The art of Elocution held a prominent place in ancient education, but has
been greatly neglected in modern times, except by a few persons--whose fame
as speakers and orators is a sufficient proof of the value and necessity of
the study. The Ancients--particularly the Greeks and the Romans--were fully
conscious of the benefits resulting from a close attention to and the
practice of such rules as are fitted to advance the orator in his
profession, and their schools of oratory were attended by all classes; nor
were their greatest orators ashamed to acknowledge their indebtedness to
their training in the art for a large portion of their success. The Welsh
Triads say "Many are the friends of the golden tongue," and, how many a
jury has thought a speaker's arguments without force because his manner was
so, and have found a verdict, against law and against evidence, because
they had been charmed into delusion by the potent fascination of some
gifted orator.

As Quintilian remarks: "A proof of the importance of delivery may be drawn
from the additional force which the actors give to what is written by the
best poets; so that what we hear pronounced by them gives infinitely more
pleasure than when we only read it. I think, I may affirm that a very
indifferent speech, well set off by the speaker, will have a greater effect
than the best, if destitute of that advantage;" and Henry Irving, in a
recent article, says: "In the practice of acting, a most important point is
the study of elocution; and, in elocution one great difficulty is the use
of sufficient force to be generally heard without being unnaturally loud,
and without acquiring a stilted delivery. I never knew an actor who brought
the art of elocution to greater perfection than the late Charles Mathews,
whose utterance on the stage was so natural, that one was surprised to find
when near him that he was really speaking in a very loud key." Such are
some of the testimonies to the value of this art.