Gilbert Austin b. 1753
Irish educator, clergyman and author Gilbert Austin is best
known for his book Chironomia, or a Treatise on Rhetorical Delivery, in
which built on Cicero and Quintilian’s words on the importance of voice and
gesture to oration. Austin gave a detailed consideration of gestures and their
effect on an audience, producing an instruction book to allow the practice of
good habits, such as the role of gesture in accompany words for more effective
speech-making. After tracing the study of delivery, from the classical world to
the 18th century, he offered training with illustrations depicting positions of
the feet, body and hands (he saw gestures as the action and position of all
body parts). Austin was concerned with marrying well-conceived, appropriate
delivery with words, and avoiding natural/unconceived gesture.
Read Chironomia; or, A treatise on rhetorical delivery
(1806) London: T. Cadell and W. Davies