§11.3.64suadentium et monentium et pollicentium et consolantium gravis, in metu et verecundia contracta, adhortationibus fortis, disputationibus teres, miseratione flexa et flebilis et consulto quasi obscurior; at in egressionibus fusa et securae claritatis, in expositione ac sermonibus recta et inter acutum sonum et gravem media.
The voice of those persuading, advising, promising, and comforting is grave, contracted in fear and modesty, strong in exhortations, smooth in disputations, inflected and plaintive in pity, and deliberately as it were somewhat obscure; but in digressions, it is poured forth and of a carefree clarity, and in exposition and conversation, it is straight and midway between a high sound and a grave one.
§11.3.65attollitur autem concitatis adfectibus, compositis descendit pro utriusque rei modo altius vel inferius.
Moreover, it is raised with excited emotions, and descends with composed ones, higher or lower according to the measure of each matter.
quid autem quisque in dicendo postulet locus, paulum differam, ut de gestu prius dicam, qui et ipse voci consentit et animo cum ea simul paret.
But what each place requires in speaking, I shall defer for a little, so that I may speak first of gesture, which itself also agrees with the voice and obeys the mind together with it.
is quantum habeat in oratore momenti, satis vel ex eo patet quod pleraque etiam citra verba significat.
How much importance it has in an orator is sufficiently clear even from this, that it signifies most things even without words.
§11.3.66quippe non manus solum, sed nutus etiam declarant nostram voluntatem et in mutis pro sermone sunt, et saltatio frequenter sine voce intelligitur atque adficit, et ex vultu ingressuque perspicitur habitus animorum; et animalium quoque sermone carentium ira, laetitia, adulatio et oculis et quibusdam aliis corporis signis deprehenditur.
For indeed, not only the hands, but even a nod declares our will, and in mute persons they are in place of speech, and dance is frequently understood without voice and moves us, and from the countenance and gait the state of minds is perceived; and in animals also lacking speech, anger, joy, and flattery are detected both by the eyes and by certain other signs of the body.
§11.3.67nec mirum, si ista, quae tamen in aliquo posita sunt motu, tantum in animis valent, cum picture, tacens opus et habitus semper eiusdem, sic in intimos penetret adfectus, ut ipsam vim dicendi nonnunquam superare videatur.
Nor is it a wonder, if those things, which yet are placed in some movement, have so much power in minds, when a picture, a silent work and always of the same state, penetrates so into the innermost emotions that it seems sometimes to surpass the very power of speaking.
contra si gestus ac vultus ab oratione dissentiat, tristia dicamus hilares, adfirmemus aliqua renuentes non auctoritas modo verbis, sed etiam fides desit.
On the contrary, if gesture and countenance disagree with the speech, if we should speak of sad things cheerfully, or affirm things while refusing, not only authority would be lacking to our words, but also credibility.
decor quoque a gestu atque motu venit; §11.3.68ideoque Demosthenes grande quoddam intuens speculum componere actionem solebat; adeo, quamuis fulgor ille sinistras imagines reddat, suis demum oculis credidit, quod efficeret.
Appropriateness also comes from gesture and movement; and therefore Demosthenes was accustomed to compose his delivery looking into a certain large mirror; to such a degree, although that reflection returns reverse images, he finally trusted his own eyes for what he produced.
praecipuum vero in actione sicut in corpore ipso caput est cum ad illum, de quo dixi, decorem, tum etiam ad significationem.
But the chief thing in delivery, as in the body itself, is the head, both for that appropriateness of which I spoke, and also for signification.
§11.3.69decoris illa sunt, ut sit primo rectum et secundum naturam.
To appropriateness belong those things, that it should be first straight and according to nature.
nam et deiecto humilitas et supino arrogantia et in latus inclinato languor et praeduro ac rigente barbaria quaedam mentis ostenditur.
For by a cast-down head humility is shown, by a thrown-back one arrogance, by one inclined to the side languor, and by one very hard and rigid a certain barbarity of mind.
tum accipiat aptos ex ipsa actione motus, ut cum gestu concordet et manibus ac lateribus obsequatur.
Then let it receive fitting movements from the delivery itself, so that it may agree with the gesture and comply with the hands and sides.
§11.3.70aspectus enim semper eodem vertitur quo gestus, exceptis quae aut damnare aut concedere aut a nobis removere oportebit, ut idem illud vultu videamur aversari, manu repellere:
"
—Di talem avertite pestem.
For the gaze is always turned to the same place as the gesture, except for those things which it will be necessary either to condemn, or to grant, or to remove from us, so that we may seem to avert ourselves from that same thing with our countenance, and repel it with our hand: "—O gods, avert such a plague.
"
"
—haud equidem tali me dignor honore.
"" —Indeed, I do not deem myself worthy of such honor.
"
Significat vero plurimis modis.
"It signifies indeed in very many ways.
§11.3.71nam praeter adnuendi, renuendi confirmandique motus sunt et verecundiae et dubitationis et admirationis et indignationis noti et communes omnibus.
For besides the movements of nodding, refusing, and confirming, there are also those of modesty, doubt, admiration, and indignation, well-known and common to all.
solo tamen eo facere gestum scenici quoque doctores vitiosum putaverunt.
Yet to make a gesture with that alone even theatrical teachers have thought faulty.
etiam frequens eius nutus non caret vitio; adeo iactare id et comas excutientem rotare fanaticum est.
Also its frequent nodding is not free from fault; indeed, to toss it and rotate it, shaking out the hair, is fanatic.
§11.3.72dominatur autem maxime vultus.
But the countenance dominates most of all.
hoc supplices, hoc minaces, hoc blandi, hoc tristes, hoc hilares, hoc erecti, hoc summissi sumus; hoc pendent homines, line intuentur, hic spectator, etiam antequam dicimus; hoc quosdam amamus, hoc odimus, hoc plurima intelligimus, hic est saepe pro omnibus verbis.
By this we are suppliant, by this threatening, by this flattering, by this sad, by this cheerful, by this erect, by this subdued; on this men hang, here they look, this the spectator beholds, even before we speak; by this we love some, by this we hate, by this we understand most things, this is often in place of all words.
§11.3.73itaque in iis, quae ad scenam componuntur, fabulis artifices pronuntiandi a personis quoque adfectus mutuantur, ut sit Aerope in tragoedia tristis, atrox Medea, attonitus Aiax, truculentus Hercules.
Therefore, in those plays which are composed for the stage, the artists of delivery borrow emotions even from the masks, so that Aerope in tragedy is sad, Medea fierce, Ajax astonished, and Hercules truculent.
§11.3.74in comoediis vero praeter aliam observationem, qua servi, lenones, parasiti, rustici, milites, meretriculae, ancillae, senes austeri ac mites, iuvenes severi ac luxuriosi, matronae, puellae inter se discernuntur, pater ille, cuius praecipuae partes sunt, quia interim concitatus, interim lenis est, altero erecto, altero composito est supercilio; atque id ostendere maxime latus actoribus moris est, quod cum iis, quas agunt, partibus congruat.
In comedies, indeed, besides the other observation by which servants, procurers, parasites, rustics, soldiers, courtesans, handmaids, stern and mild old men, severe and luxurious young men, matrons, and young girls are distinguished from one another, that father, whose parts are chief, because he is sometimes excited and sometimes mild, has one eyebrow raised and the other composed; and it is the custom for actors to show especially that side which agrees with the parts they are playing.