CHAPTER VII.

Of Extempore Speech.

§§ 1-4. The richest fruit of study is the ability to speak effectively on the spur of the moment: this is in fact absolutely indispensable. ‘An advocate who proffers help, and fails at the pinch, is a harbour accessible only in calm weather.’ Cases may take unforeseen turns: like ship-pilots we must change our tack with each shifting breeze. Unless the faculty of improvisation can be attained by practice, our years of labour will have been wasted.

Certain Practical Exercises conducive to Success in Extempore Speech.

§§ 5-7. (1) The student must arrange his matter in appropriate order,—not only the order of the regular _partes_ or divisions (i.e. introduction, narrative, proof, refutation, conclusion), and the order of the principal points, but also the order of the matter and thought in all its detail, under every head and in every passage (quoque loco). The sequence of events will be our guide. Knowing what to look for at each point of our discourse, we shall not be found skipping from one topic to another; and in the end we shall reach the goal.

§§ 7-10. (2) Reading, writing, and speaking must receive unremitting attention, and be made the subjects of scientific exercise. The conscientious practice of writing will give even our extemporary speeches something of the deliberate character of written compositions. It is practice that makes the ready speaker. A certain natural quickness of mind is necessary to look beyond what we are saying at the moment; but neither nature nor art will enable the mind to keep before itself at one time the whole of a speech, with all its arguments, arrangement, expression, &c. As our tongue advances, our thoughts must still outstrip it.

§§ 11-14. (3) Hence the necessity of a mechanical and unscientific habit or ‘knack,’ such as that by which the hand moves in writing, the eye in reading, and the juggler in his legerdemain. But this knack, though mechanical, should have a basis of scientific method: otherwise it will be mere ranting, such as you may hear in abundance from female scolds. A sudden outburst is often, however, more effective than the result of study and premeditation.

§§ 15-17. (4) The extemporary speaker must cultivate a lively imagination, that his mind may be deeply impressed by all the facts of a particular case. It is the heart that makes the orator. He must also have distinctly in view not only the end at which he aims but the whole pathway that leads to it: he will derive incitement even from the presence of his audience.

10 §§ 18-23. (5) Extemporary facility can only be attained by the same gradual and patient course as has been referred to in connection with meditation. The orator is often debarred from preparation; but as a rule he should not presume so far on his ability as not to take a moment to glance mentally at the heads of his discourse,—which is generally possible in a court of law. Some declaimers will argue at once on any topic, and will even ask for a word to begin with: this is foolishness. If on any occasion we are under the necessity of speaking offhand, we should pay more attention to our subject-matter than to our language, and we may gain time by deliberate articulation. Gradually we shall be able to trim our sails, and pray for a favouring breeze.

§§ 24-29. Continual practice is essential for improvisation. We should speak daily before an audience whose good opinion we respect; but alone, rather than not at all. If we do not speak to others, we can always at least go over our subject-matter in silent thought. This fosters exactness in composition even more than speaking aloud does; for there we hurry onward from fear of wearying the audience. On the other hand speaking exercises the voice and gives the opportunity of practising delivery. Our language should always be careful and correct, but it is constant writing that will add most weight to our words, especially if we are obliged to speak much extempore. In fact, writing gives exactness to speech, speech readiness to writing. If we cannot write, we can meditate: if we can do neither, we must still contrive to make a creditable appearance.

§§ 30-33. A common habit with barristers in large practice is to write the exordium and most essential parts, formulate the rest in thought, and meet any unforeseen turns as they arise. The note-books of Cicero and Servius Sulpicius. It is advisable to refresh one’s memory by consulting notes. To prepare an abstract, arranged by heads, of a speech which we have written out entire, leads us to rely too little on the memory, and makes the speech broken and awkward in delivery. We ought not to write a speech out at length unless we intend to commit it to memory. But of memory more in the following book (XI. ch. ii.).

11

M. FABI QUINTILIANI

INSTITUTIONIS ORATORIAE

LIBER DECIMUS