THE EXCITATION OF FEELING 133
harmony between the emotions evoked by the three types of emotional stimuli we have discussed, viz., rhythm of style, images or ideas, and the manner of delivery. If there is dis harmony between the emotions awakened by these several forms of stimuli, the result will be that the inharmonious emotions will tend to cancel one another ; and the effect will be reduced, or may be rendered altogether unpleasant. It is perhaps not an exaggeration to say that every feeling or general class of feelings, either simple or complex such as love, hate, joy, sorrow, indignation, reverence, admiration, contrition, hope, fear, etc., etc. has not only its appropriate ideational or imaginal stimuli and its suitable expression in tones, gestures and poses of the body, but also its peculiar rhythms. Hence it is that nearly all men find it easy to give a proper rendering of some emotions and to awaken them in the hearer; and difficult, if not impossible, to express and awaken others. Napoleon was a genius in stirring the martial feelings in his soldiers, but doubtless would have found it impossible to melt them to tears of compassion for the suffering and dying. Each man has his particular emo tional vein, and has a corresponding control of that class of feelings in others. Some orators have an extraordinary command of pathos ; others of humour and these are often found together ; others are witty, and find it easy to kindle with that divine spark the emotion of pleasant surprise; others awaken with ease aggressive self-feeling, and stir their hearers to combat or achievement ; others have a genius for consolation, and comfort the sorrowing; others are prone to fan the flames of anger; others bear us up on the currents of lofty aspiration; others speak, and the tumul tuous impulses of the heart sink into an unrippled calm, like the waves of Galilee under the command of Jesus. It is well that there is such a variety in the emotional power of speakers. But it is fortunate when a speaker has a variously responsive soul and can touch the whole gamut of human feelings, as some rarely gifted men seem able to do. Too often the preacher is limited in the range of his emotional ap-
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