Stories of Achievement, Volume III | Page 3

to the point debated, he would not do it unless he came prepared.
For this many of the orators ridiculed him; and Pytheas, in particular,
told him, "That all his arguments smelled of the lamp." Demosthenes
retorted sharply upon him, "Yes, indeed, but your lamp and mine, my
friend, are not conscious to the same labours." To others he did not

pretend to deny his previous application, but told them, "He either
wrote the whole of his orations, or spoke not without first committing
part to writing." He further affirmed, "That this shewed him a good
member of a democratic state; for the coming prepared to the rostrum
was a mark of respect for the people. Whereas, to be regardless of what
the people might think of a man's address shewed his inclination for
oligarchy, and that he had rather gain his point by force than by
persuasion." Another proof they gave us of his want of confidence on
any sudden occasion is, that when he happened to be put into disorder
by the tumultuary behaviour of the people, Demades often rose up to
support him in an extempore address, but he never did the same for
Demades. . . .
Upon the whole it appears that Demosthenes did not take Pericles
entirely for his model. He only adopted his action and delivery, and his
prudent resolutions not to make a practice of speaking from a sudden
impulse, or on any occasion that might present itself; being persuaded
that it was to that conduct he owed his greatness. Yet, while he chose
not often to trust the success of his powers to fortune, he did not
absolutely neglect the reputation which may be acquired by speaking
on a sudden occasion; and if we believe Eratosthenes, Demetrius the
Phalerean, and the comic poets, there was a greater spirit and boldness
in his unpremeditated orations than in those he had committed to
writing. Eratosthenes says that in his extemporaneous harangues he
often spoke as from a supernatural impulse; and Demetrius tells us that
in an address to the people, like a man inspired, he once uttered this
oath in verse:
By earth, by all her fountains, streams, and floods! . . .
As for his personal defects, Demetrius the Phalerean gives us an
account of the remedies he applied to them; and he says he had it from
Demosthenes in his old age. The hesitation and stammering of his
tongue he corrected by practising to speak with pebbles in his mouth;
and he strengthened his voice by running or walking uphill, and
pronouncing some passage in an oration or a poem during the difficulty
of breath which that caused. He had, moreover, a looking-glass in his

house before which he used to declaim and adjust all his motions.
It was said that a man came to him one day, and desired him to be his
advocate against a person from whom he had suffered by assault. "Not
you, indeed," said Demosthenes, "you have suffered no such thing."
"What," said the man, raising his voice, "have I not received those
blows?" "Ay, now," replied Demosthenes, "you do speak like a person
that has been injured." So much in his opinion do the tone of voice and
the action contribute to gain the speaker credit in what he affirms.
His action pleased the commonalty much; but people of taste (among
whom was Demetrius the Phalerean) thought there was something in it
low, inelegant, and unmanly. Hermippus acquaints us, Aesion being
asked his opinion of the ancient orators and those of that time, said,
"Whoever has heard the orators of former times must admire the
decorum and dignity with which they spoke. Yet when we read the
orations of Demosthenes, we must allow they have more art in the
composition and greater force." It is needless to mention that in his
written orations there was something extremely cutting and severe; but
in his sudden repartees there was also something of humour. . . .
When a rascal surnamed Chalcus attempted to jest upon his late studies
and long watchings, he said, "I know my lamp offends thee. But you
need not wonder, my countryman, that we have so many robberies,
when we have thieves of brass [chalcus] and walls only of clay."
Though more of his sayings might be produced, we shall pass them
over, and go on to seek the rest of his manners and character in his
actions and political conduct.
He tells us himself that he entered upon public business in the time of
the Phocian war, and the same may be collected from his Philippics.
For some of the last of them were delivered after that war was finished;
and the former relate to the immediate transactions of it. It appears, also,
that