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London Quarterly No. 206

About This Item

  • Title: London Quarterly No. 206
  • Date: 27 May 1858
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
  • Whitman Archive ID: per.01052
  • Source: Brooklyn Daily Times, 27 May 1858: 2. Our transcription is based on a digital image of a microfilm scan of the original issue. Microfilm of original issue held at Pennsylvania State University Libraries. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the journalism, see our statement of editorial policy.
  • Editorial note: This piece is unsigned, as was the case for most of Whitman's journalism. However, this editorial is part of a series of texts that deal with a coherent theme that has been identified by the Whitman Archive journalism team as likely authored by Whitman. This decision is based on a combination of historical and (auto)biographical accounts, similarity to contemporary Whitman writings, a history of scholarly attribution, extant clippings retained by Whitman, computational stylometric analysis, and, in some cases, manuscript evidence in Whitman’s hand.
  • Contributors to digital file: Kaylen Michaelis Francesca Boston Jason Stacy Karie Cobb Stephanie Blalock
  • Cite this page: Whitman, Walt. "London Quarterly No. 206." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 16 July 2024. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
  • Source File: per.01052.xml (TEI)
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LONDON QUARTERLY No. 206.—

There is an interesting article in this number on “Public Speaking.” It gives a historical and oratorical account of some of the most eminent British speakers, Chatham, Burke, Pitt, Fox, Lord Chesterfield, and others—making here and there some valuable suggestions—as for instance that the range of the best practical modern oratory is not formed on the classical models, but more resembles an animated conversation among people of the highest talent and best taste.

Lord Chesterfield (really a first-class speaker) is mentioned as believing that a good orator was as much a mechanic as a good shoemaker—that is, he had to “learn the trade,” by assiduous application and trial. The same personage declares that he succeeded in Parliament simply by resolving to succeed. He had early seen the importance of eloquence, and neglected nothing which might assist him in becoming proficient in it. He conned carefully all the fine passages he met with; he translated from various languages; he attended to his style in the freest conversations and most familiar letters; he never allowed a word to fall from his lips which was not the best he could command. By these means he arrived at an habitual accuracy, till at last the pains would have been to express himself inelegantly.

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