Atlantic Monthly | Page 4

the ground, but he, like a leader, walks about the bands
of the men. He seems to me like a stately ram, who goes as a master of
the flock.' Him answered Helen, daughter of Jove: 'This is the wise
Ulysses, son of Laertes, who was reared in the state of craggy Ithaca,
knowing all wiles and wise counsels.' To her the prudent Antenor
replied again: 'O woman, you have spoken truly. For once the wise
Ulysses came hither on an embassy, with Menelaus, beloved by Mars. I
received them, and entertained them at my house. I became acquainted
with the genius and the prudent judgments of both. When they mixed
with the assembled Trojans and stood, the broad shoulders of Menelaus
rose above the other; but, both sitting, Ulysses was more majestic.
When they conversed, and interweaved stories and opinions with all;
Menelaus spoke succinctly, few but very sweet words, since he was not
talkative, nor superfluous in speech, and was the younger. But when the
wise Ulysses arose, and stood, and looked down, fixing his eyes on the
ground, and neither moved his sceptre backward nor forward, but held
it still, like an awkward person, you would say it was some angry or
foolish man; but when he sent his great voice forth out of his breast,
and his words fell like the winter snows, not then would any mortal
contend with Ulysses; and we, beholding, wondered not afterwards so
much at his aspect."[_Iliad_, III. 192.]
Thus he does not fail to arm Ulysses at first with this power of
overcoming all opposition by the blandishments of speech. Plutarch
tells us that Thucydides, when Archidamus, king of Sparta, asked him,
Which was the best wrestler, Pericles or he? replied, "When I throw
him, he says he was never down, and he persuades the very spectators
to believe him." Philip of Macedon said of Demosthenes, on hearing
the report of one of his orations, "Had I been there, he would have
persuaded me to take up arms against myself"; and Warren Hastings
said of Burke's speech on his impeachment, "As I listened to the orator,
I felt for more than half an hour as if I were the most culpable being on

earth."
In these examples, higher qualities have already entered; but the power
of detaining the ear by pleasing speech, and addressing the fancy and
imagination, often exists without higher merits. Thus separated, as this
fascination of discourse aims only at amusement, though it be decisive
in its momentary effect, it is yet a juggle, and of no lasting power. It is
heard like a band of music passing through the streets, which converts
all the passengers into poets, but is forgotten as soon as it has turned
the next corner; and unless this oiled tongue could, in Oriental phrase,
lick the sun and moon away, it must take its place with opium and
brandy. I know no remedy against it but cotton-wool, or the wax which
Ulysses stuffed into the ears of his sailors to pass the Sirens safely.
There are all degrees of power, and the least are interesting, but they
must not be confounded. There is the glib tongue and cool
self-possession of the salesman in a large shop, which, as is well known,
overpower the prudence and resolution of housekeepers of both sexes.
There is a petty lawyer's fluency, which is sufficiently impressive to
him who is devoid of that talent, though it be, in so many cases,
nothing more than a facility of expressing with accuracy and speed
what everybody thinks and says more slowly, without new information,
or precision of thought,--but the same thing, neither less nor more. It
requires no special insight to edit one of our country newspapers. Yet
whoever can say off currently, sentence by sentence, matter neither
better nor worse than what is there printed, will be very impressive to
our easily-pleased population. These talkers are that class who prosper
like the celebrated schoolmaster, by being only one lesson ahead of the
pupil. Add a little sarcasm, and prompt allusion to passing occurrences,
and you have the mischievous member of Congress. A spice of malice,
a ruffian touch in his rhetoric, will do him no harm with his audience.
These accomplishments are of the same kind, and only a degree higher
than the coaxing of the auctioneer, or the vituperative style well
described in the street-word "jawing." These kinds of public and private
speaking have their use and convenience to the practitioners; but we
may say of such collectively, that the habit of oratory is apt to
disqualify them for eloquence.
One of our statesmen said, "The curse of this country is eloquent men."
And one cannot wonder at the uneasiness sometimes manifested by

trained statesmen, with large experience of