motion must be a CURVE- except in violent passion, when the rigidity of the joints renders the line of motion straight and angular. The graceful curve is obtained by turning the hand freely upon its joint, keeping the WRIST SLACK, and the elbow detached from the side.

25. The fingers should always be somewhat apart, and the thumb considerably separated from the forefinger. The joints should be slack, and the fingers slightly bent, but not beyond a gentle curve-except for particular expressiveness.

26. The weight of the body should generally be sustained entirely by one foot; and it should be shifted from one to the other at every change of style or of subject. The limb that does not support the weight of the body should be slightly bent, and its foot should rest lightly, or only partially, on the ground.

27. Gesture is most graceful with the right hand and arm when the left foot is in advance, and with the left hand when the right foot is in front. This preserves the square of the body. (See par. 20.)

28. The feet should be generally separated about as much as the breadth of the foot - the one in advance of the other, with its heel pointing to the heel of the retired foot. More extended positions will be occasionally required in expressive action. The angle at which the

feet stand should be about 75 degrees, unless in very extended separations, as in longeing,- when it may be increased to 90 degrees. With ordinary extension, the angle of grace and stability cannot exceed 75o.

29. The feet must not cross each other in any movement. Their motions should always be in diagonal lines. A direct lateral or front extension of the feet would be ungraceful. Even in walking, the left foot must be moved towards the left, and the right towards the right side.

30. In turning the body to one side, the motion should commence with the feet; but they should not be lifted from the ground. The weight of the body being on the forepart of the feet, a turn of 45° may be made by merely sliding the heels round; and the weight being on the heels, a turn of 90° may be made by sliding around the forepart of the feet. These turns can only be made to the side corresponding with the retired foot. Thus: when the right foot is in front, turn to the left, and vice versa.

31. In KNEELING, bring that knee to the floor first which is next to the spectator: in rising, bring up the knee which is farthest from him.

32. In MAKING A BOW, do not kick or shuffle one foot backwards, or jerk the head forwards, but extend one foot slightly to the side, the right foot to the right, or the left to the left, and draw, (NOT LIFT) the other in the same direction, while you gracefully bend the body. The arms must not adhere to the side, but depend freely from the shoulders, limber as ropes.

33. In standing BEFORE A BAR, or RAIL, or in a PULPIT, do not lounge on the frame, or even keep the hand on it habitually: but stand back sufficiently far to allow the arm to rise and fall without touching the rail.

34. In HOLDING A BOOK, endeavour to do so with one hand-generally the left; but if the volume is too large for one hand, let both hands sustain it equally by the corners. In either case, let the plane of the book be as nearly as possible horizontal-and do not hold it up between your face and your auditor's line of vision.

35. In SITTING, do not draw the feet backwards under the chair, but advance them, and keep the soles on the floor, with as much variety of position as may be consistent with grace and with the subject in hand.

V. RELATIVE POSITIONS OF THE HAND AND ARM IN MOTION.

36. The following illustrations exemplify a Principle of the utmost simplicity and comprehensiveness; one which in fact includes all that can be needed to secure mechanical excellence in any movements of Hand and Arm. The Principle is: THE HAND INVARIABLY

POINTS IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO THAT OF THE

ARM'S MOTION.

37. The Hand, in rising or falling, must be always in one of two positions: namely with the flat, or with the edge presented to the eye of the spectator. Thus:

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38. The Hand, in moving to right or left, must be always in one of two positions: namely with the palm, or with the back, upwards.*

Thus :

No. III.

Arm moving to right -- Hand pointing to left.

Palm upwards.

No. IV.

Back upwards.

Arm moving to left-Hand pointing to right.

Palm upwards.

Back upwards.

39. The Principle exemplified above should be fixed into a habit, so as to require no thought in its application. The following method of practice will be found speedily effective. Divide each complete motion into four parts.

Thus :

Vertical Movement.

1. Raise arm to position No. 2, while hand retains its pendent position as in No. 1.

2. Bring hand into position No. 2.

* Any movement to right or left with the hand on edge is ungraceful.

3. Depress arm to position No. 1, while hand continues pointing upward as in No. 2.

4. Bring hand into position No. 1.

Transverse Movement.

1. Move arm to position No. 4, while hand continues pointing as in No. 3.

2. Bring hand into position No. 4.

3. Move arm to position No. 3, while hand continues pointing as in No. 4.

4. Bring hand into position No. 3.

40. After a few repetitions of this exercise, the knack will be obtained of moving arm and hand separately which is the essence of the Principle. The whole of each movement should thus be performed smoothly and without a break. Practise with each hand, alternately, and with both hands, simultaneonsly, until facility is attained.

VI. APPLICATION OF GESTURE.

41. INEXPRESSIVE motions should always be avoided. No gesture should be made without a reason for it; and when any position has been assumed, there should be no

change from it without a reason. The habit of allowing

the hands to fall to the side immediately after every gesture, produces an ungracefully restless effect. The speaker seems

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'Awkward, embarrassed, stiff, without the skill
Of moving gracefully, or standing still.—
Blessed with all other requisites to please,
He wants the striking elegance of ease."

42. A speaker must not be constantly in motion. REPOSE is a chief element of gesticulative effect. Some orators accompany every VOCAL ACCENT by a bodily motion; but the consequence is, that, gesticulate ever so well, and be energetic as they may, they can produce no effect- - but that of mesmeric drowsiness. The monotonous manipulations fatigue the eye, and rock the brain to slumber. A gesture that illustrates nothing is worse than useless. It destroys the effect of really appropriate movements. Perhaps the most difficult part of gesture is gracefully to STAND STILL. Let the speaker study this.

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