Page:Sketches of the life and character of Patrick Henry.djvu/449

 The basis of Mr. Henry's intellectual character was strong natural sense. His knowledge of human nature was as we have seen, consummate. His wisdom was that of observation, rather than of reading. His fancy, although sufficiently pregnant to furnish supplies for the occasion, was not so exuberant as to oppress him with its productions. He was never guilty of the fault, with which Corinna is said to have reproached her rival Pindar, of pouring his vase of flowers, all at once upon the ground; on the contrary, their beauty and their excellence, were fully observed, from their rarity, and the happiness with which they were distributed through his speeches. His feehngs were strong, yet completely under his command; they rose up to the oc- casion, but were never suffered to overflow it; his lan- guage was often careless, sometimes incorrect; yet upon the whole it was pure and perspicuous, giving out his thoughts in full and clear proportion; free from affec- tation, and frequently beautiful; strong without effort, and adapted to the occasion; nervous in argument, burning in passion, and capable of matching the loftiest flights of his genius.

It may perhaps assist the reader's conception of Mr. Henry's peculiar cast of eloquence, to state the points in which he differed from other orators. Those which distinguished him from Mr. Lee have been already ex- hibited. Colonel Innis' manner was also very different. His habitual indolence followed him into debate; he generally contented himself with a single view of his subject; but that was given with irresistible power. His eloquence was indeed, a mighty and a roaring torrent; it had not however, that property of Horace's stream labituret lahetur, in omne voluUlis cevum — on the con- trary, it commonly ran by, in half an hour. But it bore

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