Rules for Public Speakers.
By John Wesley. A. M.
The chief faults of speaking are, the speaking too loud; this is disagreeable to the hearers, as well as inconvenient to the speaker: for they must impute it either to ignorance or affectation, which is never so inexcusable as in preaching. Every man's voice should, indeed, fill the place where he speaks; but if it exceeds its natural key, it will neither be sweet, nor soft, nor agreeable; were it only on this account, that he cannot give every word its proper and distinguishing sound. * The speaking too fast is a common fault, but not a little one, particularly when we speak of the things of God. It may be cured by habituating yourself to attend to the weight, the sense, and propriety of every word you speak. * Remember, never either to raise, or sink your voice without a particular reason, arising either from the length of the period, or the sense or spirit of what you speak. But the greatest and most common fault of all, is, speaking with a tone; some have a womanish, squeaking tone; some a singing, a canting tone; some a high, swelling, theatrical tone, laying too much emphasis on every sentence; some have an awful, solemn tone; others an odd, whimsical, whining tone, not to be expressed in words. To avoid all kinds of unnatural tones, the only rule is this: Endeavor to speak in public just as you do in common conversation. * If you would be heard with pleasure, in order to make a deeper impression on your hearers, study to render your voice as soft and sweet as possible. Labor to avoid the odious custom of coughing and spitting* while you are speaking. The voice may be raised three ways: first, as to height or lowness; secondly, as to vehemence or softness; thirdly, as to swiftness or slowness. You must neither strain your voice by raising it always to the highest note it can reach, nor sink it always to the lowest note. As to vehemence, have a care how you force your voice to the last extremity: you cannot hold this long without danger of its cracking, and failing you on a sudden. It is a fault to draw out your words too slow, or make needless breaks or pauses; nay, to drawll is, of the two, worse than to hurry. The speech ought not to drop, but to flow along; but, then, it ought to flow like a gliding stream, not as a rapid current. As to the motions of the body, it ought not to change its place or posture every moment; neither, on the other hand, to stand like a stock, in one fixed and immovable position: but to move in a natural and graceful manner, as various circumstances require. Never clap your hands, nor thump the pulpit, nor keep your hands in perpetual motion; this the ancients called "babbling of the hands."—John Wesley. A. M.