ns of the most
illustrious men who not only wrote, but _became famous mainly
because they wrote_.

Passing by the great pagan orators, Cicero and Demosthenes, and
the Doctors of the Church, Saints Augustine, John Chrysostom,
&c.--these all wrote, polished and elaborated--we come to the
four names that have flung a deathless glory around the French
pulpit, that created a golden era of sacred eloquence which has
never been surpassed: Bourdaloue, Bossuet, Massillon, and
Fenelon. I will not labour the argument by showing how much of
their strength and fame rested on the construction of their
sermons. But, to return to the intrinsic merits of the
statement--yes, O'Connell and Father Burke were great orators in
_spite of_, and _not because of_, the fact that they spoke
extemporarily. So crude were some of O'Connell's speeches, so
careless was he of their dress, that Shiel complained: "He flung
a brood of young, sturdy ideas upon the world, with scarce a rag
to cover them."

If ever there was a case when the man made the sermon instead of
the sermon making the man, it was the case of Father Burke. How
little he owed to his sermons and how much they owed to his
delivery is left on record by a capable judge. Sir Charles Gavan
Duffy says: "Father Burke was a born orator; the charm of _voice,
eye and action_ combined to produce his wonderful effects. When
his words were printed much of the spell vanished. One rejoiced
to _hear_ him over and over again, but _re-read_ him rarely, I
think."[1] The greatest tribute that can be paid to the genius of
these two orators is that compositions, wordy, loose, abounding
in repetitions, in their mouths enthralled multitudes. Every
defect disappeared; the mastery, the dazzling brilliancy of their
oratory swept all hearts and blinded criticism. We well may pause
before answering the question: What effects would they have
produced had they time to write masterpieces of finished beauty
like those of Grattan and of Bourdaloue? where each link in the
chain of argument hangs in glittering strength, and each thought
shows the flash of the gem and its solidity too.

[1] "My Life in Two Hemispheres," Vol. II., 274.

[Side note: Defence of the system I]

The first great difficulty against extemporary preaching is that,
though a priest studies his subject and maps his plan, he still
reckons without his host. The mind aroused to activity and warmed
by exertion is sure to spring new thoughts, argume