Nu. 1. THE Parts of Oratory are Invention, The Parts of Oratory. ta­king care for the Matter; and Elocution, for the Words and Style.

I 1. Invention in which2. Invention consists in an acute Consideration, and particular [Page 2] weighing of all circumstances, &c. out of which any argument may be raised to advance the subject in hand. 1. Of Com­mon Places of Arguments. Therefore your Fancy, in this ought not to be committed, and left, to chance; gazing about, and waiting, as it were, what may by sudden Enthusiasm drop into it, but to be excited and guided by Reason; diligently beating and examining the Causes, Effects, Ad­juncts, and whatever may have re­lation to your subject, that (at least) some of them may afford materi­als to your design, Brief Tables of which, and sufficiently exact, in all the three kinds of Discourses, Demonstrative, Judicial, Delibe­rative, see in Quintil. lib. 5. cap. 10. and in Farnabi's and other Modern, Rhetoricks. A many of which are also rudely put together in these verses:

Or in that shorter,

3. For Example; Common places for Argu­ments; * To prove any thing to be good, may be such as these;—

—Because tis the chief end, all men, or the wisest of men, aim at—all, or the wisest commend—because it produceth some good—preventeth or remedieth some evil—procures us much pleasure,—profit, —reputation,—honors,—things, we account good. —is rewarded—is difficult to attain—is contrary to all excess, &c.—is dictated by nature—is followed with content—other things for its sake accounted good, &c.

4. * To prove any thing more good, such as these;

—Because tis the end, and so more worthy than the means—chosen for its self, and not for another —conducing to a better, worthier end—conversant about a nobler object—can better be without the o­ther, than the other without it—is the cause of the other—more beneficial—beneficial to more—more [Page 4] rare—more beautiful—more lasting—more reward­ed —more easie to be procured (for on both sides ar­guments are probable)—more pursued by wise men—better, according to circumstance of person, time, place, action, &c.—Any of whichmediums, caeteris paribus, is perswasive.

5. The contraries serve, * To prove a thing evil, or less good. * To aggravate a Crime, such as these, drawn

—From the greatness of the dammage—the im­possibility of reparation—from the quality of the per­son, by whom; to whom—from doing it alone; or first; or often—with no, with small, benefit to him­self —with a determinate purpose, having no plausible motive toit—not very feasible;—from its being a thing contrary to nature—to express law—savour­ing of brutishness, and inhumanity—Done in a holy place, in the court, &c.—in such a time—against a Kinsman, a Benefactor, a Magistrate—giving so much scandal—so much encouragement.

6. * To extenuate a fault;

—That it was not done at all—not so done— that it was done so; but that it was well done— not well done; but yet of those things that are usu­ally pardoned—that it was not an injury—but an er­ror; a misfortune—not done with an ill mind—not with deliberation—that not a part onely, but the whole action be considered—not that action, but the whole course of his life—what good, as well as what evil, he hath done—not to regard the words of the Law, but [Page 5] the intent of the Law-giver—not the Law (failing in particulars,) but equity.

7. All Discourses are either of Things; Persons; or Facts: In Persons, considerable are; their De­scent, Nation, Countrey, Sex, Age, Fortune, Manners, Education, Re­lations, of Father, Master, Citizen, &c. In facts; The Cause, Time, Place, Instrument, the Manner, &c. In things,(that is, Substances, and Qualities) the An sit, Quid sit, Quale, Quotuplex; its Genus, Spe­cies, Properties, &c.—In gross, for all subjects (which are most-what mixt of these three, i. e. Persons, Actions, Qualities) Proofs are de­rived from Persons, Causes, Times, Places, Antecedents, Con­sequents, Efficients, Effects, E­vents, Conjugates, Similies, Con­traries, Contradictories, Compari­son with Things Greater, Lesser, Equal; from Correlates, Exam­ples, Suppositions, and Reduction ad absurdum,(as is used in the Ma­thematicks) [Page 6] to a Consequence that all grant to be false; from their Genus, Definition, Division, &c. Amongst which * Similitudes ( i. e. Like Cases resembling it:) * Contraries (which much manifest one another:)* Examples, Instan­ces, Suppositions and Reduction ad absurdum, are diligently to be sought out; proving a thing many times much more, than reasons to our Auditory; who, when by the one they see not how it can be done; by the other they easily see that it is done; and therefore Ex­emplum is not in vain made one species of argumentation.

8. Several Examples of Arguments drawn from such Topicks. As; From effects, Scipio was a better General then Hannibal, he conquered Hannibal.—He is valiant, for he feared not death.— From the Instrument; He killed him, for his weapon was found in the wound— From the Antecedents; He killed him, for hethreatned his death, went out by night armed, way-layd him. — From Circumstances; Cic. Clodius laid wait for Milo, and not Milo for Clodius: He went forth with lusty servants armed; This with a few women; He mount­ed [Page 7] on horse-back; This in a Coach.— From the Con­sequents; Sylla took not up arms for ambition sake, witness the resigned Dictatorship.— A majori; If lawful to kill an Adulterer, tis so to beat him.—Who hath committed sacriledge, will not scruple to commit a theft.— A minori; If Theft a capital crime, much more Sacriledge. From Similies; If Continency be a vertue, then such is Abstīnence.—As Mariners can do nothing without a Pilot, so neither Souldiers without a Commander.— From Conjugates; an honest thing it is to learn, therefore to teach.— From Contra­ries; If War be the cause of all evils, Peace is the remedy of them.—If he deserve pardon who wrongs one unawares, he merits a reward, who purposely doth one a favor.— From Contradictories; When he refused to entertain him having all mens approbation, would the same entertain him with so many mens of­fence? — From Division; That any one be a Citizen, he must either be born, or made so; but he neither of these— So from Dilemmas; where either side chosen evinceth the same thing:—Putting a man to the rack, no sure way to discover truth: for either he can endure the pains, and then he will lie amidst his torment; or he cannot endure them, and then he will say any thing, to end them. See concerning these Topicks Quintil. Instit. l. 5. c. 10. &c. and the first and second Book of Aristotles Rhetorick.

9. Now there being infinite other places of Arguments besides these, (especially where the subject is [Page 8] more complexe) and many of these not furnishing any one subject, ex­cept with very trivial and common matter (which is to be rejected) they are onely set down to give hints to your invention whilest yet unpractised; which, when more exercised, will presently repair to those chiefly serviceable, and less accommodable to other subjects, without at all saluting the rest.

10. Invention on most subjects is to look two wayes. To prove in the first place; in the second to dis­prove: to confirm, and then to confute; [...], to state first; and [...], to make and answer objections. (There being nothing, that so much can be said for, but something also may be said against it) which affords a double field of matter to be drawn from these, and such like heads. The first part useth to be more solid; the second, more acute. Hence the natural parts of a dis­course are, 1. an Exordium or P [...]e­face; [Page 9] 2. Declaring and proving our own Positions. 3. Refuting the contrary; 4. A short recapitu­lation and concluding, called Per­oratio.

11. In all our Proofs we have re­course to, either things of sense; or common received Axioms, and Truths, or Laws, and Customes, or the Concessions of our Adver­sary, or of our Auditors. Neither is it needful to ascend to the ulti­mate Causes of every thing, but to stay our Probation at our Audi­tors grants.

12. On these to exercise your own In­vention fi [...]st; and in this not to be too curious at first, for your m [...]tter, or ex­pression. In inventing take heed of tor­turing your fancy too much at first; either in the quest of more curious matter, or in setting it down in the most exact form. For, besides that the mind doth more heavily and less accurately, perform many things at once; the Wit especially, is of so delicate a sharpness, that any forcing presently turns the [Page 10] edge; and where we make too much difficulty, it becomes onely amazed and astonished; and thus circumscribed and limited to none but extraordinary productions, like a pent flame, it blazeth not the more for this, but is rather choked and put out. De ingenio suo pessimè merentur (saith Quintil.) qui diligentiam putant, facere sibi scribendi difficultatem. The best way therefore is, * to give it leave to expatiate it self in its work, and heat, and grow more active by de­grees; * to take what it sponta­neously produceth; and pass by, what it doth not readily pass through; which (like the deficient memory) at another attempt, or, by and by, at the same, answereth of its own accord our formerly-frustrated expectation. What order­ly matter therefore, it shall (un­forced) offer you, set down; that by this, as a lower step, the Fancy may ascend, and scrue it self up to something more choice; which it [Page 11] cannot so easily mount unto at the first, without taking, by the way, this meaner rise. But then we must take the pains of twice writing, But in a se­cond copying to reject what is slight, cor­rect the order, expression, &c. that the second Copy may cast a­way (according to its better Provi­sion) what is ordinary and common in the former.

13. To expose them rude in writing, rather than burden the memory.Rather than reserve your com­positions in your mind, till they are exactly formed, write them down at first without curiosity, and cor­rect them after in your Paper: Tis said of Virgil, that he drew out his matter first in Prose, then compo­sed it in verse at large; then again contracted those verses to a smal­ler number, and better expression. Many things are, as easilier, so sooner, done severally, then at once: as our strength, in parcels, quickly takes up the weight, which united in one it can never move. For the mind travelling with many conceptions at once (undisburdned of any) must needs be much sur­charged, [Page 12] retarded and confounded; but she beholds them now much more clearly and distinctly, when thus by writing laid before her face; by this she hath fewer busi­nesses to attend at once, more room to perfect, and ease to range them, now not so easily skipping and withdrawing themselves out of her sight, or interturbing one ano­ther, as when they were all confu­sedly floating in the fancy. * Intel­lectus (saith Sir Fr. Bacon) cogita­tionibus gravatus clarescit, &c. si literis mandentur. * Whosoever hath his minde fraught with ma­ny thoughts, his wits and under­standing do clarifie and break up [by committing them to writing] He tosseth his thoughts more easi­ly, he marshalleth them more or­derly, he seeth better how they look, when they are turned into words; finally he thus waxeth wiser than himself. Though for some smal­ler pieces of Invention, perhaps Plini's way of composing set [Page 13] down in his Epistles l. 9. Ep. 36. is not to be disliked.

14. Not to prose­cute long, one argument, but to seek after variety.To be furnish'd with variety of good matter (without which change, both the Orators fancy, and the Auditors attention, are soon tired) you must not pursue any one particular Argument too far, and draw it out as it were to the dreggs; for much, upon any one head, cannot be said well: but if well, perchance, by some pre­gnant wit; yet how much, upon divers objects, will that wit say bet­ter; and by this advantage, go so much beyond it self, as without it, it doth beyond others? It is con­venient therefore, often to break off the thread you are spinning; and set your imagination on work afresh, upon some other new cir­cumstance, as if nothing at all had been meditated before. All which variety of in-cohering matter is to be joynted and set together in the second review.

[Page 14] 15. After your own, to make use of other mens Inventi­ons:After the exercising of your own thoughts upon your subject (and not before) use the help of o­ther mens. Whose Writings you find to have handled something pertinent to it. For, if you exer­cise your own Meditation, after you have read theirs, most-what, the wit is not so active and loving of trouble; but that, like other bodies in motion, it will follow a Track and Rote made before it, rather, than its own Biass, and Force; And as unlikely as it is, before the seeing what others in the first place have done, that your inventions should coincidate with theirs; so difficult it is, after, that yours should vary from them. Be wary therefore of accepting in the first place the auxiliaries of your Books or of your memory: which (doing it without pains) is al­ways ready with the tendering of her provisions, though never so mean, to prevent the labours of the fancy.

[Page 15] To alter. To enla [...]ge them. Alter and concoct the matter received from others into your own stile; and improve it, as onely a hint given you, by many additions varying from it.

I. 2. Of disposing the invented matter in some order, and u­nder certain heads.IN all your Compositions, e­specially those of any length, upon all your Materials revised, a Division, and distribution of them under certain Heads, such as best fits them, is alwayes to be cast, and contrived; though not necessary alwayes to be mentioned, yet in many also not to be concealed. Which Division as, by having the several sorts of matter taken (as it were) out of a confused heap, and distinctly sorted by themselves, it much cleareth the Discourse, help­eth the Auditors judgment, and sheweth the Orators, so likewise it exceedingly facilitates the Tran­sitions, assisteth the Memory, [Page 16] guides the Oration steady from an uncertain and unequal fluctuation (like a weather-driven ship desti­tute of her Pilot) and makes it steer a certain and methodical course to the Point, whither the Orator designs it: By which also the Oration is freed from tedious­ness (Partitiotaedium levat, Quint. l. 4. c. 2.) Whilst the Auditors atten­tion more patiently passeththrough many moderate discourses, than one long: and it seemeth excessive to him for one subject, which for many, seems but short, and reaso­nable. In which by the Orators mentioning continually his Tran­sitions from one part to another he is refreshed to see, how much is already finished, and the bounds also of what is yet to come, ( minus longum videtur, in quo, quid ultimum sit, certum est. Quint.) and proceeds to a new subject with a more ere­cted attention. For the same rea­son, after a long discourse, Recapi­tulations arenecessary, that the Au­ditor [Page 17] may discern, that the Spea­ker is methodical.

2. Paucity of parts (not ordina­rily to exceed three or four) com­mends a division: and as a partiti­on is better, than the unity of a dis­course; so that partition is better, that doth not much recede from it. ( Neque prudentia auditoris confusione partium impedienda, neque memoria multitudine). And in the distribu­ting of your matter, you are chief­ly to look out, what is fittest to be first, and what to be last, said, that the beginnings and endings of all these may be the most weighty, which by the Auditor are most observed. ( Quae primò, aut postremò dicuntur, maximè inhaerent.)

3. For the composing therefore of a more accurate Discourse, I conceive these four things are to be observed;

1. The setting down your In­ventions confusedly; and the tran­scribing [Page 18] out of other Authors of what fits your purpose.

2. Partition, i. e. the seeing what Heads arise out of these ma­terials; the setting these Heads down, and marking each matter with several figures or letters in the Margent, shewing to which Head it belongs.

3. The ordering of these Heads.

4. The Composition of this mat­ter under every Head. But this Composition also is not to be done without some division, or gradation observed in it. (See sect. 3. n. 7.—sect. 6. n. 2 1.) There being no part of an Oration, but that hath also its parts.

1. 3. Of Transi­tions from one matter to ano­ther.THe several pieces of Inven­tion under each Head must next be sowed and tenanted toge­ther, and so let into one another, [Page 19] that seams and joynts may not ap­pear (unless where it is for our ad­vantage to shew them): but that the Oration may seem continuous, and all of one thread: which is done by several artifices.

2. 1. By some words relating to both.First, By bringing in such apt words into the close of one matter, as have some near relation and affinity also to the following; by which mediums they may seem fastened-together, and naturally drawing-in one another.

Examples (which for a great part I have taken out of Plinius Secundus his Panegyrick and Epistles, being an Author you are well acquainted with, where you may be pleased to see them more at large; for I am affraid I have obscured many of them by too much contracti­on.) Quod evenire contrà solet, magis admiratus sum, postquam penitus inspexi. Inspexi autem penitus; nihil à me ille secretum &c.—Amas Marcellinum, atque eti­am mihi saepe commendas; Amabis magis commenda­bisque, si cognoveris, &c.— Dabitur non cubiculum Prin­cipis, sed ipsum Principem cornore in publico, in populo, sedentem. Populo, cui locorum quinque millia adjecisti &c.—Quo magis scires, quam gratum mihi foret, si su­sciperes [Page 20] quod injungo. Injungo autem & pro rei magni­tudine &c. & pro &c.—vide Sect. 6. n. 16.

3. 2. By Compa­rison.2. By making some compa­rison (where the Transition is more discovered) between what pre­cedes and what follows. Where note, that any other Conjunctions, Discretive, Redditive, Conditional, Causal, Adversative, are more ele­gantly used, than that which is called the Copulative—As— seeing that—whereas—whilest—which besides that—although, &c. yet— whether this—or that, &c.—not one­ly, but also—if both, &c. It both, and also—which as it, &c. so it— which shall, &c. if first—This, not to &c. but to—If his justice &c. yet his clemency—(so Relatives are al­so used: Quem, illum—quo, eo—) which, as they serve for chains to link the several clauses of a period together; so likewise for signs, to suspend the Auditors attention, till that which corresponds to them, is inferred. Now this Com­parison usually is;

[Page 21] 4. 1. Of Cause and Effect,&c.1. Either of Cause, and effect, priority, and posteriority, between them; in time, nature, dignity, &c. As—

Plin. Quibus omnibus ita demum similis adolescet, si imbutus honestis artibus fuerit, &c. [and so he passeth to speak of his education in the liberalharts].

5. 2. Or of Si­militude. 2. Or of some similitude be­tween them; as-

Quoniam de genere belli dixi; nunc de magnitudine pauca dicam.—sit hoc inhumanitatis tuae; stultitiam in­credibilem vide [...]e.— Protexi viros optimos; Eosdem­que gratissimos; [and then he proceeds to speak of their gratitude] mihi certe debere se praedicant, &c.

6. 3. Or of Op­position.3. Or of Some Opposition.

Et hoc quidem virtutis praemium; illud solatium do­loris accepit, quod silio ejus &c.— Haec laus acti Consula­tus; illa dilati, quod, &c. [Thus proceeding to speak of laus dilati consulatus] Esto; sit in verbis tuis hic stupor: quanto in rebus sententi is que major.

7. 3. By Grada­tion.Or thirdly (which is the chief, and scarce ever to be omitted, and which renders all transitions very [Page 22] easie and graceful) by a certain gradation and ascent in the matter it self; leading the Auditor (fasti­dious enough in the greatest art) still from something less, to some­thing more considerable and weighty; Augeri debent sententiae, & insurgere, Quint. (as the Mer­chants best wares are shewed last) the stronger still seconding the more infirm; and that being set first, which placed last would ap­pear superfluous; or at least a fall from a former height. As—

Sed hoc utcunque tolerab [...]le; gravius illud, quod &c.— Ingens hoc meritum majus illud [thus proceeding to speak of another merit] See Tully Orat. 2. Philip. At beneficio sum usus tuo? Quo? 1. quanquam hoc, quod com­memoras, semper prae me tuli, &c. Sed quo beneficio? Quod me non occideris, &c. 2. At occidere non poteras. 3. Fac potuisse. Quale beneficium istud, &c. 4. Sed sit beneficium vel summum, in quo p [...]tes me dicere ingratum? &c.— Literas, quas me [...]ibi misisse diceret, recitavit; 1. Cujus inhumanitatis recitare palam literas?&c. Sed 2. quid in istis, quod mihi opponas? &c. Sed quid oppo­nas tandem, 3. si negem me unquam istas ad te misisse? &c. 4. At ego non nego. Quod enim verbum in istis non plenum humanitatis? &c. 5. At ego tuas literas [Page 23] proferre possum, in quibus &c.—ostendam 1. Causam non fuisse, cur a Praetore postulares, ut bona P. Quintii possideres? 2. Deinde ex edicto te possidere non potuisse; 3. Postremò non possedisse, Cic.

It ought to be no easie thing to condemn 1. a man of heresie; 2. much less a Church; least of all 3. so ample, and large a Church as the Greek; 4. especially so, as to make them no Church. B. Laud.—(See Sect. 7. Num. 3.)

8. 4. By Interro­gation▪Or fourthly, When Transi­tions are more difficult, they are not unelegantly ushered in, by the Orators making Interrogations him­self, or Objections from others.— As—

At beneficio sum usus tuo? Quo? &c.—(as before) —At dicet hic aliquis? At cui materi [...] hanc se [...]i [...]em praestiterunt? nempe veteri, &c.— Actaque est saepius cum magna varietate. Unde varietas? unde plures actio­nes? Cacilius &c.—[passing thus to another matter.] —(See Sect. 7. Num. 3, 4.)

1. 2. Elocution. THus much of 1. Invention, and Arguments; and 2. of the partition of them; Now 3. of Elocution. (Partes officii Oratorii, argumenta invenire; inventa dispo­nere; disposita exornare.)

And, in it, 1. first, concerning words. 2. Then of Periods; and of the various artificiall placing of the words in them. 3. Next, of the severall figures, and modes of live­lier and more passionate expressi­on. 4. of stiles. After which I shall adde something, 5. of Recita­tion. 6. of Pronuntiation. and 7. of Action.

2. 1. Of Words, To be avoided1. Concerning words.

1. Too many Consonants or Vowells comming together are to be avoided, as causing an ungrate­full sound.

Words of extraordinary length, [Page 25] to be rejected; 1. Words ill-sounding; Mo­nosyllables, &c. Monosyllables ((.i.) where Polysyllables may be had) more: the first making the lan­guage dull and slow, the other (by reason of their many consonants, and often endings) abrupt, and un­fluent (Monosyllaba, si plura sunt, malè continuabuntur; quia necesse est compositio multis clausulis concisa subsultet (Quint l. 9. c. 4.) Est enim in ipsâ divisione verborum latens tempus.) Hence compounds more elegantly used, than their simples.

3. * Words, smooth and sweeter-sounded (which happens by an e­qual mixture of vowels and conso­nants) are to be used rather than rough and harsh: [as, adore, for worship—assentation, for flattery: —levity, for lightness.] In speak­ing of things not sensitive, * words translated and figurative, which may present them as it were to the eve, rather than proper: [as, tears for grief]. Again, such words ra­ther, as are less common (so they be not obsolete, or new-forged); [Page 26] which, for their rarity, are more observed ((for we look on, words, as men; admire strangers, pass by domesticks): Especially this to be observed in Poetry:) so those de­rived from the Latine, if first made familiar by some use, are to be pre-chosen; being mostwhat far smoother, than the Saxon-English; and, (by reason of all Sciences de­livered chiefly in that tongue) more adaptated for many discourses. Where note, that Latine Nouns are more easily translated to our tongue, than verbs. as reverence, in­spection, loquacity, &c. because their terminations are, in other words of common use, made familiar unto us.

4. 2. Since languages undecli­nable, 7. Auxiliary and expl [...]tive. & that are without variati­ons of Moods, Person, Tense, in Verbs; and of Cases in Nouns, abound infi­nitely more in subservient mono­syllables; [as the Latine words habuit, authoris, are three words, [Page 27] each, in the English] these there­fore to be excluded, where they May (as often they may) be spa­red; (especially in verse) Now such exclusion may be made seve­ral wayes, of which I will set you down some (on condition that you will not censure me for descending to things of so trivial and common observation.) Such then are * the adjectiving of the Substantive, by adding [s] As

The sword of Caesar— Caesar's sword. Of the good­nesse of whom.—&c. of whose goodness: (so, their, for of them: what, whereof, wherewith, whereby, &c. for, that which, of which,

Example, He knoweth not that which he doth—He knoweth not, what he doth.)—

* The omitting of the Relative [ whom, which] in the oblique cases, when its antecedent immediately precedes, by putting its Preposition or sign after the verb (yet this to be forborn in the end of a Period, which Monosyllables do not so de­cently conclude, especialy the [Page 28] serviant). Example;

The thing of which we speak;—the thing we speak of.

* The changing of the subjun­ctive with its sign, into the Infini­tive, or Participle.

He endeavoured, that he might find out—He indea­voured to find out—I, when I saw, I seeing.—I, he be­ing absent, I, in his absence.—Rerum, quae ingenio exer­centur &c. Of things exercised by wit.—They shewed more craft, than they did valour,— more craft, than vae­lour. (vide n. 9.)

* The changing of the Pronoun and Verb into the Noun; or Verb into the Participle.

Those that teach, Teachers: That which is contained, the contents. Not knowing the contents.

Nisi quod aequiore animo ferunt homines, quem Prin­ceps parum fideliter genuit, quàm quem male elegit, —more patiently admit the unhappy issue, than the ill choice of Princes.

* The changing of the Passive verb into the Active; the Noun preceding this, that followed the other.

Her beauty was destroyed by paleness— Paleness de­stroyed her beauty.

So [ As, with, of, &c.] are ele­gantly spared, by the Noun being preposed. As

Thunder-strucken; Sea-green; &c. leisure-houres, [Page 30] hours of leisure. Chamber-pleasures, pleasures of the chamber.

* The avoiding or changing of the Auxiliar verbs [Sum, Habeo.] into some other of more weight.

Yet are the foresaid servients many times usefully retained, where they are necessary to make the repetition more vehement, and solemn.—Example;

In which they have suffered more losse far, than they have gotten praise. He indeavoured by force and terror, and fair speeches and rewards to obtain their con­sent.] More vehement [byforce, by terrors, by fair [Page 31] speeches, by rewards]—Obliged by so many covenants and benefits to so gracious a Lord] more pressing [by so many covenants, by so many benefits]—Their common power for order, and safety, was committed to one] more distinct [for order, for safety.]

3. Circumlo­cutory.5. 3. That not to be expressed in many words, which may be as fully in one. As

Compasse about, encompasse: agreed-together, com­bined: Bring in, import. Hold up, sustain. Go away, depart, &c.

Where the infelicity of the En­glish, by reason of Prepositions dis­joyned from the Verb, and so from verbal-nouns may in many words, be helped by recourse to the Latine compounds, such as are naturalized to this language; [as come between, intervene]: yet note, that some Prepositions in our own tongue there are, which may be prefixed at plea­sure, as un, dis, (un, negative, dis, pri­vative) re, fore, mis—so [lesse] to nouns; fatherlesse, foodlesse. So nouns, for brevity, are sometimes verba­lized: [Page 32] as, to complete, to contrary, to experience. Sometimes by [ fy] affixed; as, to make clear, to clari­fy, to beautify.

6. Terminations of Verbal Nouns [both Substantive and Adjective] may be varied lawfully, though they be not stamped and made current by former custome; and sometimes advantageously also; both 1. for the signification; (the termination much alteringit, some of them being augmentative, some diminutive; frequentative some; some of similitude; some expressing a quality, some an act, some a power, some a habit, &c.) and 2. for the sound; (some being more smart; or smooth, and mollifying, some more hard, polysyllable, polyconso­nant;) Adde to this, that verbs (where else circumlocution must be used) nominalized, do admit one termination familiarly, that suffer not another; and Latine words (where our language is deficient) [Page 33] Englished, unforcedly receive some or other of them, if discreetly applied. Several terminations are usual, such as these; beautiful beau­teous —doleful, dolorous—narra­tive, narration—contentment, con­tentednesse, contentation, content —temperance, temperatenesse, tem­per, temperament, temperature—ve­rity, veracity—standing, station— irremediable, remediless—white, whitish, whited, whiting—

Plurals are of a fuller significa­tion than singulars, and so many times more elegantly used. As splendors, beauties, sorrowes.

7 4. Tautologies Tautology, and often repeti­tion of the same word to be avoid­ed [ Cujus rationis ratio non extat, ei retioni ratio non est fidem habere]; except where it is used in the same sentence, by conversion, gradation, retorsion, &c. with much acuteness and elegancy (See sect. 6. num. 16.) The design of which is easily di­scerned from that reduplication, [Page 34] which in distinct sentences without any grace at all proceeds onely from defect of words.

Now any word is most easily varied, * By Synonymas, Metony­mies, Synecdoches, Metaphors, Circumlocutions.

See in Plini' s Panegyrick the varying of Domus to avoid Tautology—Ergo in vestigia sedesque nobilium im­migrant pares domini; nec jam clarissimorum virorum receptacula habitatore servo teruntur, aut faedâ vásti­tate procumbunt. Datur intueri pulcherrimas aedes de­terso situ auctas & vigentes. Magnum hoc tuum non er­ga homines modò, sed erga tecta ipsa meritum, solitudi­nem pellere, ingentia opera eodem, quo extructa sunt, ani­mo ab interitu vendicare.— Muta quidem illa & animâ carentia sentire quidem & laetari videntur, &c.

Or at least * by a gentle defle­xion of the same word, in chang­ing the substantive with the adje­ctive, or adverb; the verb active, with the passive, or the participle, or the noun:

As Magna merita; magnitudo meritorum—Doctissimus; nemo doctior.—Alii judicent; aliorum esto judicium—ju­dicare, judicatum, judicaturus, ad judicandum, judican­di causâ, ut judicet.

[Page 35] 8 5. Omoptota's disjoyned.5. Omoptota's and words of the like termination, being a sound next to Tautologies, are to be, to a certain distance, severed: or, where they cannot be so, avoided: for as, divided, they make in the sentence a very sweet and grateful rythme; so, concurring, they have a very harsh and unpleasing accent. E­xample: ‘Clarorum exempla virorum—nemo illorum inimicus mihi fuit voluntarius—2. Phil.—Gravitate, prudentia, fide propè singulari—Titulis, imaginibus, signis.—’ [so almost in all Asyndetons one of them is chosen of a different ter­mination.]

9 6. In the se­cond clauses of a Period words needless not to be re­peated.6. Repeat not, in the se­veral clauses of a period, words, by being expressed in one, suffici­ently understood in the rest; such a conciseness, not onely avoiding a kind of Tautology, but savouring of a great deal more acuteness, force, and clearness of conceit [Page 36] ( frustr a per plura, quae per pauciora) especially in those things, which are not meditated to be spoken (which require a looser and diffu­sed style) but written to be read. Example: ‘Defendi rempublicam adolescens, non deseram senex.— —Contempsi Catilinae gladios, non pertimescam tuos.’ which words common to both clauses are pro libitu sometimes placed in the beginning, sometimes in the end, sometimes in the middle of the sentence.

In this Figure Tacitus very fre­quent; serving many nouns, and several cases of them, with one verb (though to some of them it be a little improper) rather then entertaining any redundance.

Essigiem animalis, quo monstrante errorem sitimque depulerant, sacravere.—Adversus sontes miseratio orie­batur, tanquam, non utilitate publica, sed in saevitiam unius, absumerentur.—Necare quenquam ex agnitis, ne­fas, animasque peremptorum aeternas, putant.—Eadem de infernis persuasio, coelestium contrà.—Cui cauta potius consilia cum ratione, quàm prospera, ex casu, plac [...]erant.—

n. 1. 2. Of PeriodEVery Period is constituted of two members at least, except it be a sentence: but to speak al­wayes sententiously, is not Orator­like; since they, being single Pro­positions, are not Reasoning; and many of them together, if with­out connexions, but implicite ar­gumentation at most. But since all reasoning, the concisest, is an En­thymem, and must have two Propo­sitions; hence must Periods have so too: And matter also, sententi­ously delivered, is then granted to be more graceful, stately, and ob­served, when, either the whole sense hath a duplication, by a va­ried expression; (a piece of Rhe­torick constantly observed by the gravity of the Hebrew, and other Eastern languages and people); or some part or word thereof at least, is synonymized; as of which we [Page 38] would make a fuller impression. As:

Miserat etiam Epistolas Romam jactantes, & glorio­sas, &c—Ne satietate & taedio quodam justitia cogno­scentium, severitasque languesceret. (vide sect. 6. n. 17.

2 1. Exact corre­spondency 1. of the se­veral branches therein.Every Period then consists of two (and the best (say the Masters of this Art) of four) branches. Now in these, tis one of the chief­est Rules in Oratory, that there al­wayes be a correspondency, and exact similitude (as far as the matter will permit) of every particle of one branch to those of another; every reddition ecchoing, as it were, to the proposition foregoing, every ac­cent thereof. But if any exceed, the last clause rather to be the lon­ger. Which is to be observed, not onely in the length of sentences, but of words; among which a multisyllable better answers a mo­nosyllable precedent, then a mono­syllable a multisyllable.

Yet monosyllables correspond better to monosyllables: as the [Page 39] words [ fear] and [ love] correspond better than [ fear] and [ affection]: and words of a like cadence, better than of a diverse; as the words [ experience] and [ science] corre­spond better than [ experience] and [ knowledge].

Wheresoever therefore you perceive a halting in the Period, some expletives (than which no­thing is easier) must be inserted, though the sense were before per­fect— and it makes the reddition more full to use rather synonyma's to a former word, than relatives to it [ It, these, them. &c.]

Ut oratio, quae scripta placet, recitata non probetur. i. e. non place at.— Which though religion did not com­mend to us, yet civil prudence could not but extol.

So likewise that matter is many times better divided into several like clauses, which may be involv'd all in one. As

[It is great inhumanity to deprive those men, who are confessed to have done no wrong, of their rights] Bet­ther [Page 40] us [It is, &c. to deprive those men of their rights, who are confessed to have done no wrong.]

And, to advance this parity the voice (Active or Passive) Tenses, Cases, &c. are, as much as may be, to be continued, the same, and un­varied, through the several parts of the sentence. Which uniformity of phrase much helpeth perspicui­ty. (See sect. 7. num. 14.) Examples of such parity in the branches of a Period.

Te miror, Antoni, quorum facta imitere, eorum exitus non perhorrescere—Alterum peto à vobis, ut pro me dicen­tem, benignè; alterum ipse efficiam, ut contra illum cum dicam, attentè, audiatis.—Verum implicata inscitia, im­pudentia est, si nec scit, quod Augurem, nec facit, quod pudentem [...]ecet.—Nunc enim nihil legere, nihil scribere, aut assidenti vacat, aut auxio libet.—

3 2. Of the parts of any branch.And as for whole Periods, so for any part thereof doubled, when the rest is not; a correspondency of the several particles of it, as far as the sense will permit, is not to be neglected. Example:

[Page 41] The proud oftentation of mens abilities for Inventi­on; and the vain affectation of varieties for expressi­ons, merit not the name, &c.

4 2. Advanta­geous trans­position of the words.Next concerning the placing of the several words in a Period: Transposition of them diverse from the Grammatical construction, espe­cially in Languages distinguishing Numbers, Tenses, Cases, by their proper terminations (by which they become much less liable to ambi­guity) hath alwayes been practised, and is of much use (provided that our style by this be not much ob­scured). Fit frequentissimè aspera &, dura, & dissoluta & hians oratio, si ad necessitatem ordinis verba redi­gantur, &c. differenda igitur quaedam, & praesumenda: nec aliud potest sor­monem facere numerosum, quàm op­portuna ordinis mutatio. Quint. Example:

Quae res in Civitate duae plurimum possint, eae contra nos ambae faciunt, in hoc tempore summa gratia, & eloquen­tia.

[Page 42] 5 Of much use (I say)

1. 1. For Empha­sis.For the adding of a greater emphasis to words most considera­ble. So since the beginnings and ends make deepest impression (there being some stay still, before the one, and after the other) 'tis fit the weightiest words should there be placed. Therefore 'tis usu­al, * to commence with things, ra­ther than persons: with the Accusa­tive, rather than the Nominative; which also may have more refe­rence to what next precedes: again, * to conclude with that, without which the sense is not perfect (to keep the Auditor in an attentive su­spense, till all is said:) and upon which the rest chiefly depend; which is commonly a Verb a Partici­ple or Adjective; words much-what of the same power: and all of much more than the rest, being words expressing some action or passion about the rest. Verbo sen­sum claudere, multò, si compositio pa­tiatur, optimum est. In vrbis enim­sermonis [Page 43] vis inest. Quint. l. 9. c. 4. ( Vide exemp sect. 5. num. 12.)

6 2. 2. For Con­nexion. For the apter Connexion, that so those words might be pla­ced together, which have neerer dependance one of another (as the oblique cases alwayes have on others): without which location, doubt many times happens, in tongues that are, in their Cases and Tenses, invariable; so the confirma­tion of any thing claims the next place to it, with an Orator, who above all things ought to regard perspicuity.

7 3. 3. For Accent and suspended gravity of the speech.For the sweeter Symphony and Accent. So the Period is hand­somly interwoven, and gravely su­spended by Interpositions between, (generally) all Correspondents; which, as also Omoptota's accord better, being severed. So Nomi­natives, and Verbs; Accusative and Verb; Substantive and Adjective; [Page 44] are many times with more elegan­cy dis-joyned.

8 4. 4. For the sweeter Ca­dence, and Rythme.Words either the same, or several, of the same termination, (or (in the unlearned Languages) words of the same part of speech and relating to one another [whe­ther Substantives, Adjectives, Par­ticiples, or Verbs.]) being artificial­ly disposed and interchanged, do confer a much better Rythme and Harmony to the speech, and a grea­ter correspondency (or sometimes a variation, pleasanter than it) to the clauses. And this several wayes.

9 1. 1. In like be­ginnings of several clauses. Either when by them * the beginnings of the several clauses accord. As

Liber offensis, liber gratiâ, liber & secundis casibus & adversis, caret.— Habebat puer mannulos multos vinctos & solutos: habebat canes majores, minoresque: habebat luscinias, psittacos, merulas.—

[Page 45] So in words of like termination—

Ubi aut jucundiùs morarentur, quàm in patriâ? aut pudicitiùs continerentur, quàm sub oculis parentum, &c.—

10 2. Or * the Ends accord.

Poenos Populus Romanus justitia vincit, armis vincit, liberalitate vinicit.—Quis eos postulavit? Appius. Quis produxit? Appius,&c.—

So in words of like sound—

Nunc enim nihil legere, nihil scribere, aut assidenti vacat, aut anxio libet.—Recta ingenia debilitat verecun­dia, perve [...]sa confirmat audacia.—Ipse est studiosus, li­teratus, etiam disertus.—Puer simplicitate, comitate ju­venis, senex gravitate.

11 3. 3. In both like Or, * both, the beginnings, and ends of both, accord.

Ut est in summa avaritia sumptuosus, in summa infa­mia gloriosus, &c.

4. 4. In the be­ginning of one, and end of the other like, &c.Or lastly; * the beginning of the former with the end of the lat­ter: and the end of the former, [Page 46] with the beginning of the latter: Thiis inversion being sometimes more grateful for its varying. As;

Multa super Priamo rogitans, super Hectore multa.— Bene est mihi, quia tibi bene est.—

So in like-ending words.

Quid autem illo aut fidelius amico, aut sodale jucundius?— Saluti eorum potius consulam, quàm voluntati.— Quae in Senatu saepe ab inimicis, ab improbis saepe jactata sunt.—Detestanda avaritia illius, qui tam multa concu­piscebat, cùm haberet super vacua tam multa.—

12 Transposition of words in tongues mo­dern, and un­declined.Although these transpositions are more incident to the learned tongues, yet of them the modern are not wholly destitute; w ^ch because they be most are not made use of; or never used by design, but onely by chance; It (perhaps) may not be amiss here to set you down some examples of those which our own Tongue is capable of which I have borrowed out of Hooker, one in our Language very eloquent. Where you may see, that we also have [Page 47] a graceful liberty.

1. * Of observing many of those elegancies in the correspondent be­ginnings and endings of sentences, exemplified before in the Latine tongue (where the apt disposing of words of the same part of speech, and that have some relation to one another (especially of Verbs and Participles) is many times very Emphaticall and Graceful) Exam­ple.

It is but justice to exact of you; and perverseness it is in you to deny, &c. Your teachings we heard; we read your writings.—Gross for men of this quality; wise, and grave, men.—They thought it better, to be somewhat hardly yoked at home, than for ever abroad discredited.—the exercise of this kind of judgement our Saviour required in the Jews, in them of Beraea, the Scripture commendeth it.—wherein they which did impose were holy, and they unrighteous, which did bear the burden.—I need not give instance in any one sentence so alledged, for that I think the instance in any alledged otherwise a thing not easie to be given.— They accuse you, and against you they plead—For one kind as many reasons may be brought, as for another.— Though in which we are, oftener, than they, mistaken.— They will sell your bodies, your wives, &c. all these [Page 48] things; and if there be ought else &c. they will sell.— these be the two fair supporters, &c. either the in­ducing tyrannie, or the reducing.—Shewing how good, how gainful, how happy, it must needs be.—How shall a man know to do himself this right, how to perform this honorable duty.—None hath brought ceremony on more, or more driven holiness out.—And by how much the less contentious it is, by so much it will be more Christian.

2. * Of ending many times with the Verb or Adjective.

For in a Civil State, more in-sight, and in those affairs more experience, must needs be granted them.—Forced to confess, that, with whom the truth is, they know not.—That evil spirit, which is, even in his illusions strong—As the simple sort are, even when they see no apparent cause, jealous.—His vehement requests herein, as touching both points, were satisfied.—Some things are so plain, that truth, from falshood, is, most easily discerned.—which thing though in it self most ture, yet is, in your defence most weak.—Yea they are, of their due and deserved sufferings, no less proud, than &c.—Be found, unto all kinds of knowledge, a Step-mother.

3. * Of placing the Accusative Case (and so the Infinitive Mood) before the Nominative, and before the Verb.

[Page 49] To do as the Church of Geneva did, the learned in some other Churches must needs be more willing.— somewhat needs ye must do—Dangerous it was, &c.— The other they would rather accept—Two things of principal moment there are—

4. * Of dividing and transpo­sing the Substantive and Adje­ctive.

The description is, as suted best to those times, typi­cal and shadomy.—yet we shall find them broken well-nigh all, by &c.—Practising to subdue the mighty things of this world by things weak.—And the jurisdictive power in the Church there ought to be none at all. &c.— Wayes of peaceable conclusion there are but these two certain—so that of peace and quietnesse there is not any way possible— As for any other means withour this, they seldom prevail.—

5. * Of placing the oblique cases with their signs or prepositions [of, to, from,&c.] (which being depen­dents on others, are not so fit to conclude the sense) before the verb they are governed of; or be­tween the Auxiliar Verbs and the Participle or Adjective following it; and in any part of the sentence: [Page 50] as is seen in many of the former examples.

13 And most of these are done by the advantages of some Relatives, or other Pleonasms of speech, ordinari­ly used for this purpose; which also many times render the sense more distinct, full, and pressing; see the former examples.

14 Lastly, for all Rythme and Cor­respondency of like Moods, Tenses, Cases, in the several branches of a Period, though in modern Tongues we have not a like termination of the same Cases, to make these Con-sonancies, yet have we like signs, or prefixes going before them; so that, if there be a like ending in theirs, ours have a like beginning. As

Homini, Pecudi. To a man, To a beast.

III n. 1. 3—Of the Or­naments of speech; Figures.THus much for Periods. Next, concerning the several Orna­ments, Figures, and Habits for setting out the matter more speci­ously, and making our Inventions more lively, and plausible; grave, and perswasive; now such are, E­pithets, Metaphors, Similes, Ampli­fication, &c.

2 1. 1. Epithets Epithets; useful especially in de­scriptions, and in metaphors; without which the speech shews incompt and naked; yet is it likewise too much clogged, and hindered, if it be loaded with too many. Which inconuenience sooner happens to the Latin tongue, than to the En­glish: they there (being multisylla­bles), too much swelling the phrase; & either causing a harsh superfluity of like terminations, or else forcing a dislocation of the words too [Page 52] much poetical, and obscure; as we see in those Writers, who much use them: Barclay.

Novo cogitabam ludibrio suspectas saevire blanditias.

But here (being many of them monosyllables) giving the style but a just cloathing, and freeing it from all hiatus, and emptinesse. Besides, the English (as S. Ph. Sidney observ­eth) hath an elegant way of ex­pressing them (much beyond the Latin) in a dexterous decomposition of two, or three words together. As:

[Page 53] [which Compositions monosylla­bles fit best.]

3 Note, that for the Orator's de­sign in using Epithets, Participles, present, future, preterit, as also Verbal-adjectives (as, Dominatrix animi cupiditas) and all Appositions whatsoever, are, as serviceable, and often more, than simple Adje­ctives. As:

O Domine Domine, qui inclinasti coelo; & descendisti &c. quibus modis te insinuasti—

Dicam in auribus Dei mei, Domini mei, & Regis mei, qui est in excelso.—

And those many times, that are contrary to the nature of the thing they are joyned to, yet are the best expressive of our sense. As S. Aug.

Istae; laetitiae meae [...]lendae cum laetandis maeroribus con­tendebant. —Ego Hydram &c. expertus sum tam [...] exitio, ut territi Gentiles in haec amplius portent a non in­currant.—

[Page 54] Again many times the reason of things preposed, is, expressed (or, being expressed before, reite­rated) by way of Epithet, not more briefly, than elegantly. As:

Suspecti, invisique, juvenis caedem destinavere.—i. e. quia suspectus erat & invisus.—

The Orator's Epithets being not (like the Poets, or those of Homer inferred for verse-sake), to set down some unnecessary quality of the thing, but some way to advan­tage also the discourse. Examples:

As calme in the description of his saddest condition, as of his serenest fortune.—A constant soul, which none of his sad infelicities can alter.—God on whom his patient eyes do wait for better help.—Men of the next sad and miserable age will attribute.—By long deb [...]te and toilsom rowing against the impetuous tides of ig­norance— striving with faint and wearisome steps, du­ring this hazardous voyage.—

4 2. 2. Metaphors. Metaphors. (used chiefly in Descriptions) which are similitudes contracted to a word; whereby we endeavour, not so much to ren­der [Page 55] our conceits intelligible to the Auditors reason, as to paint them visible to his sense. For things of sense onely illustrate; and a­mongst them, those of sight, most. Those expressions therefore are most significant, which are borrow­ed, and translated to our matter from things amongst which our life is much conversant; as from Buildings; Plants; Seasons of the year; Navigation; Astronomy; All sorts and all qualities of Bodies; Physick; Husbandry; Mechanicks; Military discipline; any ingenious Arts and Professions, &c. (See the examples thereof num. 8.) which so soon as named, the well-ac­quainted Auditor with ease, as it were prognosticates the rest of the discourse, and applies them further than the speaker ( Illud facile acci­piunt animi, quod agnoscunt). And they commonly thrive better in the ground of a large and open style (where, by many explicati­ons, and duplicated expressions, [Page 56] clearing one the other, they have room enough to shoot out to some fair extent) than in a Laconick, and strict one, which scarce toucheth, before it quits, them. In them,

5 1. To be, Not obscure.Take heed, first, that they be not obscure; and a comment be required to explain the Metaphor, which is inferred to explain the thing. 2. 2. Not below. That they be not below, and depress the subject, which are brought to elevate and advance it. (As, to call the Sun the Taper of the day,&c.) unless your purpose be to disparage. 3. 3. Not too much. That they be not too, much: for so like colours laid on too thick, instead of giving a gloss to, they by little and little, obscure the sense. ( Metaphors, in­deed, never being the most proper expression, though many times the best). Besides; so, they betray affectation, (alwayes odious). Last­ly; so, they become, though ne­ver so good, by their nimiety fasti­dious, and no more appearing good. [Page 57] ( Quae sunt commodissima; desinunt videri, cum paria esse coeperunt.) To set out the light of a picture, there must be some shadow intermixt. 4. 4. Not chan­ged. That they be not often changed in the same period; but that, with what Metaphor the sentence begins, it be ended.

6 Amongst Metaphors are num­bred all those expressions * where­in, to things inanimate, are attribu­ted the nobler actions of life: or, to qualities, &c. the actions of a person. Example:

—It is gone, and the place thereof shall know it no more.—Audite, audite P. C. & cognoscite reip. vulne­ra. —Sed urbes & regna celeriter tanta nequitia devo­rare potuisset? Me quidem miseret parietum ipsorum, atque tectorum. Quidenim unquam domus illa viderat nisi pudicum? &c. Peccarem in amicitiam tuam—i. e. in Te amicum—Iam quod tergum crudeli supplicio la­cerasti vindicabit atrocior stylus &c.—In tanta solita­rius frequentia expecto benignitatem hospitii, quod di­luat, &c.—Quanquam facio his, &c. injuriam humanitati vestrae—Et hoc est, quod promiserat liberalis vultus, &c.— Et caenae moras fallo ingenti, &c.—Misertum est querela­rum mearum numen propitium, &c.—Puduit solem diu­tius [Page 58] haec videre, & servitutem meam libera solutaque nocte occuluit—Postquam decoctum tota nocte dolorem prima lux sopiverat &c.—

His lachrymis veniam damus, & miserescimus ultrò.

Or, * wherein to Concretes, the names of their Abstracts. As:

Habet aviam maternam Serenam, nostri saeculi mo­res. Eucolpus noster, ille seria nostra, ille deliciae.—Quo laudabilius testamentum est; quod pietas, fides, pudor, scripsit.—

—Hoc Tibi—

Mittimus, O rerum faelix Tutela, salus (que). i.e. Domitianus.

Or (contrary) wherein to acci­dents the names of their subjects: As:

For darknesse, night; nights of sorrow: for light, the eye; the eye of reason: for deepness, pit, dungeon,&c. for glory, a crown.—concavity, womb.—roundnesse, circle.

7 An Allegory also is onely a long-prosecuted Metaphor, which, when used, ought to be mixed with some interwoven expressions, proper and plain; that as the one makes it ele­gant, [Page 59] the other may make it un­derstood.

8 Several examples of Metaphors and Allegories borrowed from the subjects forenamed ( n. 4.)

Now was the winter of his prosperity at hand, and the leaves of his prosperous fortune ready to fall, and that of Cyrus in its flower and first spring.—A Prince, whom without assentation, I may be bold to call, the sweetest and fairest blossom that ever budded either out of the white or red Rosary.—For to make a strong party at the shutting up of the evening of our late Soveraign.—You intended a forestalment of the Kings lawful claim, when the fruit should fall from the wasted Tree: and the fainting Sun, whose beams about that time begun to wax both dim and waterish, must of necessity set in our Hemispheare.—The common law would punish Treason in the very heart, if the eye of Inquisition could extend so far—A tyrant builds the whole body of his State upon the Columns of fear.—

Princes fear not the fires are kindled in forreign States, before some spark light on their neighbours houses, or their own Palaces.—The Pope more mode­rate, &c. had not cut off as yet the King formally, as a withered or unfruitful branch.—To discover by what de­grees [Page 60] this mysterie of ambition began to mine into the strength of Monarchy.—Necessity forcing them to a­bate their sails in a storm of distress.—

Their chiefest study, to be protected under the wings of the secular State.—Thus we see with what tender­nesse he opened that vein, which he knew apt to bleed above the measure of the Doctors prescription—Seeing it dangerous, in a body so diseased, to change or stir any thing, seeing all alterations set humors on working.— None of Natures greatest secrets are so oreshadowed with an impenetrable veile, but that the diligent and wary hand of reason may unmask them.—So long as the plow of persecution made deep furrows on the backs of godly Bishops, it rent up all those weeds of ambiti­on, &c. which, in calm seasons, are apt to spring out of the rank grounds of origenal infirmity.—The old com­pass of honor is quite forgot, and our Pilots now adayes know no other root then that of their own fortunes; according to which they tack and untack all publick affaires. Whilest the goodly vessels of this State, mis­guided, &c. are sometimes run aground upon the sands of shallow and uncertain policy; or are kept at anchor in the deep gulf of security; where they take in more matter of ruine and corruption in six moneths, than can be pumped out again in seven years. Whilest the heavens never blew more favourably for our advantage if we had the grace to have fitted our sails to the fairnesse of the occasion.—

See many such patterns in Bacons [Page 61] Henry 7. and the Earl of Northam­ptons speech against the gun-pow­der-Traitors.

9 3. 3. Similies, ex­pressed 1. With a Note. Similitudes, which are very variously expressed.

* Sometimes with the note of similitude.

Ut quidam, morbo aliquo, & sensus stupore, suavitatem cibi non sentiunt; Sic libidinosi, avari, faci [...]o [...]osi, verae laudis gustum non habent.— Ut enim faces ignem assiduâ concussione custodiunt; dimissum agerrimè reparant; Sic & dicentis calor, & audientis intentio, continuatione ser­vatur, intercapedine & quasi remissione languescit.

2. Without.* Sometimes without.

Ira est equus indomitus.— Penelope venit, abit He­lena: —Maria videmus, qua parte [...]uvios accipiunt, eâ, aquarum accessu dulcescere. Ut mirum non sit, si orator assiduo poetici fontis haustu peregrinum inde saporem ducat.—

3. Before.* Sometimes before the matter, they illustrate.

4. After.* Sometimes after.

Ac sicut veremur, ne quibusdam pars aliqua non probe­tur, ita confidimus, ut universitatem omnibus varietas ipsa commendet;—Nam & in ratione conviviorum, quamvis à plerisque cibis singuli temperemus, totam tamen coenam laudare cuncti solemus—Although he want weight of matter, yet hath he plenty of words: Vessels never give so great a sound, as when they are empty.— Quintilian [Against too frequent using of sentences]— Sint ista, ut voles, ornamenta, & lumina Orationis; sint stellae, ac sydera, quibus sese irradiet eloquentia: at non ubique sy­deribus, coelum constat; & annulis gemmisque onerare di­gitos articulosque omnes plebeiis in more est.—Ego vero haec lumina orationis, velut oculos quosdam esse eloquen­tiae credo, sed neque oculos esse toto corpore velim.—

4. By Questi­on.* Sometimes proposed interro­gatively.

Munera magna quidem misit, sed misit in hamo:

Et piscatorem piscis amare potest?

Unaquaeque arbor alit, quod genuit; & non alet mater suo lacte liberos?—

6. The Simile onely explain­ed.* One while the simile explain­ed, not the thing.

[Page 63] Hypponax similis est vespae; non magnum quidem mur­mur excitat, sed acriter pungit: Demosthenes, tibiis; quibus si collum demas, reliquum erit inutile.—

7. The thing onely.* Elsewhere the thing explained, the Simile onely mentioned. ‘Quemadmodum lag [...]na aquam, ita animus hominis in­grati beneficia, facile admittit, sed reddit cum murmure & querelâ.—’ [an Orator being never to observe one certain Tract, though abso­lutely the best.]

10 4. 4. Dissimilies and Contra­ries. Dissimilitudes; or Compari­sons with, and illustrations by Con­traries — Contraria juxta se posita magis elucescunt. This conducing much also to the suspension, and gravity; parity and equal ballan­cing of a sentence.

11 ExpressedWhich Dissimilitudes are expres­sed, * 1. By Disjun­ction. either by Disjunction,

Non sapiens, sed astutus; non fortis, sed audax fuit.— Nam literae ex periculo ejus tantum discrimen adierunt, quantum ex salute, gloriae cansequentur.—Habet assenta­tio [Page 64] jucunda princi [...]i [...], exitus amarissimos.— Plus hujus inopia possit ad misericordiam, quam illius opes ad cru­delitatem. — Quod nequaquam blandum auribus imperi­torum, tanto majorem apud doctos habere gratiam debet, quanto minorem apud indoctos habet.—

Each place handsome without curiosity, and homely without loathsomness.— Neque enim satis amarint bo­nos principes, qui malos satis non oderint.— Visus es mihi in scriptis meis annotasse quaedam ut tumida, quae ego sublimia, ut improba, quae ego audentia, ut nimia, quae ego plena, arbitrabar—.

2. By Conver­sion.* Or by Commutation and Inver­sion and several wayes of compa­ring together, and reflecting upon them.

Edere oportet ut vivas: non vivere ut edas.—

Scis, ut sicut diversa natura dominatio & principatus; ita non aliis esse principem gratiorem, quam qui maxime dominum graventur.—Regulus filium amisit; hoc uno malo indignus, quod nescio, an malum putet.

Parvula nam exemplo est magni formica laboris.—

13 3. By Denomi­nation.* Or by denominating them al­so one of another. Which be­cause commonly not done with­out strength of fancy in the Ora­tor, is the more remarked and ad­mired by the Auditor, much taken [Page 65] to see opposites agree, and contra­dictions true. —(Nihil magis elo­quentiam, quam ancipitia commen­dant. Multi advertunt, quod eminet, & extat. Plin.)

Quisquis ubique habitat, Maxime, nusquam habitat.—

Queritur se diem quod non perdiderit, perdidisse.— [ spoken of some well-imployed against their will.] His infructuosos esse, magnus fructus est.—Est enim quaedam etiam dolendi voluptas, prasertim si in amici sinu defleas.—Discrimina dignitatum, si confusa, turbata, permista sunt; nihil est ipsa aequalitate inaequalius.—I­deoque vincta quaedam quasi solvenda de industriâ sunt; illa quidem maximi laboris, ne laborata videantur.— Summae artis est, celare artem—Homine [...]ne Romanum tam Graece loqui? non mediùs fidiùs ipsas Athenas tam Atticas dixerim.—Super est, ne rursus Provinciae, quod damnasse dicitur, placeat; agatque poenitentiam poenitentiae suae.—Quos ego cum recordor, in re inani, frigidâ, assiduâ, tam insatiabiliter decidere; capio ali­quam voluptatem, quod hac voluptate non capior.—

Linivit flores malesicis succis, & in venenum mella con­vertit—

[Page 66] 14 5. 5. Amplification. Amplifica­tion. Done many wayes: Especially 1. By Repeti­tion; or 2. By Multiplication of the expression; or 3. By Enumera­tion of parts; 4. Or by Aetiology.

15 1. 1.—By repe­tition of the same words. By Repetition. Which by how much it shews more passion in the speaker, by so much makes deeper impression on the hearer: fixing his fancy ( remuent, and vo­latile) upon one object; and there­on insensibly still winding up his passion higher; which usually, upon any divertisement to another thing, grows remiss and runs sud­denly down again.

This is more decently used, where there is something interpo­sed, and when it also bringeth with it some new additions. Example:

Vos, vos appello, fortissimi viri.— Majus his, majus patrat Medea monstrum.— Hunc unum diem; hunc u­num inquam, hodiernum diem, hoc punctum temporis, quo loquor, defende, si potes, cur armatorum coronâ sena­tus septus est. 2. Philip.—Non es commotus, cum tibi mater pedes amplescretur, non es commotus.

[Page 67] Quicquid illud est, ibi Nebridius meus vivit, dulcis ami­cus meus, ibi vivit: nam quis alius tali animae locus? Ibi vivit: unde me multa interrogavit, &c. Quibus tenere cogebar Aeneae nescio cujus errores, oblitus errorum meo­rum; & plorare Didonem mortuam, quis se occidit ob amorem; cum interea meipsum in his à te morientem, Deus, Vita mea, siccis occulis ferrem miserrimus. Quid enim miserius misero non miserante seipsum: & flente Didonis mortem quae fiebat amando Aeneam, non flente au [...]em mortem suam, que fiebat amando te?—

16 And hither are to be referred all those second reflexions of the fancy, and various retorsions, con­versions and commenting upon the precedent matter and words (either to give reasons of it. ( vide n. 22. &c.); or further to prosecute, and augment it; or to qualify, as it were, and correct it.)—Wherein the wit doth most triumph, to sport and shew it self, its subtility, its fecundity, in raising variety of Musick, out of the several touches and stops onely of the same string— Examples of Conversion;

Et tamen non de meo, sed aliorum judicio loquor: qui sive judicant, sive errant, me delectant: unum precor, ut [Page 68] posteri quoque aut errent similiter, aut judicent.—

—Nam parvulum differt, patiaris adversa, an expectes: nisi quod tantùm est dolendi modus, non est timendi: doleas enim quantum scias accidisse, timeas, quantum possit ac­cidere.— Et admones & rogas, ut suscipiam absentis Co­relliae causam; Quod admones, gratias ago; quod rogas, queror; Admoneri enim debeo, ut sciam; rogari non de­beo, ut faciam; quod mihi non facere turpissimum est.— Nec ignor [...] alios hujusmodi casus nihil ampliùs vocare, quam damnum, eoque sibi magnos homines & sapientes videri: qui an magni sapientesque sint, nescio: certà ho­mines non sunt.

Vt laud [...]ri juvenes in bonis mallent, ita ad pejora lau­de ducuntur.—Me praedia materna parum commode tra­ctant, delectant tamen ut materna.—Quid indignor? Ri­dere satius est; ne se magnum quid adeptos putent, qui huc foelicitate, perveniunt, ut videantur.—Est eadem o­pinio cujusdam eruditissimi, quo magis adducor, ut neu­trum falli putem, cum non credibile est, utrumque falli.— Habet has vices conditio mortalium, ut ex secundis adver­sa, ex adversis secunda noscantur.—Et sine aemulo secum certare &c. ac sicut imperat solus, solus ita esse, qui debeat imperare.—Etenim cum artifex ejusmodi sit, ut solus dignus videatur esse, qui in scena spectetur, tamen vir ejusmodi est ut solus dignus videatur, qui eo non accedat.— lta fit, ut omnia grata sint, quae facis, licet gratiae causa nihil facis. Amatur quidem à me: judicio tamen meo obstat charitas hominis, quae ex judicio nata est.—Tan­tus audic [...]di, quae fecerint, pudor, quibus nullus faciendi, quae audire erubescunt.—Ut satius est, unum aliquid in­signiter facere, quam plurima mediocriter: ita plura me­diocriter, [Page 69] si non potes aliquid unum insigniter.—Edicat quid absumpserit, ita fiet, ut non absumat, quod pudeat di­cere.— Hodie confiteris peccata; & cras iterum perpetras confessa.—Nulla enim studia tanti sunt, ut amicitiae offi­cium des [...]ratur, quod sanctissimè custodiendum studia ip­sa praecipiunt— Who avoids not pride, with not know­ing her excellencies: but by making that one of her ex­cellencies, to be void of pride.—As their courage was guided with skill, so their skill was armed with cou­rage. —He cunningly in making greater the fault, made the faultinesse lesse, and in seeming to desire nothing but death as ashamed to live, he the more begged life, in the refusing of it.—Though they liked not the evil he did, yet they liked him that did the evil; and though not counsellors of the offence, yet protectors of the offender.—

Examples of Reflexion by way of Correction.

Quibus ex causis necesse est tanquam immaturum mor­tem ejus in sinu tuo defleam: si tamen fas est, aut flere, aut omnino mortem vocare, qua tanti viri mortalitas, po­tius quam vita, finita est.—Quas ille leges, si modo le­ges nominandae sunt, ac non faces.—Quippe qui vicesimo & quinto demum (tot enim annis regnum tenuit; si qui­dem vi & libidine omnia agere, regnare est) liberam vocem audivit.— Potest fortasse Princeps inique, potest tamen, odio esse nonnullis, etiamsi ipse non oderit.—&c.— [Page 70] Unde potest avidus captae Leo parrcere praede?

Sed tamen esse tuus dicitur, ergo potest.—

Postea revisa & purgata in librum grandem quidem, unum tamen coarctasse.— Audivimus quidem te omne munus consulis obiisse,— sed audivimus, &c.

So for Authorities (Divine, or Humane); Axioms; Proverbs; words of more moment; it adds much to their force and weight, if they be cited first in their own, or a forreign language, and then repeated in the vulgar: yet more, if they be read out of the book. All more fixing the Auditors in­tention upon them.

17 By Multi­plication of the like ex­pression.By Multiplication of the expres­sion. Nam plerisque longiore tra­ctu vis quaedam & pondus accedit: utque corpori ferrum, sic oratio ani­mo non ictu magis quam morâ, im­primitur. Plin. lib. 1. Ep. 20.— And nothing is more Orator-like than this (especially in a sterile, and jejune subject) to agitate, spread and mould the same lump of matter, after many divers fa­shions; [Page 71] to change and invert the figure, parts, order, ornaments, of our speech, and in such a man­ner, rehearse the like, or indeed the same, that it seems still diverse, and quite another thing: At least 'tis, with the best Masters of this Art, usual to render every sense in a doubled expression, the latter of which sometimes explains the for­mer, most-times riseth higher, (as it were in emulation) and out-goes it, and makes descant, on the preceding plain song; the first, ex­hibiting the matter naked, the o­ther, adorning it. The Hebrew and other Eastern-tongues use this reduplication onely for the more state, and gravity, without varying at all the conceit. As:

O my people give ear to my law; encline your ears to the words of my mouth.—Often did they provoke him in the Wildernesse; and grieve him in the desert.— He consumed their dayes in vanity, and their years in trouble.—

[Page 72] So Pliny:

Obsepta diutina servitute ora reseramus; fraenatamque tot malis linguam resolvimus.—Veterem consuetudi­nem fori & pristinum morem judiciorum minime vi­det.—

Quamobrem illa arma, centuriones, cohortes, non pericu­lum nobis, sed praesidium denunciant; ne (que) solum ut quieto, sed etiam ut magno, animo simus, hor tantur; ne (que) silen­tium modo defensioni meae, verum etiam auxilium pollicen­tur.— Cic. pro Milone; O me infoelicem! Revocare tu me in patriam potuisti per has [milites] ego te in patria per eosdem retinere non potero? Me non potuisse Milonis salutem tueri per eosdem, per quos nostram ille ser­vasset?

[Examples of more ascending expressions:]

Sunt ingenio simili, qui, quod huic donant, auferunt illi; famamque liberalitatis avaritià petunt.—

Perfectum opus, absolutumque est; nec jam splen­descit limâ;—sed atteritur.— Non tibi benefaciendi fuit causa, ut quae male feceras, impunè fecisses: amor impen­dio isto, non venia quaesita est; Populusque Romanus ob­ligatus à tribunali tuo, non exoratus, recessit.—

Postulamus, ut futuros Principes doceas &c. induere praetextam, quam, cum dare possint, occuparint; ascendere curulem, quam detineant; esse denique, quod concupie­rint; nec ideo tantum velle Consules fieri, ut fue­rint.—

[Page 73] Tam autem eras excors, ut totâ in oratione tecum ip­se pugnares, ut non modo non cohaerentia inter se diceres, sed maxime disjuncta & contraria; ut non tanta me­cum, quanta tecum, tibi esset contentio.—2 Phil.

His very courthesies are intolerable, they are done with so much arrogance and imputation; and hi is the onely man you may lawfully hate after a good turn; and reckon it among your calamities, to be beholding to him.—

18 3. By enume­ration of Parts or Descripti­ons. By Enumeration of Parts i.e. of all particular Circumstances, Antecedents, Consequents, Ad­juncts, Causes, Effects, Matter, Form, Parts constituent, or inte­grant; Time, Place, Motives, Ends, Accidents whatsoever, &c. which are all Descriptions in their several kinds; All descriptions consisting onely; 1. in an exact enumeration, series, and complexe, of very many particulars (such as any way conduce to our purpose). And 2. in a lively draught of these, as it were to the eye of sense, by expressions translated from those things, with which the Auditor is most acquainted; of which note [Page 74] that rule, Circumstantiis nimio plu­ribus orationem vestire, taedium pa­rit; iisdem penitus carere, abruptum quiddam est & ingratum, Bacon. Examples of such Descriptions and Histories of things (under which I comprehend Ethopoea's and the deciphering and character of Manners, of Passions, of any moral habits, &c. as well as of any other works of nature) are too large to be here inserted.

Vide Plin. Of a Fountain lib. 8. Ep. 8.—Of an Earthquake Lib. 6. Ep. I6.—Of a Flood Lib. 8. Ep. I7. —Of Rejoycing, Pan. p. 388.—Of Trajans familiarity, Paneg. p. 344.—Of the affections of one that is sick, Lib. 7. Ep. 26.

19 Enumeration of Parts is done; either 1. By a simple exaggeration and synthroismus of them. Or 2. By Gradation. Or 3. by Divisi­on. Or 4. by Interpretation.

20 1. 1. By a simple exaggeration of them. Exaggeration and accumu­lation of parts: (Omnia per par­tes [Page 75] considerata videntur majora, Bacon.

Minus est totum dicere, quam omnia. Quine.) Wherein is used a multiplying also of the words, and expression; as Consilio, Autho­ritate, Sententiâ, Dux & Legatus, & Miles;—Seditions, Uproares, Tumults, Mutinies, Rebellions, &c. —Usually not above three con­gested, —sometimes with, some­times without, any Conjunction. (the middle one differing in termi­nation, to avoid an ill Emphasis— Amamus, Jocamur, Ludimus.— Gravitate, Prudentiâ, Fide, propè singulari.—)—In which also some tacite gradation is by Orators most-what observed, and the weightiest word said last: or, in diminutions, the contrary. E­xample:

Etenim cum homines nefarii de patriae parricidio confi­terentur, consciorum indiciis, suâ manu, voce penè litera­rum coacti, se urbem inflammare, cives trucidare, vastare Italiam, delere Rempublicam, consensisse; quis esset &c.— [Page 76] Accusa Senatum; accusa equestrem ordinem, qui tum &c. accusa omnes ordines, omnes cives; dum confiteare &c.—Cum te neque Principes civitatis rogando, neque majores natu monendo, neque frequens Senatus agendo de venditâ atque addictâ sententia movere potuit.—At quo temperamento Dii boni potestatem tuam, fortunam (que) mo­deratus es? Imperator titulis, & imaginibus, & signis: caeterum modestia, labore, vigilantia, dux, & legatus, & miles. —He neither spared old men, as respecting their gravity; nor children, as pardoning their weakness; nor women, as compassionating their sexe.—

21 2. 2 Or by Gra­dation. Gradation: Which, from the less considerable, orderly ascends to what is more. A Rule to be observed in the whole Oration; in every period; in every clause; and in every Articulus. Example:

Tolerated, countenanced, encouraged, ap­plauded.—

Facinus est, 1. vincire civem Romanum; 2. scelus, verberare; 3. prope parricidium, necare. 4. Quid di­cam, in crucem tollere?—

Imaginare, quae solicitudo nobis, qui metus, quibus 1. su­per tantare, 2. in illo coetu, 3. praesente Caesare, dicen­dum erat.—Quid homines putarent, si tum occisus esset, cum tu illum 1. in foro. 2. spectante Populo Romano, 3. gladio stricto insecutus es &c?—

1. In coetu vero Populi Romani, 2. negotium publicum [Page 77] gerens, 3. magister equitum, 4. cui ructare turpe esset, 5. is vomens, frustis esculentis vinum redolentibus 6. gremium suum & totum tribunal implevit.—Ad hanc Regulus venit; primùm; imprudentiam hominis, qui ve­nerit ad aegram &c. esto si venit tantum: sed ille etiam proximus thoro sedet &c.— Without controversie great is the mysterie of godlinesse—1. It is a mysterie. 2. A mysterie of godlinesse. 3. A great one, without con­troversie. —Bishop Andrews.—( see S. 3. N. 7.)

22 3. 3. Or by Di­vision. Division and prosecution of the parts severally:

* Sometimes with a capitula­tion of them first.

Tuam verò magnanimitatem, an modestiam, an beni­gnitatem, prius mirer? Magnanimitas fuit expetito sem­per honore abstinere, modestia cedere; benignitas, peralios frui.—

Quousque nobis & tibi invidebis? Tibi maximam gloriam, nobis voluptatem.—

* Sometimes without.

Quis interpretari potest; impudentiorne, qui in Senatu: an improbior, qui in Dolabellam: an impurior, qui patre audiente: an crudelior, qui in illam miseram tam spurcè, tam impiè, dixeris?—

[Page 78] By which, 1. either all the parts being proved, or confuted, the whole is so.

Mira illius asperitas, mira faelicitas horum. Illius asperitas, qui numero civium excidit, quem socium etiam in liberis habuit. Faelicitas horum, quibus successit in locum patris, qui patrem sustulerat.—An satius▪ fuit, foelicem vocare? quod non moribus, sed fortunae datum est. Satius magnum? cui plus invidiae, quam pulchri­tudinis inest.—

Urbanos, qui illa censuerunt, putem? an miseros? Di­cerem urbanos, si Senatum deceret urbanitas. Miseros ergo, sed nemo tam miser est, ut ad illa cogatur.—Am­bitio ergo & procedendi libido? sed quis adeo demens, ut per publicum dedecus procedere velit? &c.—

2. Or all the rest of the parts being excluded, one onely remains affirmed, or denied.

Quod scelus conflarunt Judaei, cur à Deo olim tam pr [...] ­pitio, tamdiu deserantur? Simulachris immolant? At eorum contactum perhorrescunt. Commentitios Deos ascis­cunt? At efferuntur eo nomine quod Deum colant verum. Immanibus moribus efferati sunt? At ipsi summam sibi laudem aequitatis & pietatis assumunt. Parumne suppli­ces preces ad Deum adhibent? Immo in precibus assidui sunt. Tum, his succisis. Vera causa infertur; Judaeo­rum [Page 79] perfidia & inimicitia in Christum Dominum.— Quid putem? contemptumne me? non video nec in vita, nec in gratia, &c. quid despicere possit Antonius. An in Senatu de me detrahi posse credidit? Qui or do bene gestae reip. testimonium multis, mihi uni conservatae, dedit. An decertare mecum voluit contentione dicendi? Hoc quidem beneficium est &c. & pro me, & contra Antoni­um dicere. Illud profecto est; non existimavit, sui simi­libus proba [...]i posse, se esse hostem patriae, nisi mihi esset ini­micus.

23 4. 4. Or by inter­pretation. Interpretation, or Comment by way of Parenthesis, helping much to extenuate, or aggravate, what is said. Example:

Lascivam verborum licentiam [ i. e. [...] linguam] excusarem, si meum esset exemplum.—Nec brevitatem dicentibus, sed copiam [hoc est, diligentiam] suadent.—Quid agis &c. ipse vitam jucundissimam, [hoc est, ocios [...]ssimam] vivo.—Epigrammata Curione non indigent, & [...]ontenta sunt sua i. e. mala lingua— Matrem ejus (nihil possum illustrius dicere) tantae foe­miuae matrem.—At meherculè alienissimi homines in ho­norem Quadratillae (pudet me dixisse, honorem) per adu­lationis officium cursitabant &c.—Amat me (nihil possum ardentius dicere) ut tu.—Hanc ille vim (seu quo alio nomine dicenda est intentio, quicquid velis, obtinendi) ad meliora &c.—Quid magis interest, quam ut liberi) dice­rem tui, nisi nunc illos magis amares) digni illo patre red­dantur, [Page 80] &c.—Compulit non solum consensus Senatus (quanquam hoc maximè) verum etiam (quidem mi­noris, sed tamen) numeri &c.—Unde auguror quaeris, non quia ipse dixit (quo mendacius nihil est) sed quia &c. Tempus fuit (ac nimium diu fuit) quo alia &c.— Nam in hoc uno, vir alioqui prudentissimus, (honestissimo quidem, tamen) errore, versatur.— On the mast they saw a yong man (at least if he were a man) bearing, &c.— Omnibus titulis (nihil volo elatius de homine modestissimo dicere) parem.—( See Num. 26, 27.)

24 4. 4.—By Aetio­logy or giving reasons— The fourth way of Amplifi­cation is by frequent Aetiologies, or giving reasons for what we say. For note that the Orator discours­eth and argueth as the Logician, by Syllogismes, or Enthymems, In­ductions, and Examples; onely in a manner somewhat diverse. The Orator proving the premises (where weak) as he layes them down, be­fore he infers his conclusion from them; and, where the Discourse is somewhat long, making a second repetition of the premises [As in that instance in Cic. de Inventione 1. to prove the World governed by Providence, he shews first; That [Page 81] the best governed things are go­verned so: then proves this, in a house; a ship; or an army; far better managed, where there is ad­vice, &c. Then next shews, that the Heavens, Earth, &c. are as wisely, and regularly ordered, as a­ny of these; proving this again from the constant course of the stars, &c. and thus descends at last to his Thesis or Conclusion.] The Orator therefore is frequently to confirm (and this as briefly, and as immediately, as may be) what he saith, by these Aetiologies, that he may render the fabrick of his speech not onely beautiful, but strong; to leave no dubitation in his Auditors, or (also) to give them the more delight; every one, out of natural affectation of wisedom, being much pleased, rerum cognosce­re causas. Therefore is he every where to bring in the causes; prin­ciples, generals▪ (except when uni­versally known (as far as he can reach them)) upon which his [Page 82] particulars, his positions, his con­clusions depend: inferred, either in the form of a reason; or many times of an Axiom and Sentence: (Frequens rationibus, frequens sen­tentiis, debet esse oratio. Quin­til.)

25 And this is done divers wayes: 1. Either pre­ceding.

Sometimes by prosecuting the order of nature; descending from the causes and principles gradatim to the effect and conclusion. As:

Melius illa administrari, quae consilio; nil autem melius mundo administrari; ergo mundum consilio regi.—

Cum argentum legaverit omne, pecuniam quo (que) legavit, quae est in argento.

[ By Interrogation.]

Quis equus generosissimus? nonne qui velocissimus? &c.— Ita & hominum generosissimi habendi, non qui na [...]lium splendore, sed virtutis gloriâ praestant.—Quem igitur cum omnium gratia noluit, hunc voluit cum aliquorum querela?

By Sentence.

26 Sometimes by superadding, af­ter the assertion, the reason of it: the reason either set 2. Or following. By Epiphone­ma or Sen­tence.* absolutely, by way of Epiphonema, and Sentence:— As:

Tantas conversiones, aut fragilitas mortalitatis, aut fortunae mobilitas facit.—

Or By a Conjun­ction causal.* relatively, by Conjunctions causal Quia, nam, si, sicut, qui, si­cut, &c.—

Or sometimes by Interrogation; Example:

Bonum est virtus, quia nemo illâ malè uti potest.—Jure occisus Saturnius res novas moliens, sicut Gracchi.—

Anima immortalis est, nam immortale est quicquid ex seipso movetur.—Ejus igitur mortis sedetis ultores, cujus vitam si putetis per vos restitui posse, nolitis?—

Quem alienum fidum invenies, si tuus hostis fueris?—

Quo fit ut scribere longiores epistolas nolim, velim lege­re; illud tanquam delicatus, hoc tanquam ociosus: nihil est enim aut pigrius delicatis, aut curiosius ociosis.

The Argument, Sum delicatus, [Page 84] ideoque piger, & igitur scribere no­lim, &c.—

Absit superbia, asperitas, nec timueris contemptnm. An contemnitur qui imperium, qui fasces habet, nisi qui se primus ipse contemnit?—

The Argument. Fasces habes, ergo contemptum non timeas.—

Nam cum familiaritatem nostram ad praesidium orna­mentumque tibi sumpseris, nihil est quod negare debeam, praesertim pro patria roganti; quid enim precibus, aut ho­nestius piis, aut efficacius amantis?—

The Argument: Preces suntpiae, sunt obsequentis, sunt amantis, ergo negari non debent.

Longeque valentior amor, ad ob [...]inendum quid velis, quam timor: nam timor ab sit si recedas; manet amor; ac sic, ut ille in odium, hic in reverentiam vertatur.—

The Argument. Amor manet in recessu; imo in reverentiam verti­tur: Timor abit & mutatur in odi­um: ergo valentior amor timore.

Pulchrius hoc Caesar, quam si recusares omnes: nam re­cusare [Page 85] omnes [honores] ambitionis, moderationis est elige­re parcissimos.— Quintil. pro Caeco.—Aliis tradidit in parentum sanguinem luxuria ferrum. Luxuria viden­tium crimen. Aliis meretriculae amor immodica poscentis.

Amor, cui renunciant oculi.—

2. Philipp. At placuit L. Catulo, cujus semper in hac republica, &c.—placuit M. Catoni; qui cum multa &c. —Abstinui causis agentlis: primum quod deforme &c. His quoque accedit &c.—

The Argument. Deforme erat &c. ergo abstinui &c.

A quibus libenter requisierim, cur concedant (si conce­dant tamen) Historiam debere recitari? quae non osten­tationi, sed fidei veritatique componitur: cur Tragoedi­am? quae non Auditorem, sed Scenam & Actores: cur Lyrica? quae non Lectorem, sed Chorum, & Lyram postulant.—

The Argument. Historia osten­tationi non componitur; ergo non de­bet recitari &c.

An satius fuisset di [...]cisse [foel [...] c [...]m? quod non mori­bus, sed fortunae datum est. Satius, magnum? cui plus, invidiae, quam pulchritudinis inest.

[Page 86] The Argument. [Foelix] est nomen fortunae; ergo non satius fuit &c. ( See Sect. 1. Num. 4. Sect. 6. Num. 15, 16.

27 3. Or inter­posed.Sometimes by interposing in the middle of the Discourse the reason, (when it may be briefly ex­pressed) by a Parenthesis, or an Ab­lative causal. Example:

De amicitia, quam à me violatam esse criminatus est (quod ego gravissimum crimen judico) pauca dicam. 2 Philip.—

The Argument. Violatio amici­tiae gravissimum crimen; & de eâ criminatus est me &c. ergo pauca dicam.

Jam illud, cujus est, non dico audaciae? (cupit enim se audacem dici) sed, quod minimè vult, stultitiae &c.—

Esto, hoc imperitè (neque enim ab homine nunquam sobrio postulanda prudentia) sed videte impudentiam.—

Unde auguror quaeris? non quia affirmat ipse (quo mendacius nihil est) sed quia certum est, &c.—

Audivi Fundanum ipsum (ut multa luctuosa dolor invenit) praecipientem quod &c.—Inde dictum Boetico­rum (ut plerumque dolor etiam venustos facit) non ille­pidum [Page 87] ferebatur &c.—Tu equidem (pro caeterà diligen­tia tua) admones me, &c.

IV n. 1.—4. Of Stile.THus much of the chief Fi­gures adorning an Oration. It remains, in the next place, that we speak something of Stile, the se­veral kinds and fashions thereof; and the figures more proper to it.

1. 1. To be per­petually vari­ed. And here first you are above all things to avoid a perpetual e­quality, and likeness in it; ^1. either for the expression of your matter; ^2. or for the illation. Any one, thought the best form of style, be­ing worse, than a mixt.

2 1. 1. In the Ex­pressions. For your expression. You are not every where to use either flou­rishing Metaphors, as some of our Moderns: or grave sentences, as Seneca: or acute, and exactly-ac­cording [Page 88] periods, as Tacitus: or sweet and consenting cadencies, as Isocrates: but, interchangeably, something of them all; now one, now another. (Adnixi certè sumus, ut quamlibet diversa genera lectorum per plures dicendi species teneremus, &c. Plin. l. 2. Ep. 5.) That the di­versly-affected Auditors, may, not­withstanding find every one some­thing, with which he may be taken. Or at least, that the likeness of it may not cause a tediousness to them, or, in the speaker, bewray af­fectation. Adde to these, that your invention may, thus, be more relieved, and recreated, as it were, which, still kept in the same Track, contracts also a wea­risomness to it self; and, deliver­ing things still in the same manner, is quickly exhausted. For the wit enlargeth it self, not so much by the forging perpetually new conceptions, as by the several dresses and disguisings of the old, put in a new figure, that they may [Page 89] not be known for the same.

3 2. 2. In the illa­tions. For your illation. (See Sect. 3. Num. 1. &c.) which an O­rator varieth many wayes.

1. 1. By interro­gation. By making frequent in­terrogations, which are the ve­ry life and spirit of an Oration, continually awakening, and exci­ting the drowsiness of the Audi­tor, or Reader, as if he were de­manded, or else consulted-with, for an answer. And yet, for the most part, nothing is so much out of question, as that which is made a question of.

An ego verear, ne me, &c.—

[Usual for Transitions.]

Bishop Andrews.—By me Kings reign. A cause of Kings reigning then. What is that cause? Per me. And Per me is a person. What person? Per me regnant; and that is not per se regnant. A person, and another per­son. And who is that other person? Let me tell you this; first, tis but one person. Per me, not per nos.— One person it is: I ask then this one person who he is?

[Page 90] This we find by &c. to be God. By God then they reign. I ask yet further, by what Person of the God­head? The Context, &c. warrants us, that it is per Je­sum Christum Dominum nostrum, &c.—(See Sect. 3. Num. 8.)—

4 2. 2. By Objecti­on. By making frequent obje­ctions;

Dicet aliquis—Quaeret quispiam—si quis forte miretur.— At enim te in disciplinam meam tradideras.—At aliud est actio bona, aliud oratio. Scio nonnullis ita videri; sed ego &c.—

5 3. 3. By frequent commutation of Persons. By frequent change in his speech of the persons.

Sometimes speaking of him­self.

Testor mentem meam, dum haec scribo.—Quantum mi­hi tamen cernere datur.—Simul cogito, cum sint ista &c.— Etenim memini, tunc verissime, &c.—

Sometimes to a second Per­son.

Te miror, Antoni, quorum facta imitere, eorum exitus non perhorrescere?—

[Page 91] Sometimes of a third.

See it frequent in Cic. 2. Phil.

Non video, quid in me despicere possit Antonius.—

Sometimes making a third to speak. As in all Prosopopoeia's, &c.

—Cic. pro Milone—Me quidem, Judices, exanimant & interimunt hae voces Milonis, quas audio assiduè; va­leant, inquit, valeant cives mei, sint incolumes &c.—

6 4. 4. By Dubita­tion. Often doubting, and reason­ing with himself. Often speaking of his own qualifications; often declaring his own affections; or delivering for, and as, his own judgment, or opinion, what he knowes is every mans else, be­cause he will not seem to impose upon his Auditor.

Neque enim ego, ut multi, invideo—Assirmo & licet impunita, &c. affirmo audacter (atque ut spero, tutò) pro­fiteor. —Adjiciam, quod me docuit usus, magister egre­gius —Utique breviter, quod sentio, enuntiem.—Sed ego (forsitan fallor) persuasum habeo.—Scio nonnullis ita vi­deri; sed ego, &c.

[Page 92] 7 5. 5. By Admira­tion. Often falling into admirati­on, or exclamation; and alwayes heightning his own passions first, to excite other mens.

6. 6. By Consul­tation. Often directing his speech more particularly to his hearers, as consulting and deliberating with their wisdom; as appealing to their judgement.

Aestimate quae vita &c.—Quid agam Judices? quò conferam me &c.

8 7. 7. By Praeoc­cupation. Or many times pre-occupa­ting it: and taking for granted, that they are, what he desires, that they should be: whilest they also like it better, by him to be suppo­sed knowing, than instructed, as ignorant.

Adnotasse vos credo (Patres)—Quis enim nescit (Ju­dices) hanc famae esse naturam?—

9 8. 8 By correcti­on. Reflecting upon, correcting and revoking, as it were, some­thing said, but to make some fur­ther [Page 93] advantage thereof. As

Filium unicum adolescentulum habeo. Ah! quid dixi habere me? imò habui Chreme; nunc habeam, necne, in­certum est, &c.—Quas ille leges; si modò leges, & non fa­ces belli, & pestes reipublicae, nominandae sint.—sed nimis urgeo, commoveri videtur adolescens.—sed finis sit; Ne­que enim prae lachrymis loqui possum: & hic [Milo] se lachrymis defendi vetat.— (See Sect. 6. Num. 16.)

10 9. 9. By Conces­sions. Often arguing with his ad­versary, and frequently conceding to him something, after he hath already proved the contrary against him, with an [ Esto; Grant it be so,]: when he hath enough be­sides to oppose; or something al­so to urge out of such concession.

Sed quid opporas tandem, si negem—fac potuisse—sed sit beneficium— 2 Philip.

11 10. 10. By suppo­sitions of Ab­surdities. Relating contrary opinions, as well as his own; but when there is a sufficient prejudice of them; inferred with an Ironical [ Scilicet, or, Credo, or Nisi fortè; Nisi ve­rò &c.]

[Page 94] If I do not on these Heads fur­nish you with many examples, tis because any common Rhetorick-book will afford you plenty.

12 This is a thing I suppose almost needless to be mentioned to you, that the same figures and modes of expression do not suit to every composition; nor to every per­son; but are to be discreetly used, according to the matter we handle, the men we write, or speak to. The same Schemes become not an Hi­story, and a Panegyrick; a Letter, and an Oration; a Controversie, and a Moral Discourse; If one in a Letter to a servant, about some domestick affair, or in a strict con­troversie, or in a narrative history, should use lofty Metaphors, fre­quent Interrogations, Apostrophe's, Prosopopoeia's, Exclamations, &c. would he not be most ridiculous? yet are some or other of these Rules and Schemes, in all compo­sitions whatever, serviceable.

[Page 95] 13 2. 2. To be 1. Concise for the pen: 2. more diffused and copious for speaking. You ought to vary your stile, according as it is prepared for the ear or for the eye; for an Auditor, or for a Reader. For speaking, tis necessary, that you observe a fuller and opener style; a stricter for the pen. For the same man, when an Auditor, is not so curious and vi­gilant, as when a Reader. Repeti­tions here, and doubled sentences, and enlargements by Synonymal words &c. before the shutting up of the period, are but necessary: ( Brevitas, quae ociosum fortasse lecto­rem minùs fallit, audientem trans­volat, nec, dum repetatur, expectat. —Sint omnia dilucida, & negligen­ter quoque audientibus aperta. Nam non, ut intelligere possit multis fre­quenter cogitationibus avocatus, sed ut omnino non possit non intelligere, curandum.—Quint. lib. 8. cap. 2.) There what can be more tedious? All the force also and smartness, and sting of the speech being lost by languishing explications, dilata­tions and paraphrase. Whereas, [Page 96] meanwhile, if brevity chance some­times to be obscure, the Readers diligence (who mostwhat are the learned) may stay upon it, till he hath discovered it: if any thing of moment is but once said, his un­distracted solitude either easily re­members it, or at pleasure (where all lies still before him) reviews it.

3. Yet more circumlocuto­ry, and ver­bous for Ex­tempore. Extemporal Eloquence especial­ly must use a long and compassing style; that whilest he slowly ef­funds what is already prepared in his memory, the fountain of his wit may have the more time to re­plenish it with more, and never suffer this cistern to be quite ex­hausted. Therefore such must ra­ther make use of Metaphors, and Similes, and Descriptions, and Pa­raphrase of their matter, and di­gressions, than of acute sentences, and concise Periods: and general­ly must rather imitate Tully than Tacitus.

[Page 97] 14 3. 3. Of short and long stiles: In general, addict your self rather to that stile, to which your natural abilities incline you; some persons having a more acute con­ceit, fit for a short, others a more voluble expression, agreeable to a longer stile.

Of which there is no one sort but hath its proper graces and de­fects. A short period loseth so much of smoothness, as a long and round one of acuteness: One is more harsh, and the other blunt. One suits with reason; the other with the passions, better: and the Rhetorick of the one is more sweet, of the other more power­ful. If the one seem more learned, the other seems more natural and unaffected; and if this hath an ele­gancy, the other hath a simplicity that pleaseth one. One entertains naturally some sorts of figures, w ^ch the other cuts off; as the short is adverse to Metaphors &c. the long to exact correspondence, and libra­tion of its parts. Of the two, the [Page 98] short receives more disadvantage in the speaking, except where there happens a pronunciation most ac­curate; and the long more in the reading; seeming to have some­thing superfluous to the stricter examination of a now passion-less judgment. Either very long, or very short, periods are subject to obscurity: one not opening and spreading the matter enough; the other over-burdening the Audi­tors memory. Yet who so will not lose the acuteness and elegancy in the one, or suffer the dismembring in the other, must in some things hazard the imperspicuity of his stile. La soverchia chiarezza (saith the Italian) fa l'oratione humile. And again, L'oscurita genera la gran­dezza de l'oratione.—

15 4. 4. Of perspi­cuity in stile. Whatever stile you rather entertain, you ought before all things to endeavour a sufficient perspicuity therein; which as it ought to be the chiefest care of an [Page 99] Orator (the design of whose speak­ing surely, is to be understood) so is it often hindered by the orna­ments of speech.

Hindered. Hindered, 1. By multi­formity of stile in the same period. 1. By not observing cautiously an uniformity of stile (I mean for the same period) which much directs the Reader, or Audi­tor) but often changing, without necessity in the following clause, the Verb, or its Nominative, or the Cases of the Nouns, the Voices and Tenses of Verbs, the Conne­xions, &c. which are assumed in the precedent Clause▪ Example:

When we desire the same perfection, what hinders that the same means may not be used by us?—more uni­form this [that we may not use the same means].— These are unspeakable ravishments to a refined intel­lect, though a sensual appetite doth not discern their excellencies—better [though undiscerned excellencies to a sensual appetite.—Would men guide themselves by reason, and were the dictates of nature observed by them—more uniform [and observe the di­ctates of nature.]—As these things cause much joy to the children, so the parents are greatly afflicted by [Page 100] them—better [so great affliction to their parents.] —Wealth is seldom severed from from pride, and humi­lity more often accompanieth poverty-better [and po­verty more often is accompanied with humilty.—

16 2. 2. By a too curious trans­position of words. By too curious a transposition of words (for the emphasis or num­bers sake, (Vide Sect. 5. Num. 4.) from their natural place.

(Adhuc pejor est [ad impediendum intellectum] mistura verborum, qua­lis in illo versu;

S [...]xa vocant Itali mediis quae in fluctibus aras.)

Especially by Oblique Cases, or Adverbs (as [ onely, also, again, &c.]) being carelessely adjoyned to one word, when in the sense they belong to another. As:

[I onely desire this] applied to the Pronoun [I] or Verb [desire] when belonging to the Article [this] I desire onely-this].—[He brought some part to the Table, of his provisions. For; [He brought to the Table some part of his provisions.]

[Page 101] 17 3. 3. By using too many Meta­phors. By using of too many Meta­phors; or prosecuting the same too far; which though many times the best expression, yet are they not also the most plain.

18 4. 4. By too much contra­ction of speech. By contracting our speech (for the avoiding of Tautologies and repetition, or also for the more brevity, and acuteness of the stile) and pa [...]ing away some words ne­cessary to the explication of our sense, endeavouring wittily not to be understood.

And here happens a fault many wayes, 1. By expression of Rela­tives or other Expletives in one clause, and not in the other, when both clauses refer in the same man­ner to a third. As:

[It was the onely matter, worth standing upon, &c. or that a judicious man would press] for [onely matter that was worth &c. or that a judicious man, &c.]

Or by omitting of the illative, or redditive to some Conjunction [Page 102] causal, or conditional, preceding; when that which is inferred stands at some distance from it. As after [ because, when, since that,] omit­ting [ therefore, then, it follows that &c.]

[Since, or because, they could not do the work, they could not expect the reward] for [therefore they could not expect, &c.]

Such illatives omitted (I say) where the premise is extended to some length, cause much ambigui­ty. Secondly, By leaving a rela­tive [which, &c.] single (to avoid tautology) where it may have a doubtful respect to many antece­dents: wherein some are apt to imitate in their English the phrase of those learned languages, where, by reason of the variation of gen­ders, such ambiguity is not incur­red. Here therefore you are either to make the true antecedent the last; as it is better thus: The va­lour of Caesar, who—Caesar's valour, [Page 103] which &c.]—than, [ Caesar's valour, who—the valour of Caesar, which—] Or, where the composure permits not this, to repeat with, or before, the relative, that antecedent to which it belongs, or to joyn to the relative a Synonyma thereof. As:

That happiness onely is to be found in piety; for the acquiring of which men compass sea and land. Where [ Of which] referrs to happiness, not piety. To be made clear thus [for the acquiring of which happiness] or [of which felicity]. or to be repeated again [ that happiness] for the acquiring of which] or the precedents to be thus ordered; in piety onely is to be found that happi­ness, for the acquiring of which, &c.—

Thirdly, By using, Participles, rather than Verbs with their articles and conjunctions. As:

—He, grieved, forsook:—for [He, who was, after, whilest, when, because, he was grieved forsook] the par­ticiple [grieved] being either indicative, or causal. They found him, much inclined to passion, exceedingly dis­pleased upon this relation &c.—for: [him, who was much, or because he was much inclined to passion, to be exceedingly displeased, &c.] Things thus ordered, he hasted to conclude—for: [after, or whilest that [Page 104] things were thus ordered]—[They suffering patiently, he will succour]—for [if they shall suffer patient­ly, &c.]

Or by using some other contra­ctions (mentioned before Sect. 4. Num. 9.) where is some danger of ambiguity.—

19 5. 5. By too long protraction of Periods. By long deferring the con­clusion of a Period: (Non in longum dilata conclusio, Quint. l. 8. cap. 2.) which happens, either

1 1. Either by Paraphrases, By circumlocution of our meaning, and accumulation of em­pty words, out of an affectation to copiousness and fluency, the sense thus suffering more darkness from that length, which is used for the more perspicuity: (whereas the matter is more clear, where onely nothing is wanting, than where something also doth redound.) Of this Quintilians rule is to be strict­ly observed (especially in what is penned for a Reader.) Nihil neque desit, neque superfluat. An usual [Page 105] fault among those, who affect good words and expressions, is this re­dundancein their stile; who between two equally-good illustrations, loth to lose either, intrude both.

2 Or 2. Or by Paren­thesis. by interposing many pa­rentheses, and accumulating many considerations and circumstances in the same period, out of fulness of matter, and its pertinency to to that place (a disease to which luxuriant wits (especially those who would inclose much matter in a lit­tle compass) are very subject, and where invention is a great enemy eloquence) by which whereas we strive to say all, we do not say so much to the Auditors under­standing, as if we said less, and withall disturb the uniformity of our stile. Etiam interjectione (i. e. Parenthesi) ut medio sermone aliquem inserant sensum, impediri solet intel­lectus; nisi quod interponitur, breve est. Quint. l. 8. c. 2.—And Circum­stantiis nimio pluribus orationem ve­stire parit taedium. Bacon. Where [Page 106] note that it much helpeth for per­spicuity not to put terms too far asunder, which relate one to ano­ther; (as Nominative and Verb, Comparatives &c.) As:

What differs he, who subverteth the lawes, &c.— from a Tyrant] where the matter interposed is very long, better premising it thus [He who subverteth, &c. what differs he from a tyrant] ( See Num. 22.)

20 6. 6. By want of exact division of our matter. By not making a division, and sorting, of our matter (See Sect. 2. 1. Num. 2.) or Secondly af­ter this made, by the not duly mentioning our Transitions. Or Thirdly, by prosecuting severally the members of a division without first numbering them all together (a frequent fault) which capitulati­on of them, especially when we dwell long upon the particulars, is first to be made, (and the branches of it again severally to be repeat­ed, as they come to be handled.) As you may see in some of those ex­amples mentioned before Sect. 6. Num. 22.—

[Page 107] 21 Amongst all these impediments of perspicuity, the chief are 1. a very short stile; (— Brevis esse la­boro —Obscurus fio.—Hor.) or 2. a stile full of Parentheses. For reme­dying the first:

1. In a Laconick stile you must use a multiplication of the like expressions; and the sub­stance of what is said briefly, must be said more than once, (onely the expression changed), both to make a further explanation of the mat­ter, and to leave a perfecter im­pression in the Auditor. Lastly it is to be, in effect, the same with a long stile. Est quaedam partium bre­vitas, quae longam tamen efficit sum­mam. Quint. One of those longer periods must be answered with a heap of these smaller, and the magnitude of the one equalled with the multitude of the other.

22 2. For the second, where the parenthesis is a short necessary ex­plication, or interpretation of a [Page 108] word, it may be any where insert­ed: if not so; the matter there­of is 1. Either some praecognitum; and then it is best placed next be­fore such a period. Or 2. some reason and argument to confirm somewhat there asserted; and then it is either to be made part of the sense to fill up the remainder of the period: the intended sequence of matter being removed to the next, when the parenthesis hath nearer relation; or (a memorandum being made of it in a by-paper as you are writing) it is to be inferred after the period finished. Inferred, either * by a Conjunction, Causal, Illative, Exceptive, &c. [although, but, yet, because, for, therefore, since that,] as the parenthesis is a reason or a consequent of what is said. As▪

[ Caesar (who intended ro revenge his &c.) invited the Commanders &c.] where the parenthesis is very long, is better changed thus: [ Caesar intended to re­venge —and therefore invited—]. Or [ Caesar invited— because he intended to revenge—]

[Page 109] Or * by the repeating that word of the former period, to which the parenthesis appertains, and so joyn­ing the parenthesis to it after the period. As:

[Dabitur non cubiculum Principis, sed ipsum Princi­pem cernere, in publico, in populo (cui locorum quinque milli [...] ad ecit. &c.) sedentem] where the parenthesis happens to be very long is better changed thus; [in popu­lo sedentem Populo, cui locorum quin (que) millia adjecit &c—]

For all parentheses, that are not explications, are mostwhat aggra­vations unto, and elegant gradati­ons, or reflections upon, what is formerly said; and since they are so, and may be so well husbanded, this ingrafting of several matters into one another by parenthesis, if it argues a good wit, it shews a weak and unthrifty Orator; whose orderly production of his matter is one of his greatest perfections; besides the regard he is to have to uniformity of stile, and the intel­lect of his Auditor, who much [Page 110] better discerns things severed, than many intwisted together, and offered all at once in a croud to his examination. Or 3. lastly, if the parenthesis be long, and the matter thereof can neither well be premi­sed, nor deferred, the words pre­ceding the parenthesis are to be again repeated and resumed after it, that the perspicuity of the sense no way be lost. As:

Those persecutions (which have bin, &c.) those long persecutions (I say) have not extinguisht, &c.—

—Thus may Parentheses, and the intertexture of various matter many ways be prevented; but not without the inconvenience of mul­tiplication of words, and further extension of the discourse.

23 Note, that Parentheses are not half so troublesom to a Reader, as to an Auditor, because they are marked out in the paper to the eye, but cannot be so in the voice [Page 111] to the ear: therefore in composi­tions which are to be spoken, they are much more carefully to be a­voided.

24 Some other necessary steps to Oratory.After all the Rules of Oratory well studied and known, the pra­ctice of three things is yet further necessary unto you, for the acqui­ring this Art.

1. The frequent and assiduous reading of some Authors and pie­ces that are eloquent; using rather some one that is excellent, than many. Prono studio, affectu, consilio, feratur Oratoriae Candidatus, ut ali­cujus in dicendo sit similis, quem to­tâ mente atque omni animo defixus intueatur, ille autem sit unus, quo ae­quabilior componatur stilus.

2. Translating. 3. Frequent ex­ercise of your style, and Imitation. Usus, dicendi Magister est optimus ( saith pliny junior) modo sit diligens primo, non celeris stilus.

25 The Translating is to be. 1. [Page 112] * Simply & ad verbum; but this ne­ver further, than it well consists with the propriety of the Lan­guage into which you translate; which you are alwayes diligently to observe, as well by inversion and alteration of the phrase for ex­cluding expletives (see s. 4. n. 4.) and preserving the weightiest words in their due place (of which see s. 5. n. 4.) as by inserting words necessary, (as Epithets), &c. in the English Tongue (see s. 6. n. 1.) and excluding redundants to the sense in the orderly expression of that Language into which you tran­slate. (For every tongue, from the varying of their Grammar, hath a several capacity of expression) ra­ther offending in being too con­cise, than too copious; it being a reputation to the amplitude of that Language, which can signifie more matter in fewer words.

2. * By rendering verse in prose: a little bending the expressions, and mitigating the poeticall, into an Orator's Stile.

[Page 113] 3. * By contracting things copi­ously said by others; and again, amplifying, what others have de­livered concisely.

V Nu. 1. 5. Of reci­tation of our compositions.IN all your compositions, after the last hand added to your stile; yet, to try whether the words be well placed, and the numbers well fitted, and the phrase enough per­spicuous, an audible recitation of them is not to be omitted. And you are to sound them distinctly and tunably, and as you would do before an audience, * to take the experience of your voice also, and (after the contrivance of them in the brain, and the examining of them again, when set down in wri­ting, by the eye) * to bring them at last by their sounds, to the test and triall of the ears: which have a most acute judgment residing [Page 114] properly in them (as also all the other senses have) distinct from that of the mind, and of which the soul is not capable, but by this in­strument; (for what but the ear can measure sounds?) discovering to her, besides the defects of num­bers, and ill-soundings in the ca­dence, (which the soul, in the si­lence of the pen and of composing, discerns not) discovering also be­fides these (I say) many latent ob­scurities of the stile, which seem­ing clear to the fancy that conceiv­ed them (as our own things are by our selves more easily understood) and again to the eye that easily re­collects them (that being perma­nent before it in the paper, what passeth away in the sound) yet are many times dark and obscure, not onely to the Auditor, but to the probation of this out-lodging sense of the Composer; whose own ears give him almost as impartial a cen­sure, as those of other mens, con­cerning the perspicuousness and [Page 115] obscurity, smoothness and rough­ness, of his stile. In which ear if the Oration please not, it is much less effective on the passions. (Nihil intrare potest in affectum, quod in aure, tanquam quodam vestibulo, statim offendit, saith Quintilian.) and, Acerrimum est aurium judicium, (saith Pliny); ita ut oratio, quae scri­pta placet, recitata non probetur. First then we ought to try our compo­sures this way; by which the soul, receiving them more remotely, conveyed to the ear by the voice, and from this returned to her, as it were, from abroad, and that onely in a transient sound, sits now as the most disinterested Arbiter, and im­partial judge of her own works, that she can be. Which office Pliny, the more exactly to perform, pro­cured his own compositions to be recited to him by some other than himself.

2 But next it is almost necessary also, after this examen, which may [Page 116] be too partial to our own concepti­ons, to try them before some friend, or company, or communi­cate them to them to be perused. See Plini's diligence herein lib. 7. ep. 17. Nullum emendandi genus omitto: Ac primum quae scripsi me­cum ipse pertracto, deinde duobus aut tribus lego: mox aliis trado annotan­da; notasque eorum, si dubito, cum uno rursus aut altero pensito; novissi­mè plaribus recito, ac (si quid mihi credis) tunc acerrimè emendo; nam tanto diligentiùs, quanto solicitiù [...], in­tendo. Optimè autem reverentia, me­tus, pudor, judicant.—Et cum mul­tis, & saepe, tractandum, quod pla­cere & semper & omnibus cupias— Nec verò ego, dum recite, laudari, sed, dum legor, cupio.—For even those who are much inferiour in the same faculty, and not able to pro­duce the like, may yet judge of what we compose, better than our selves, and that not onely for ca­dence, perspicuity, singularities, and indecent affectations, &c. [Page 117] (which as it is somewhat hard for us to discern, so it is for them to mistake) but also concerning the whole matter, disposition, and or­naments, of our work.

For 1. first what letteth, that those, short of us in fancy, may ex­ceed us in judgment? Or 2. if not, yet are we more dis-enabled to this office by self-love to our own productions, than they by ig­norance, &c. Therefore our selves also judge perfectlier of these, when we have for a while laid them aside, and the ardency of love, which we have to any new parturi­tion, is by some space of time aba­ted, after that we have diverted to some other imployment, amongst which, as amongst children, com­monly the yongest is most affected. Or, 3. if not this neither; yet since our works are according to other mens capacity, and not our judg­ment, estimated, and, as they are composed by us, so, are, for them, we ought perchance in something [Page 118] to depart even from the right, where they disallow it. (It was Pomponius Secundus his saying Provoco ad Populum. Plin. lib. 7. Ep. 17.) For none is an Orator to himself, but others; and there­fore what is not writ agreeable to their apprehensions, is written to small purpose; and what is most accommodated to these, do not themselves best determine? what is writ for others, is either to pro­fit, or to delight them; but no­thing in this kind profits much, which doth not first please; and what best pleaseth them, they best judge. Therefore since a discreet Orator would onely use what they may like, it is also very requisite, that he trie how they like what he useth. Onely in this he is to ob­serve not singular opinions, but some more general consent in their judgement; which, when in many the same, is seldom mistaken.

VI IT remains yet that something be said of Pronunciation and Action.

1. Num. 1. 6. Of Pro­nunciati­on. In the Pronunciation; 1. Monotonia i. e. the same continued Tone; 2. The same stay upon every word; and 3. The same Pause between them, are un­graceful, and to be avoided. (Non solùm in membris, sed etiā in articulis, est aliqua pronunciandi varietas, sine quâ nihil ne (que) majus ne (que), minus est. Quint. l. 11. c. 3. The heighth, the length, & distance be­tween words, are still to be varied, and that not onely in the conclusion, but in every article and clause of a Period; some words being spoken higher, some lower; some swifter, and with force, some slower and more mollified: Else nothing said is made more or less con­siderable, than another; when yet al­wayes something is so. And so for pau­ses; comma's, and all other distinctions require some, yet not all the same stay. Nay several words have a different stop from the several syllables of the same word. (Est quoddam in ipsâ divi­sione verborum latens tempus. Quint.) [Page 120] And this not without much reason. For besides that hereby, what is most eminent in our reasoning is elevated, and prolonged beyond the rest, and the columns of our discourse singled out for the Auditors special obser­vance; besides this, I say, as in all o­ther things men are both eased and delighted with perpetual variety, and change, so 'tis in Pronunciation; the va­rying whereof yields a great delight to the ear, but also as great an ease and re­freshment to the voice. What gives singing such a ravishing power over us, but a well proportion'd variety of the Notes? What advanceth Verse above Prose, but a perpetual change of the feet? (the harmony of which, when placed in such an order, being once ob­served, made afterward a disposition of them, a law for Verse) even the same power these retain, * in the Orators stile, as in verse, though it must needs be more loose (non vacat exiguis) and * in his pronunciation, as in a song; though it must needs be less curious, and affected.

2 Now those words which the voice is [Page 121] chiefly to stay upon, and give an extra­ordinary Emphasis to, are such, in which there lies some figure, as all Antitheta's and correspondents, and words relating to another, and generally the mediums (in which lies the greatest burden) of our arguments. (Observandum quo loco sustinendus, & quasi suspendendus sermo sit. Quint.) Examples.

Integritas tua te purgavit, pudor eripuit.—

An lingua & ingenio patefieri aditus ad urbem potuit, manu & virtute non potuit?

Which as they were purchased by us, so provided for them; they have the right of what we have the possession.

3 And amongst the rest alwayes the cadence of the Period, which is most observed, and accordingly by the voice usually most varied, ought to be fitted for a more tunable pronounciation (Ra­tio pedum magis & desideratur in claus [...] ­lis & apparet. Quint.—and— Aures tum magis judicant, cum orationis impetus ste­tit, & intuendi tempus dedit.) Here therefore the chiefest Orators, though negligent of all the rest, have observed certain measures and feet; placet plerisque dichoraeus, saith Quintilian: and Tully's [esse videatur] is famous. [Page 122] Yet this strictness extends not to a­bove four or five of the last syllables. A due and tunable clause therefore of a Period after the last Pause that is made before it (i. e. the Comma or other Point that precedes &c.) ought to be ordinarily at least of four sylla­bles; because the voice begins its va­riation some Notes before the sylla­ble that concludes: (For who can conclude handsomely that knowes not of it, before he is enter'd into the last word or syllable?) And these syllables are better all long, than all short▪ those having more stability and weight; better long and short interchan­geably, than all long; the short be­ing far more smooth and sweet, and the voice also requiring by courses some syllables, wherein to spare (as in the short) and some again, wherein to extend it self (as in the long.) By long, I mean those whereon the emphasis of the word resteth; and by short, those which the voice usually toucheth more lightly, as fa- in [ favour] and -ward in [ reward] are to be accounted long; -vour, and re-, short.

[Page 123] And therefore in verse (wherein there is more care of Euphony in eve­ry part) though the English doth not strictly observe set quantities, yet hath it a great latitude of roughness or smoothness, according as these are well placed; nor flowes it so grace­fully, 1. * unless ordinarily every se­cond syllable, or latter part of the foot be long (especially the latter syl­lable of the first, and of the penultime, foot). As this verse:

[These in the Summer of thy favor grow] runs better than this:

[ In the Summer of thy favor these grow]. And note, that Iambicks are better than Trochae's, and Spondae's than Da­ctyles. As for terminations, those u­sually short in the Latine (not regard­ing position) are so in the English, as the Liquids, &c. And those again long, which have long vowels, double conso­nants, and endure a harder pronun­ciation, easily known to every ones experience. And Secondly, * Un­less more frequently words ending with a consonant be received by others beginning with a vowel, and è contra.

[Page 124] Monosyllables, harsh, and requiring, as several words, some little pause be­tween them, conclude not so tunably. (Monosyllaba, si plura sunt, malè conti­nuabuntur. Quint.

4 As for the rest of our stile, 'tis suf­ficient if the several clauses (any great disparity of which sounds very harsh, and unequal) be, as much as conveni­ently may be, of a like and proportio­nable extension; and that, neither ve­ry short, nor very long; not under four syllables ordinarily, nor exceed­ing ten, or twelve: for the voice can­not vary under four, nor so tunably at once pronounce above ten. Hence five or six feet are the longest verse usual in any Language; and two feet the shortest. And by these metrical members of Poetry (which were one­ly first used, because found more to please; the Orators aim, as well as the Poets) all our prose also is tacitely modelled: though it must alwayes a­void the appearance thereof, lest it should seem to be more affected, less natural, less masculine, by so much [Page 125] trimming; as also to be strict therein would be too troublesome.

5 That the voice may have its true compass, both to notes higher and lower, as the words and the passions do require, 'tis to be placed in a middle key between both, to rise and fall at pleasure. (Mediis inter acu­tum & gravem utendum sonis, & intermediis imum supremum (que) spatiis.) Else put in a Base, how can it descend, or ascend, in a Treble? As a singing tone, and a verse­like cadence are alwayes to be avoided, so that composition and pronunciation com­ing neerest them, is the best, and, that the voice in speaking be rather elevated some­what, than depressed; because we are more prone, for our ease, or from our mo­desty, to a low tone; which yet, be­ing too deep, and full, and less clear, and making accordingly a weaker impression upon the Auditor, is the worse, of the two ex­tremes: ( Submisso illo murmure debilitatur omnis intentio. Quint.). For the length of your pronouncing, Tardity is to be chosen, rather than precipitancy, and a scanning as it were (though this also no small fault) of all your syllables, rather than making per­petual Syneloepha's; and drowning that which follows, by too much straining that which goes before: whereas the articulation of all ought to be distinct, and every syllable, to [Page 126] have some, though seldom all to have an e­qual, share, of the pronunciation.

6 Passion chiefly directs the pronunciation: ( Vox respondeat animo. Flexum vocis maxi­mâ ex parte praestant motus animorum, sonat­que vox, ut feritur.) Therefore this to be excited, that the other may be exactly performed; which is as it were the hand to this instrument of the voice, by which it is tuned several wayes, to the begetting like motions, in the minds of others, to those with which our selves are first affected.

VII PRonunciation ought to be accompanied with some decent action and comport­ment of your body. Num. 1. 7. Of A­ction.

This Action is especially of the Eyes and the Hand. Of the Hand thus Scaliger: Ra­tio est manus Intellectus; oratio, Rationis; Orationis, manus, & Manus membrum ho­minis loquacissimum. Acting with the hand is using in our discourse the same motion of them, which they have when with them we act or manage the thing whereof we speak. As to hold out the hand, when we speak of begging: up, when we speak of praying: griping the hand, when of striking: the hand beating on any thing, [Page 127] when of anger: clapping the hands toge­ther, when speaking of wonders: Opening one or both the hands, when making a thing plain or explaining: Armes drawn back close to the sides, when requesting: putting out the fore-finger, when demonstrating, and as it were shewing a thing (therefore is that finger called the Index). So the hand is put forward with the thumb bended in, for demonstrating. The first finger turn­ed down, for urging, and pressing as it were: put up, for threatning: the middle finger put out, for reproching: The left thumb touched, by the Index of the right hand, for reasoning, and disputing: the touching a finger with the other hand, for distinguish­ing, and for numbering. The hand brought toward one, in saying any thing of himself; toward the head, when speaking of the un­derstanding; to the breast, when of the soul, will or affections. Folding the arms in sadness, &c, And lastly; one, and that no small, service of the Hand, is, that it keeps time, in our speech, with our periods; being in a kind of suspence and waving, while the sentence is so, and, at the end thereof, returning still to the first posture, as the voice doth to such a tone.

2 Yet must there be some caution used in the gestures of the hands, because tis very easie, in this, to exceed a decorum. An O­rator [Page] [...], in his action, 1. must be free from any imitations of levity, as of a Fidler, Dancer, &c. 2. must be aware of too much finger-action, being not grave. 3. must not undecently extend his arms too far any way, either upward, above the eye, or down-ward, below rhe breast: or much side-wayes, or backward, or circular­ly. 4. must turn the action of the hand the same way, as the voice. 5. must with­draw, and end the action of his hand with his sentence; and in the same sentence must not often change it. 6. must avoid a perpetual similitude of gesture; but, more than this, a mimical restless varia­tion (too little being a more tolerable fault, than too much). In which the chief care is to be, that it may not seem affected; but forced from his passion: 7. Lastly, though both the hands do more fully express the Orators conceits, yet the left hand in acti­on many times needs not be used; must never be used, as principal.