crushing one with a single sentence. 6 Since learning to gesticulate,we have forgotten the art of pantomime,for the same reason that with all our beautiful systems of grammar we no longer understand the symbols of the Egyptians.What the ancients said in the liveliest way,they did not express in words but by means of signs.They did not say it,they showed it. 7 Consider ancient history;it is full of such ways of appealing to the eye,each of them more effective than all the discourse that might have replaced it.An object held up before speaking will arouse the imagination,excite curiosity,hold the mind in suspense,in expectation of what will be said.I have noticed that Italians and Provencals,among whom gesture ordinarily precedes discourse,use this as a way of drawing attention and of pleasing their listeners.But in the most vigorous language. Everything is said symbolically,before one actually speaks.Tarquin,or Thrasybulus lopping off poppies;Alexander applying his seal to the mouth of his favorite; Diogenes promenading in front of Zeno:do they not speak more effectively than with words?What verbal circumlocution would express the same idea as well?Darius, engaged with his army in Scythia,receives from the King of Scythia a frog,a bird,a mouse,and five arrows.The herald makes the presentation in silence and departs. That terrible harangue was understood;and Darius returned to his own country as quickly as he could.Substitute a letter for this sign:the more menacing it is,the less frightening will it be.It will be no more than a boast,which would draw merely a smile from Darius. 8 When the Levite of Ephraim wanted to avenge the death of his wife,he wrote nothing to the tribes of Israel,but divided her body into twelve sections which he sent to them.At this horrible sight they rushed to arms,crying with one voice:Never has such a thing happened in Israel,from the time of our fathers'going out of Egypt, down to the present day!And the tribe of Benjamin was exterminated(there remained only 600 men,with no women or children).In our day,this affair,recounted in court pleadings and discussions,perhaps in jest,would be dragged out until this most horrible of crimes would in the end have remained unpunished.King Saul,returning from the fields,similarly dismembered his plow oxen,thus using a similar sign to make Israel march to the aid of the city of Jabez.The Jewish prophets and the Greek lawgivers,by frequently presenting sensate objects to the people,spoke to them more effectively through these objects than they would have by means of lengthy discourse. The way the Athenaeum yields when the orator Hyperides made them acquit the courtesan Phryne,without alleging a single word in her defense,is another mute eloquence,the effects of which are not unusual in any age. 9 Thus one speaks more effectively to the eye than to the ear.There is no one who does not feel the truth of Horace's judgment in this regard.Clearly the most eloquent speeches are those containing the most imagery;and sounds are never more forceful than when they produce the effects of colors. 10 But when it is a question of stirring the heart and inflaming the passions,it is an altogether different matter.The successive impressions of discourse,which strike a redoubled blow,produce a different feeling from that of the continuous presence of the same object,which can be taken in at a single glance.Image someone in a painfulcrushing one with a single sentence. 6 Since learning to gesticulate, we have forgotten the art of pantomime, for the same reason that with all our beautiful systems of grammar we no longer understand the symbols of the Egyptians. What the ancients said in the liveliest way, they did not express in words but by means of signs. They did not say it, they showed it. 7 Consider ancient history; it is full of such ways of appealing to the eye, each of them more effective than all the discourse that might have replaced it. An object held up before speaking will arouse the imagination, excite curiosity, hold the mind in suspense, in expectation of what will be said. I have noticed that Italians and Provencals, among whom gesture ordinarily precedes discourse, use this as a way of drawing attention and of pleasing their listeners. But in the most vigorous language. Everything is said symbolically, before one actually speaks. Tarquin, or Thrasybulus lopping off poppies; Alexander applying his seal to the mouth of his favorite; Diogenes promenading in front of Zeno: do they not speak more effectively than with words? What verbal circumlocution would express the same idea as well? Darius, engaged with his army in Scythia, receives from the King of Scythia a frog, a bird, a mouse, and five arrows. The herald makes the presentation in silence and departs. That terrible harangue was understood; and Darius returned to his own country as quickly as he could. Substitute a letter for this sign: the more menacing it is, the less frightening will it be. It will be no more than a boast, which would draw merely a smile from Darius. 8 When the Levite of Ephraim wanted to avenge the death of his wife, he wrote nothing to the tribes of Israel, but divided her body into twelve sections which he sent to them. At this horrible sight they rushed to arms, crying with one voice: Never has such a thing happened in Israel, from the time of our fathers’ going out of Egypt, down to the present day! And the tribe of Benjamin was exterminated (there remained only 600 men, with no women or children). In our day, this affair, recounted in court pleadings and discussions, perhaps in jest, would be dragged out until this most horrible of crimes would in the end have remained unpunished. King Saul, returning from the fields, similarly dismembered his plow oxen, thus using a similar sign to make Israel march to the aid of the city of Jabez. The Jewish prophets and the Greek lawgivers, by frequently presenting sensate objects to the people, spoke to them more effectively through these objects than they would have by means of lengthy discourse. The way the Athenaeum yields when the orator Hyperides made them acquit the courtesan Phryne, without alleging a single word in her defense, is another mute eloquence, the effects of which are not unusual in any age. 9 Thus one speaks more effectively to the eye than to the ear. There is no one who does not feel the truth of Horace’s judgment in this regard. Clearly the most eloquent speeches are those containing the most imagery; and sounds are never more forceful than when they produce the effects of colors. 10 But when it is a question of stirring the heart and inflaming the passions, it is an altogether different matter. The successive impressions of discourse, which strike a redoubled blow, produce a different feeling from that of the continuous presence of the same object, which can be taken in at a single glance. Image someone in a painful