Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/295

 SELF TRAINING OF DEMOSTHENES. 269 practical writers as well as lecturers. 1 But besides living teachers, there was one of the past generation who contributed largely to his improvement. He studied Thucydides with inde- fatigable labor and attention ; according to one account, he copied the whole history eight times over with his own hand ; according to another, he learnt it all by heart, so as to be able to rewrite it from memory when the manuscript was accidentally destroyed. Without minutely criticising these details, we ascertain at least that Thucydides was the object of his peculiar study and imita- tion. How much the composition of Demosthenes was fashional by the reading of Thucydides reproducing the daring, majestic and impressive phraseology, yet without the overstrained brevity and involutions of that great historian and contriving to blend with it a perspicuity and grace not inferior to Lysias may be seen illustrated in the elaborate criticism of the rhetor Dionysius.' 4 While thus striking out for himself a bold and original style, Demosthenes had still greater difficulties to overcome in regard to the external requisites of an orator. He was not endowed by nature, like JEschines, with a magnificent voie ; nor, like De- mades, with a ready flow of vehement improvisation. His thoughts required to be put together by careful preparation ; his voice was bad and even lisping his breath short his gesticula- tion ungraceful ; moreover he was overawed and embarrassed by the manifestation 3 of the multitude. Such an accumulation of natural impediments were at least equal to those of which Isokra- tes complains, as having debarred him all his life from addressing the public assembly, and restrained him to a select audience of friends or pupils. The energy and success with which Demosthe- nes overcame his defects, in such manner as to satisfy a critical as- sembly like the Athenian, is one of the most memorable *urcum stances in the general history of self-education. Repeated hu- miliation and repulse only spurred him on to fresh solitary efforts for improvement. He corrected his defective elocution by speak- ing with pebbles in his mouth ; he prepared himself to overcome 1 Demosthenes both studied attentively the dialogues, and heard the dis course, of Plato (Cicero, Brutus, 31, 121 ; Orator. 4, 15 ; Plutarch, Vit. X Orator, p. 844). Tacitus. Dialog, de Orator, c. 32. Pemosthen. p. 982, 983. 23
 * Dionys. Hal. De Thucydide Judicium, p. 944 ; De Admirab. Vi Dicend