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CHAPTER VIII.

Of Acting.

As the different modes of public speaking, hitherto treated of, have been discriminated each from the former by some additional requisites; so, however evidently distinct acting may be from them all, it will not be improper, in order to carry on the uniformity of this plan, to examine acting also in the same view.

Acting is distinguished from oratory, both by the subject, the character of the speaker, and the manner. The actor is seldom supposed to deliver his own composition, so that his merit is generally considered separately from that of the part, which he sustains. But this just judgment is sometimes defeated by the illusion, which in the common eyes, identifies him with his part; because the actor appears as the very person represented by the dramatic writer. The orator, on the contrary, appears always in his own character. The actor's manner must be a close representation of the character he assumes, even as far as the very dress; he must imitate nature exactly, and in some cases exaggerate, in order to give the portrait more force. The orator, however various may be the tones of his voice, the expression of his countenance, and his gesture; and however various and strong the circumstances, he may have to represent, must guard himself against imitation; the limits allowed to such indulgence

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are very narrow; and if he transgress them in the smallest degree, he loses at once his dignity and his credit with his audience. The actor traverses the whole stage; as he is moved by passion, or by the circumstances of the scene. The orator is limited in the movement of his lower limbs, at most, to an occasional, single, step in advancing or retiring, or perhaps merely to a change of position of the feet. The gesture of the actor is unrestrained, except that he is forbidden by the great master to "overstep the modesty of nature." But the liberty of the theatre would be licentiousness in the orator, and he is to guard himself carefully against it. Although his action is required to be various and graceful, it is never to degenerate into triviality or affectation; and although it should be energectic, it should never transgress by extravagance: nor should he for a moment forget the importance of his subject, the solemnity of the place in which he speaks, the respect due to his audience, and the dignity of his own character. Affectation altogether defeats.

'Quintilian allows to his orator some degree of walking, differing from Cicero.

Procursio opportuna, brevis, moderata, rara. Conveniens etiam ambulatio quædam, propter immodicas laudationum moras: quanquam Cicero rarum incessum neque ita longam probat. Discursare vero, et, quod Domitius Afer de Sura Manlio dixit, satagere, ineptissimum: urbaneque Flavius Virginius interrogavit de quodam suo antisophista, quot millia passuum declamasset. Quint. l. xi. c. 3, &c. vide infra.

The platform proposed instead of the pulpit should therefore not be large; lest the preacher should become liable to incur the reproach of the sophist. Quot millia passuum declamasset.

3 Idemque motu sic utetur, nihil ut supersit in gestu. Status erectus et celsus: rarus incessus, nec ita longus: excursio moderata, eaque rara. Cic. Orat. 18..

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gestus quidem omnis ac motus a comœdis petendus est. Quanquam enim utrumque eorum ad quemdam modum præstare debet orator; plurimum tamen aberit a scenico, nec vultu, nec manu, nec excursionibus nimius. Quin. l. i. c. 11.

Dans l'hypothese théâtrale, l'acteur est le personage même qui est malheureux,

the objects of the orator; by disgusting his audience; extravagance renders him ridiculous, and weakness gives him over to contempt. He loses all influence with his audience, who appears to have lost himself: for the power of self-government is indispensable to those who would govern the opinions of others. Even when an orator is moved to tears, there must appear adequate cause for such emotion, and the continuance must be only momentary, if he wish to escape the charge of imbecillity and its consequences, as has been already observed. And sincerity itself, that first of qualifications in an orator, loses all its influence, and becomes absolutely ridiculous unless accompanied with a dignified self-possession. This happens when

souffrant, tourmenté de telle passion : l'orateur, au contraire, n'est le plus souvent que l'ami, le confident, le temoin, le solliciteur, le defenseur de celui qui souffre. Alors il doit y avoir entre sa déclamation et celle de l'acteur la même différence que la nature a mise entre patir et compatir: or on sent bien que la compassion est une passion affoiblie; ce n'est qu'un reflet de douleur. Celui qui fera la peinture d'une situation cruelle et désolante, l'exprimera des plus vives couleurs: l'expression de la parole n'a pour lui d'autres bornes que celles de la verité, que celles mêmes de la vraisemblance. Mais quant à la déclamation, elle doit se reduire, dans l'orateur, à ce qu'un tiers peut éprouver d'un malheur qui n'est pas le sien. Supposé même que l'orateur plaide sa propre cause, ou qu'en parlant pour un autre que lui, il ne laisse pas d'exprimer la passion que lui est propre, comme l'indignation, la pitié, la douleur, encore ne doit il pas se livrer aux mêmes mouvemens que l'acteur du théâtre. Son premier soin doit être de conserver, soit dans la tribune, soit dans la chaire, soit au barreau, son caractere de dignité, de bienséance, d'organe de la verité, d'homme qui ne vient pas seulement émouvoir ou son auditoire ou son juge, mais l'instruire, et lui presenter l'honnête, l'utile, ou le juste. Il faut donc que dans les mouvemens les plus passionnés on s'apperçoive qu'il se possede dans tout son integrité. Ce qu'on voit dans les peroraisons de Ciceron, où le douleur même qui lui arrache les larmes, est decente et majesteueuse: c'est qu'on voit dans les invectives de Demosthene, où, après apostrophe soudaine, rapide, et violente, il reprend de sang froid le fil de son récit, ou la chaine de son raisonnement; semblable à un sanglier qui d'un coup de defense éventre un dogue, et poursuit son chemin. Un orateur qui s'abandonne et qui s'égare, comme on en voit souvent, perd ses droits à la confiance; car on n'en doit aucune au désordre des passions. Marmontel, Elémens de Litérature, Tom. II. p. 287.

an orator is carried beyond the bounds of manly indignation, and falls into the feeble vehemence of passion; or when he melts into tears without sufficient ground for such emotion.

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To the actor the same precautions are not so necessary. If he conceive the character truly, he may represent it strongly, and he is limited by no restraint except the bounds of decency and of nature.

The dignity of the player's art consists in his ability to represent and sustain the higher and nobler passions and characters. For these reasons the tragic actor, who represents justly the manners and the feelings of a hero, has always been esteemed high in the rank of public speakers. The powers, the acquisitions and the taste of the man, who can adequately support such a character, must be rare and admirable, and he is classed next to the great orators. The actor, who performs the superior characters in common life, and who is therefore named the genteel comedian, ranks next to the tragedian. The inferior actors hold a situation respectable according as their talents approach the highest cast, and descend in estimation as they verge towards vulgarity and buffoonery.

The

opera, which adds the powers of music to the grandest

6 Aristotle has given to tragedy the highest rank as to composition: but to comedy the reverse. What moderns name genteel comedy was not known in his day.

Ἐπεὶ δὲ μίμησίς ἐσιν ἡ Τραγῳδία βελτιόνων, ἡμᾶς δεῖ μιμεῖσθαι τῆς ἀγάθες εικονο ypapus. Arist. Poet. c. 14.

Ἡ δὲ Κωμῳδία ἐςὶν ὥσπερ ἔιπομεν, μίμησις φαυλοτέρων μὲν, ἐ μέντοι κατὰ πᾶσαν κακίαν, ἀλλὰ τὰ αισχρᾶ ἐςὶ τὸ γελοῖον μόριον, Arist. Poet. c. 5.

tragic subjects, in order to awaken pity and terror, their pecu. liar feelings, according to the great philosopher, is the utmost effort of dramatic illusion." And, were not the difficulties almost insurmountable, which impede its perfect execution, the opera would rank above tragedy itself. Along with all the requisites of the most perfect tragic actor, the first singer in the serious opera should be also possessed of the most exquisite taste and skill in music, together with all that nature can bestow upon the organ of the voice, and with all that art can give to bring it to perfection.' The rarity of such talents and acquirements is the first difficulty which opposes the perfection of the serious opera. But if this may be occasionally got over, others arise from the nature of the opera itself. The principal of these is the narrow limits to which the dialogue is restricted on account

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* Οὐ μόνον τελέιας ἐςὶ πράξεως ἡ μίμησις, (Τραγῳδία) ἀλλὰ καὶ φοβερῶν καὶ ελεεινῶν.

Arist. Poet. c. 9.

The manner of conducting the music of an opera gives it the power of great variety of expression. The ordinary course of the dialogue is carried on in recitativo, aided by various modulation according to the change of expression necessary to the subject. Where the expression requires stronger force, the recitativo accompanied is introduced with great effect. And where the highest effect is intended to impress a passion with irresistible and repeated force, the modulation of song is produced with all its pathos of cantabile or brilliancy of bravoura to excite the hearer, and to support the feelings of the performer. 9 The theory of the perfection of the opera above all other dramatic entertainments is thus given by Count Algarotti:

Di tutti i modi, che, per creare nelle anime gentili il diletto, furono immaginati dall'uomo, forse il più ingegnoso e compito si è l'opera in musica. Niuna cosa nella formazione di essa fu lasciata indietro, niuno ingrediente, niun mezzo, onde arrivar si potesse al proposto fine. E ben si può asserire, che quanto di più attrattivo ha la poesia, quanto ha la musica, e la mimica, l'arte del ballo, e la pittura, tutto si collega nell'opera felicimente insieme ad allettare i sentimenti, ad ammaliare il cuore, e fare un dolce inganno alla mente. Se non che egli avviene dell'opera come degli ordigni della meccanica, che quanto più riescono composti, tanto più ancora si trovano a guastarsi soggetti. E però non sarebbe maraviglia, se cotesto ingegnoso ordigno, fatto di tanti pezzi, com' egli è, non sempre rispondesse al fin suo, ancorchè, a ben unire e congregare insteme ogni suo pezzo, venisse posta da coloro, che il goveranno, tutta la diligenza, e tutto lo studio. Saggio sopra l'Opera in Musica, p. 257, Livorno.

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