Gilbert Austin 1753-1837 Like Thomas Sheridan, Gilbert Austin was an Irishman and a graduate of Trin if College, Dublin, and devoted himself to elocution. But unlike Sheridan, Aust distrusted the natural method. Though the vast bulk of Chironomia (1806; excerptg here), his treatise on elocution, is devoted to presenting the views of ancient an moder rhetoricians on the subject, the work is best known for the mechanics system of notation that Austin proposed for recording and choreographing spéey performances. i Austin had a number of admirers and imitators, and his book encouraged cloggg attention to the details of nonverbal communication. But the reigning view, articulated by Richard Whately in 1828, in Elements of Rhetoric: “Probably single instance could be found of any one who has attained, by the study ofa are many, — probably nearly as many as have fully tried the experiment, — whg have by this means been totally spoiled.” Whately praises Sheridan and advocate the “natural” method. ‘ Reprinted here are one of a number of examples in Chironomia showing. symbols can be used to indicate the delivery of a speech, four of eleven plates of illustrations, and a summary of Austin’s notation system. “al Selected Bibliography Our excerpt is from the facsimile of the first edition of Austin’s Chironomia; or, A Tre Robb and Lester Thonssen (Carbondale, 1966). The editors’ introduction provides us information about Austin, the history of the elocution movement, and the development of the elocution curriculum in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. i Little scholarship is devoted specifically to Austin, though he figures prominently i discussions of the history of elocution. G. P. Mohrmann, one of the few exceptions, defes Austin against complaints that he is merely mechanical, in “The Real Chironomia” (Sout Speech Journal 34 [Fall 1968]: 17-27). For general studies of elocution, see the hes on Thomas Sheridan.From Chironomia SYMBOLS FOR NOTING THE FORCE AND RAPIDITY OR INTERRUPTION OF THE VOICE IN DELIVERY The symbols are to be marked in the margin near the commencement of the passage which they are to influence Symbols Piano - 7 7 TT eS Uniformloudness, orforte- = = - > - AWA Crescendo(asinmusic) - - - > + + —= Diminuendo(asinmusic) - - > - - > = ppd ee Sow = tte Suspension of the voice, } . the break ordashaftera word Longpause,ornewparagraph ~~ > - Whisperormonotone - = = = = > Compound Symbols Pianoandslow = - - > e755 Pianoandquick - - - - - - - - - S88 Loudandslow - - - - - + - 7 -)) RW Loudandquick - - - = = - = = = RK Monotonousorwhisperslow - = Monotoneorwhisperquick - - + - Compare with page 24 of Steele's Prosodia Rationalis. It is requested to be understood that the var- ious passages, which are marked with the nota- tion, are intended merely to illustrate the fore- going system: and that among the innumerable methods of possible delivery, that which is chosen and represented is to be considered as one method only, how far soever removed from the best. It is one property of this system of notation, that whilst it furnishes the means of recording each person’s ideas of gesture, it does not pre- sume to dictate. It is a language, which may be used to express every variety of opinion. In the portion of Gay’s fable of the Miser and Plutus, which is doubly illustrated both by en- graved figures! and by notation, it has been found necessary to omit in the notation some circum- stances, in order to express nothing more than what is seen in the figures, and in others for the same reason to be redundant. Thus the retired hand and also the feet are sometimes noted of- tener than absolutely necessary, and some tran- sitions are of necessity omitted. It is hoped, how- ever, that the great pains and attention bestowed upon these illustrations will suffice for the pur- pose of conveying to the reader a tolerably ac- curate knowledge of the manner of using the notation. For the greater convenience and precision each figure is numbered in the Plate, and referred to accordingly in the following notation. The perpendicular line — divides the portions of writing which refer to each numeral and fig- ure. THE MISER AND PLUTUS Gay* R Byhtr. 9 eq n—p 1. 2. The wind was high, | the window shakes; aR2 eq c—vhx € 3. With sudden start the miser wakes! sRix F pdb ad pho— 4. Along the silent room he stalks; aR ‘Austin seems to have intended 10 illustrate some of the positions with drawings, but none accompany the text he refers to here. [Ed.] 4John Gay (1685-1732), English poet. [Ed.} AUSTIN | CHIRONOMIA 73920. 21. 22. 23. 24. 740 vhq— . Each lock and ev'ry bolt he tries, . In ev'ry creek and comer pries; . But now with sudden qualms possest, a —— . He wrings his hands, he beats his breast. . By conscience stung he wildly stares; . Had the deep earth her stores confin’d, . But virtue’s sold! . Can recompense the pangs of vice? B_ vhx—vig ¢| Bont te Looks back, | and embles as he walks! sRix s—vhx € aL2 shg om... she i aR2 Boda A . Then opes his chest with treasure stor’d, D Bseq, . And stands in rapture o'er his hoard: Ra Buhf c Rt BAL he: BA. abe vey . And thus his guilty soul declares. Bshf sh. | Bdf dn aka brR . This heart had known sweet peace of mind, Ri vhf—vhx Bsef sp-———_—a| Good Gods! what price aR2 FR oD Bsdf d——__—_———n| O bane of good! seducing cheat! Rt Buht wef Can man, weak man, shf st—sdg thy power defeat? seb sw—sdq Gold banish’d honour from the mind, nt bk And only left the name behind; ENLIGHTENMENT RHETORIC Bphe———__———_x 25. Gold sow'd the world with ev'ry ill; ceb sti—edq 26. Gold taught the murd'rer’s sword to kills}! = Lx shf sh—sdq 27. 'T was gold instructed coward hearts aR2x Buh 1) 28. In treach’ry’s more pernicious arts. Rr seq—sdq 29, Who can recount the mischiefs o'er? Re Bpat d 30. Virtue resides on earth no more! Observations on the Notation No. [. The direction of motion expressed by 4th small letter r, means that from the position which both hands are presented vif, they sho move both towards the right and stop at the positio oblique as noted by q, connected by a dash to’ th position mentioned. No. II. The 4th small letter n signifies noting See manner of motion in the synoptical table,. Chap. XUI... . No. XII. The position of the hands at first both folded horizontal forwards as expressed: the notation Bf. hf. At the a connected by the da which signifies ascending, the hands are raised, and at the next notation Bf. br. they are forcil withdrawn back on the breast. 5 No. XXI. This position begins horizontal first noted Bvhf, and ends elevated as in the figui Bvhf, but the B is omitted over the word wea being understood by the connect-dash. No. XXV. The third small letter relating to transverse direction of the arm is often gl alone, but connected by a dash with a precé set of letters, as already observed No. I. In sudl case it is to be understood that the position of. hands remains as before, and that the transv direction only of the arm is changed. Here arm passes through the whole semicircle from! position across to extended.Figure 2‘able 1. Alphabetical Arrangement of Symbolic Letters Above the Line. Hands, Arms, Body and Head, Below the Line Feet, ‘Small Letters relating to the Hand and Arm, i Capital B fand double small |Capitats for! Capitals for |Small Let-| Capitals 1 oe 3. ands. || Leters. | particular | Head and | ters Steps. | Positions. Hand. | Elevation [Transverse | Motion and | Both Arms ||" Parts, Eyes. ftheAvm.[Position off Force. | and both lthe Arm. Hands. . .. ws [ascending lac, assenting .. Backwards } ~~ - jbackwards beckons both lbrease - 2 |e es pot ‘collecting Clelinched | - - ~ across leontracted —/ossetl Chin = = = feross ne / clinching |l*sped 7 is down. D| - ~~ [downwards - + - descending see - = 5 [wards wee feee i f Caenying Bi - - = elevated | - - - i - + + lencumbered ||Eyes lerect en | \, Fiforwards | - - + lforwards pauls jtotdea [Forehead Forward |} = - - | front ‘ Gferasping | = = = | = - = grasping nee ~--ff/..lie..}-.- H]holding horizontal | + - - | s+ © oe see fle. epee ed eee |; Hinde str [= 2 + inwards finclosed ~ + hnetinea Kp - --]---]---) = + - [akimbo ee |e. | ee. penceting | sleotecrea a jefe soc + Whips - 2 - i]s - + jefe I wt{thamb sot [+ + + moderate | xy [ratural i i Siwaits | 7 + = J 7 + + noting |enumerting Nose Oloutwards se cee outwards | ! ' ol § pushin, pppoe foes fee WBE ee fee Pee fee} ee. a) --- |. - = fobliqe | --- fe eee Pll lL dS LS lebtique | gight re. RI] - + + [Rese ee fase ‘eposed. = + + fround — retire fright icjecting 1 sweep. i ] springing, shakin, gaat “ Sppupine se] SHRRe ose fee = panes Uigm pide Chaka ‘ thee lp le} ee } eguching wee s+ = [Tossing fferaverse J ~~ + ul ---] eee fee ej eee sf) - + = jUwpards ‘Viiverticat | - - - | - = = revolving see + = + WWacency JP. - - | -- - |W |hollow eee free waving jwringing Xlextended | - = - fextended extreme 2) - . = (Zenit: Capitals and small; signif. cant Ges- tures, ——__| t jappeating trention admiration Javersion commanding! ideprecation jdeclaration. encourage lment. fear [Grier lHorror 5 Lamenta- tion UListeang Pride Ishame threatning |i Veneration