[Sidenote: Epilogus.] _Conclusio_, conclusi is, which by a brief argum?tacion of these thinges that be spoken before or done, inferreth that thynge that necessarilye shulde folowe, thus: And if a reuelacion wer geuen to the Troianes, y^t Troy myght not be taken without y^e arowes of Philectetes, and thei did nothing else but strike Alexander to kyl him that in dede was Troy to be taken.
[Sidenote: Epitrope.] _Permissio_, permission, when we shew y^t we geue & graut any thyng altogether to a mans wyll, thus: -- Because al thynges tak? away, only is left vnto me my body & mynd, these thynges, whych only ar lefte vnto me of many, I graunte th? to you and to your power.
[Sidenote: Anacinosis.] _Cmunicacio_, cmunicacion is, when we leaue sumwhat to y^e Iudges to be estemed, thus: I leaue vnto you o iudges to be thought what hurt y^e cm welth shal take hereof _Diuisio_, [Sidenote: Dialisis.] diuision is which diuiding one thyng fr another, endeth th? both by shewing a reas, thus: why shuld I lay ani thing to thi charge? if y^u bee good, y^u haste not deserued it, if thou be naught, thou carest not for it. Also, what shuld I speake of myne owne good turnes towarde the. If thou do remember them, I shuld but trouble you: If you haue forgotten them, when by deede I haue profited nothyng, what good can I do in wordes?
[Sidenote: Ant.i.theton.] _Contentio_, contencion, when the reason stdeth by contrary wordes or contraries be rehea.r.s.ed by cparison, thus: Flattery hath pleasaut begynnynges, but the same hathe verye bytter endynges.
Cicero agaynst Catiline: when they coulde not lyue honestlye, they had rather dye shamefully. They that be after the fleshe, care for these thynges y^t be of the fleshe. They that be after the spirite, care for the thynges of the spirite.
[Sidenote: Ant.i.thesis.] _Contrarium_, contrary is, that of two diuerse thynges confirmeth y^e one bryefely and easelye, thus: For he that alwayes wyll be an enemy to hys owne rekenyngs, how shuld a man trust that he wold be a frind to other mens matters?
He that in familiare cmunicacion and company of hys friendes wyl neuer say truth, thinkest th? y^t he wil absteine from a lye in a cmon audience.
[Sidenote: Colon.] _Membrum oracionis_, a m?ber of the reas is so called when a thinge is shewed perfitely in fewe wordes the whole sentence not shewed, but receyued agayne w^t an other parte, thus: Thou dyddest bothe profite thyne enemie, and hurte thy frynd. Thys exornacion may be made of two partes only, but the perfiteste is made of thre, thus: Thou diddest profite thine enemy, hurt thi frind, and dydst no good to thy selfe.
[Sidenote: Dialyton.] _Articulus_, article is, when eche word is set asunder by cutting the oracion thus.
By sharpnes, voyce, countenaunce, thou madeste thyne enemyes afrayd. Thou destroyedst thyne enemyes wyth enuye, wronges, power, falsehead.
[Sidenote: Isocolon.] _Compar_, euen or equall, is when the oracion hath in it the partes of the whyche we spake before, & that they be made of euen number of sillables: but thys equalitie must not stand by numbrynge of them, but by perceyuyng of it in y^e mynd. Christe afore the Iudge was led, & on hys head a croune of thorne was putte, in token that in dede, the kynge of Iews he was borne. Here be some mo wordes in on m?ber then in an other, yet sound they to the eare of lyke lengthe.
[Sidenote: Homioptot] _Similiter cadens_, fallyng al alike is, when in the same construccion of wordes ther be two wordes or mo which be spoken alyke in the selfe same cases, thus: Thou praysest a man nedye of vertue, plenteful of money. Cicero for Flaccus: There is in th? no varietie of opinion, none of wyll, none of talke.
[Sidenote: h.o.m.oteleto.] _Similiter desinens_, endynge al alyke, when words or sent?ces haue alyke endyng, as: Thou dareste do fylthely, and studiest to speke baudely. Content thy selfe w^t thy state, in thy herte do no man hate, be not the cause of stryfe and bate.
[Sidenote: Climax.] _Gradacio_, is, when we rehea.r.s.e again the word y^t goth next before, & desc?d to other thinges by degrees thus: To Affrican industry gat vertue, vertue glory, glory hatered. [Sidenote: Orismus.] _Definicio_, definici, wher by y^e proper effect of any thynge is declared briefely & absolutely in this wyse: This is not dilig?ce but couetousnes, because y^t dilig?ce is a nedy sauing of thine own: couetousnes is a wrongful desyre of other mens.
-- [Sidenote: Metabasis.] _Transicio_, transici is, wherby briefly we monyshe what hath ben spoken, & what may folowe, as: What he hath ben to hys contrey I haue told, now ye shal hear how he hath shewed him self to hys par?tes. Also Cicero for the law of Manilius: Because we haue spoken of y^e kind of the warre, now wyll we shewe a fewe thynges of the greatnes of it.
-- [Sidenote: Paralepsis.] _Occupatia_, occupacion is, when we make as though we do not knowe, or wyl not know of y^e thyng y^t wee speke of most of al, in this wyse: I wyl not say that y^u tokest money of our felowes, I wyl not stand much in thys that y^u robbedst kingdoms, cityes, and al mens houses: I pa.s.se ouer thy theftes, & al thy rauyns. -- [Sidenote: Asindeton.] _Dissolutio_, when the oracion lacketh coniuccions, thus: Obey thy par?tes, be ruled by thi kinsfolke, folow thy fryndes, obey the lawes.
[Sidenote: Apostrophe.] _Auersio_, auersion, when we turne our speche from them to whom we dyd speake to another personne, eyther present or absent, or to a thing to the whych we fayne a person, as a precher, speaking of priestes, that feede not the flocke, may fytly turn hys speche vnto Peter, sayinge: O Peter, I wold thou liuedst, & sawest what thy brethren do, howe far they be gone fr that thou prescribedst them to do. Againe: O world, howe pleasant be the thynges that thou dost promyse, how bytter ben they that thou geuest.
[Sidenote: Anangeon.] _Necessum_, necessitie, when we cfesse the thynge to be done, but excuse it by necessitye, eyther of y^e person or tyme, thus: I confesse that thys I dyd. But the woman that thou gauest me, dyd deceyue me. Also, somtyme I was in that opinion, but the tyme so required.
[Sidenote: Anaclasis.] _Refractio_, that is the turninge backe agayne of a worde into a ctrary significacion, thus: I knowe kynge Ezechias that all thys lyfe is but bitternes, but I praye thee, gyue me suche bytternes.
[Sidenote: Bomphiologia.] _Verborum bombus_, when small & triflyng thynges are set out wyth great gasyng wordes. Example of this haue you in Terrence of the boasting souldiar, & creping smel feast.
[Sidenote: Miosis.] _Diminutio_, when greate matters are made lyghte of by wordes, as when he was wel beat?
bi a knaue, that knaue wyll saye he dyd but a lytle stryke hym.
[Sidenote: Liptote.] _Extenuatio_, the makyng lesse of a thynge to auoyde arrogance, thus: If I haue any wit O Iudges, if any exercyse of endyghtyng, al may I thanke Archias the Poete of. -- Cicero for Archias.
[Sidenote: Diasirmus.] _Eleuacio_, when we make lyghte of, and dyspyse great argumentes brought agaynst vs, whych to aunswer vnto it is labour, and we saye they perteyne not to the purpose, or that they are vnworthy to be answered vnto, or that we kepe them tyll another tyme: Of thys ther nedeth none example.
As oute of lytle springs ariseth greate fluddes: so now these preceptes of grammer finyshed, and the fyrste order of the Rethorical figures: We nowe come vnto that greate declaracion of eloquence, called of Quintilian & Cicero, the ornamet?s of sentence.
Figures of sentence.
[Sidenote: Particio.] Particion called also diuision & distribucion rethoricall, is when a thing that mai be generally spok?, is more largely declared, and diuided into partes. Example: He is perfitely seene in all the sciences. -- This s?tence spoken as it were in a sume, may be enlarged, if seuerally you reherse vp al the kindes of learning. There is no kynd of doctrine at al but he is exquisitely sene in it. There is no science, but he hathe learned it thorowly, and so learned it, that you wolde thynke he had labored onely in it.
So maruelouslye he knoweth all the fables of al the Poetes, he so aboundeth in the floures of the Rethoricians: He hath so boulted oute the paynefull rules of the gramarians. So perfitely knoweth he the subtilnesse of the Logicians, and hath so soughte oute the priuities of natural thynges, and ouercome the harde poyntes of supernaturall wisedome: he hathe pa.s.sed thorowe the secretes of the diuines, and hath thorowlie perceyued the mathematical demstracions. He so knoweth the mocions of the starres, the reasons of numbers, the measurynges of the earth, the situacions, names & s.p.a.ces of cities, mountaynes, fluddes, and fountaynes, he so knoweth the difference and harmonies of tunes: He so rem?breth all hystoryes olde and late: So knoweth all good authors, all antiquities & nouelties, and also is perfitelye well seene as wel in Greke as latyne. Finallye whatsoeuer learnynge hathe bene found and taught of good authors, al that thorowlye hath he perceyued, knowen and rem?bred. Here these wordes, he is perfitelye seene in all the sciences, bee declared in theyr partes.
[Sidenote: Enumeracio.] Enumeracion is much lyke vnto thys, when not beynge contente at once to declare the ende of the matter, we rehea.r.s.e vp all y^t went before it was done. [Sidenote: Enumeraci of thynges that go before] Example: Cicero oppressed the mischeuous purposes of Catiline. Thus maye you set it forth: The myscheuous enterpryses of Catiline by most vngracious yonge men, whych went about the destruccion of the citie of Rome, M Tullius the consull dyd quickelye smell out by hys foresyghte, and by hys singuler vigilancye sought th? oute, by his hyghe prudence espyed them, by his incredible eloquence conuinced them, and by hys graue authoritie repressed th?, by force of armes subdued them, & with great happines toke them quyte awaye.
[Sidenote: Enumeraci of the causes.] Hitherto also apperteineth, wh? we expoud a thyng not barely, but repete the causes also sumwhat before, and of what begynnynges it came of. As if not contente to haue sayd, that the Frenchmen made bataile with the Neapolitans, we rehea.r.s.e also what wer the causes of theyr stryfe, who was the setter forward, and what was the occasion of the warre, what hope and truste eyther of them had to the victorye. Of these ar many examples in Sal.u.s.te & Liuie. [Sidenote: Enumeraci of effectes, & consequ?tes.] From thys differeth not when we do not simplye shewe forthe the matter, but reherse also those thynges that eyther go with it, or folowe it, as thus: We thanke the of thys warre. Thus maye you dilate the matter. The treasure spente vpon the Barbariens, the youthe broken wyth laboures, the corne troden downe, the catel driuen awaye, stretes and vyllages euery where set on fyre, fieldes lefte desolate, walles ouerthrowen, houses robbed, temples spoyled, so many olde men chylderles, so manye orphanes, so manye wyddowes, so many virgins shamefully defiled, y^e maners of so many yong m? made worse by leude liberty, so many m? slayne, so great mourning, so many good artes loste, lawes oppressed, religion blotted, al thynges of G.o.d and man confounded, all good order of the citie corrupted: I say all this heape of myschiefs that riseth of war, we mai thke the only of it, which wast y^e beginner of this war
[Sidenote: Energia.] _Enargia_, euidence or perspicuitie called also descripcion rethoricall, is when a thynge is so described that it semeth to the reader or hearer y^t he beholdeth it as it were in doyng. Of thys figure ben many kyndes.
The fyrste, called effiguracion or descripcion of a thynge, whereby the figure and forme of it is set out: as of the vniuersall flud.
The seconde, the descripcion of a personne, when a man is described, as are the n.o.ble menne in Plutarch, and the Emperours in Suetonius. Howe be it the rethoricianes vse thys worde _Prosopopeia_, that is descripcion of a personne to comprehende the sixe kyndes folowinge.
[Sidenote: Charactirismus.] The thyrde kinde is called _Charactirismus_, that is the efficcion or pycture of the bodye or mynde, as Dauus describeth Crito, & Mitio describeth Demea.
[Sidenote: Prosopographia.] The .iiii. is the fainyng of a pers called _Prosopographia_, and is of .ii.
sorts. Fyrst y^e descripci of a fained person, as Vyrgyl in the syxt of Eneid, faineth Sibil to be mad, & fayneth the persons in h.e.l.l. An other forme is wh?
we fayne pers, cmunicacion, or affecte of a man or of a beaste, to a dumme thynge, or that hath no bodye, or to a dead man: as to the Harpies, furies, deuils, slepe hongar, enuie, fame, vertue, iustice, and suche lyke, the poetes fayne a person, and communicacion.
This seconde fashion the Poetes do call _Prosopopey_.
[Sidenote: Aetopeia.] The fyrst kind is called _AEtopeia_, that is an expressi of maners or mylde affeccions, and hath thre kyndes: of the whych the fyrst is a significacion or expression of maners somewhat longer, as of wittes, artes, vertues, vices.
Thus we expresse Thraso a boaster, and Demea a sowre felowe.
The seconde forme, is an expression of naturall propensitie, and inclinacions to naturall affeccions, as of the fathers loue toward the chyldren .&c. of fryendshyppe, neyghbourhod & cetr. as you maye se in hystoryes.
-- The thyrd kynde is the expression of lighter affeccions, as when wee go about by fayre meanes to gette the mery affeccions of menne to vs ward or to other, & when the mynd is lyft vp into hope, myrth, & laughter, and as be louyng salutations, promises, & cmunynges together in familiar epistles and dialogues, and the getting of loue and fauour in the begynnynges, and finallye thys figure doth teach, that Rethorique is a part of flattery. [Sidenote: Pathopeia.] The sixt kynde of rethoricall descripcion is _Pathopeia_, that is expressyng of vehement affeccions and perturbacions, of y^e whych ther be two sortes. The fyrste called _Donysis_, or intencion, and some call it imaginacion, wherby feare, anger, madnes, hatered, enuye, and lyke other perturbacions of mynde is shewed and described, as in Ciceros inuectiues.
Another forme is called _Oictros_, or cmiseracion, wherby teares be pyked out, or pyty is moued, or forgeuenes, as in Ciceros peroracis, and complaintes in Poets: And to be shorte ther is gotten no greater admiracion or commendacion of eloquence then of these two, _AEtopeia_, and _Pathopeia_, if they be vsed in place. [Sidenote: dialogismus] The .vii. kind is _Dialogismus_ whych is how often a short or long communicacion is fayned to a person, accordyng to the comelines of it. Such be the concious in Liuie, & other historians. [Sidenote: Mimisis.] The .viii. kynd is called _Mimisis_, that is folowing eyther of the wordes or manoures whereby we expresse not onlye the wordes of the person, but also the gesture: and these foresayd sixe kindes Quintiliane dothe put vnder _Prosopopeia_. The .ix. kynde is the descripcion of a place, as of Carthage in the fyrst of Eneid. Referre hither Cosmographie and Geographie. The .x. kynd is called _Topotesia_, that is ficcion of a place, when a place is described such one peraduenture as is not, as of the fieldes called Elisii in Virgil: refer hither _Astrothesiam_, that is the descripci of starres. The .xi. kinde is _Chronographia_, that is the descripcion of the tyme, as of nyght, daye, and the foure tymes of the yere.
[Sidenote: Amplificacio] A greate parte of eloquence is set in increasing and diminyshing, and serueth for thys purpose, that the thyng shulde seme as great as it is in dede, lesser or greater then it seemeth to manye. For the rude people haue commonly a preposterous iudgem?t, and take the worst thynges for the beste, and the beste for the worst. Al amplificacion and diminucion is taken eyther of thinges, or of wordes. Of thynges ryse effeccions, of words those fashions that nowe I wyll shewe. The first waye of increasyng or diminishing is by chaungynge the worde of the thynge, when in encreasynge we vse a more cruell worde, and a softer in diminyshynge, as when we call an euyll man a thiefe, and saye he hathe kylled vs, when he hathe beaten vs. And it is more vehem?te if by correccion we compare greater wordes wyth those that we put before: As thou haste broughte not a thyefe, but an extorcioner, not an adulterer, but a rauysher. &c. -- Lyke vnto this is _Hyperbole_, whyche say the more then the truthe is in deede, as when we saye: The crye was hearde to heauen, meanyng it was a greate crye. An other kynde is by increase, whyche is when the thynges goyng before beynge exaggerate, we come from them to the hyeste: As agaynste Verres.
It is a myscheuous deede to bynde a Citizen of Rome, haynous to beate hym, what? shall I saye to hange hym?
An other waye of increase is, when wythoute distinccion in the context and course of the oracion, the circ.u.mstaunces sette in order, somewhat alwayes is added bygger then the fyrste, and that we come to the hyest by a swyfte pace. As he was not ashamed to playe at dyce wyth iesters in the common c.o.kerye, beynge a prieste, a Person, a Diuine, and a Monke. There is another kynde of amplyfienge that is by comparison contrary to increase. For as in increase the thynges that go before beyng exaggerat, we go from them to the hyest, so comparison taketh increase of the lesser, whych if they be greater in all mens opinions, that must nedes appeare verie greate that we wyll haue amplified: And comparison is made by ficcion, & by puttynge to an example. By ficcion, eyther in one degree, or in many. As in the fyrst part of the amplifiyng of Antonies vomite, for he fayneth it had happened vnto hym at supper beyng but a priuate person. If at supper in these great bowles of thine thys happened vnto thee, who wolde not haue counted it a shame: But now in y^e syght of the people of Rome beynge a cmon officer, master of the horse, to whom it was shame once to belch, he wyth hys gobbets of meat that stanke al of wyne, fylled al his lap, and the iudgement seate. Here amplificacion is taken of smaller thinges, and is made by one degree of many degrees, this maye be an example. If a m gaue the euery yere .xl. poud, woldest y^u not thanke him? If a friend had redemed the out of prison w^t hys money, woldest thou not loue hym? If eyther in battell or shypwracke a man by hys valiantnes had saued the, woldest thou not worshyp hym as G.o.d, and saye thou were neuer able to make hym amendes? What ingrat.i.tude is it then that Christ G.o.d & man, which hathe made the, to whom thou dost owe al that thou hast, &c. so to dispyse hym, so wyth dayely fautes to anger him, & for so great beniuol?ce to geue hym agayn so great contumelye and despyte? Neyther skylleth it that we haue rehea.r.s.ed ficcion and comparicion amonge argumentes, for there is no cause why that amplificacion and oruacion shuld not be taken out of the same places from whence ther commeth probacion.
Nor it is no newes the selfe same thynges to be applyed to diuerse vses. As of all circ.u.mstaunces both of the thyng, and of the person are taken argumentes, but euen oute of the selfe same are set affeccions and exaggeracions, whych is manifest in the kynde demonstratiue: As when we prayse chast.i.tie in a yonge man, we go not aboute to perswade that he was chaste, but that that vertue shulde appeare greater in floryshyng age. To lyke vse serue examples and similitudes, as in Esaye: The Oxe knewe hys owner, and the a.s.se the maunger of hys master, but Israel hathe not knowen me. The example of the Oxe & the a.s.se is not vsed for this to proue that the Hebrewes dyd not knowe their G.o.d, but that the impietie and folishnes of that nacion shulde be amplified. The same may be applied to profe after thys maner. If the Oxe and a.s.se knowledge theyr masters, of wh they are norished and do serue them, how much more conueniente is it, that m shuld knowledge hys maker and norisher, and serue him bothe in bodye and mynd. Contrarye, when Paul sayth: no man serueth in warre on his owne wages, he proueth by similitudes, that it is not comelye, that they that war vnder the gospell, shulde be compelled to be carefull for their liuynge. He shuld haue applied it to amplifiyng, if he had propouned it thus.
They that serue vnder a capteine be not careful for their liuyng, but lokinge for the sustenaunce of their capteine, only studye for thys to do hym faythful seruice, howe muche more shame is it that some menne that haue promised to fyght vnder Christ in the gospel, to distrust such a capteyne, and studye all they can to gather riches. Cparison by puttyng to example is, wh? by setting out as it were a lyke example, wee brynge to pa.s.se that that we exaggerate may be thought either very lyke, eyther equal, either bygger. -- And in this kynd both the whole is cpared to the whole, & the partes to partes: as in the oracion of Cicero for Milo. Did I pray you y^t n.o.ble m Scipio being a priuat pers kil Tiberius Gracchus whych shaked the cm wealthe but a lytle, & shall wee beynge consulles suffer Catiline, that gothe aboute to wast the whole worlde wyth murther and fyre? Here both Catiline is compared to Gracchus, and the estate of the common wealthe to the whole world, & a lytle shakyng to slaughter, fyer and wastyng, and a priuate person to the consuls. -- Ther is an amplificacion also wh? contraries be set together, wherby bothe the partes seme bygger, and more euidente. As when exhorting men to liberalitie, we shewe howe foule a faute couetousenes is, that the foulnes of the faute being exaggerate, the goodlines of the vertue shulde be more encreased. There is another kynd of amplifiyng called reasonynge, when of those thinges that eyther folowe or go before, the hearer doth gather how great that thynge is that we wolde to be amplified. By thynges that go before, as when Homer armeth Achylles, or Hector to batayle, by the greate preparacion, we gather how sore y^e sight shal be. Of thinges y^t folowe: How much wyne Antony dranke, when y^t hauyng such a strong body he was not able to digeste it, but spewed it vp the nexte daye after. Of thynges ioyned to: as wh? Maro sayeth to Poliphemus: He had the bodye of a pineapple tree for a staffe in hys hande. Manye other kyndes ben there of amplifiynge, which who so wyl se more at large, may read that right excellent boke of the famouse doctor Erasmus, whych he int.i.tuled the preacher.
The inuencion of many proposicions is, when the chyefe state or princ.i.p.al proposion of the cause is declared and proued by manye other proposicions and argum?tes, so set in iuste order that there be no confusion of proposions. And proposicions be taken partely of those that be cmon, and partly of those thynges that belonge properlye to the cause: As if a man wolde counsell Tullye not to take the condicion offered of Antony, that is, that by burnynge of hys bookes called philippia, he shulde haue hys lyfe, hy myght vse commonly these proposicions. Fyrste y^t no man oughte to by his life so dere, that therby he shulde lose hys immortall name. -- To thys generall may serue a perticuler taken oute of circ.u.mstaunces, that it oughte not to be done, inespecialy of Cicero, whych by so many laboures hathe gotten vnto hym selfe an excellente and euerlastyng name, and that hath shewed moste eloquently by putting out so manye n.o.ble workes that deathe ought to be despised, inespeciallye seynge that now he hath not much tyme to lyue beynge an olde man. -- Agayn, another princ.i.p.all proposicion shall be taken of the circustauces. That nothynge is worse, then that Cicero beyng a very good m shulde owe his lyfe to Antonye the worst man of the world. The third proposicion shal be ciectural: how that Antony craftely goeth about that the bookes beynge burned, in the whych he perceiueth bothe hys owne immortal infamye to be, and the immortal glory of Cicero, wh?
he hath afterwardes taken awaye hys lyfe, he maye vtterlye extinguyshe Cicero.
-- A copious heaping of probacions.
[Sidenote: Proues.] So when proposicions be found, remaineth argum?taci or proues, called in Greke _Pistis_, because they make suretye of a doutefull thyng. [Sidenote: Two sortes of proues.] Of proues some be artificiall, some vnartificial. Vnartificial be, foreiudgementes, rumoures, tormentes, tabelles, othe, wytnesses, diuinacion, oracles. [Sidenote: Signes be referred to proues vnartificial, & why?] To these be referred whych the Greekes cal _Symeia_ or sygnes: For they also commonlye are not set by the wytte of hym that disputeth, but are ministred otherwyse. [Sidenote: Signes wherfore.] They be called signes properlye, whyche rysynge of the thynge it selfe that is in question come vnder the sences of menne, [Sidenote: Signes be referred to tyme.] as threatninges, whych be of the time that is paste, cryinge herde oute of a place, whyche is of the tyme presente, palenesse of hym whyche is axed of the murther, whyche is of the tyme folowynge, or that bloud leapte oute of the bodye latelye slayne, when he came that dyd the murther. [Sidenote: Two maner of signes.] Also of signes some bee necessary, as that he liueth whiche dothe breathe, and some probable, as bloude in the garmente, whych myghte also come oute of the nose, or otherwyse. [Sidenote: Proues tak? oute of circustauces.] Also proues and argumentes are taken oute of circustaunces, partly of the person, partlye of the cause or thyng it self, and be called also of the Rethoricians places, neyther cleane contrarie to those that Aristotle hath taughte, neyther the very same: for some agree wyth them, some be all one, and some diuerse. [Sidenote: How proues of circustauces differ fr Aristotels places.] Onlye differeth the manour of teachynge, because the Rethoricianes do teache a patrone, the philosopher generally helpeth iudgement. [Sidenote: Circustces of person.]
Circ.u.mstaunces of the person ben these. Kinred, nacion, contrey, kynde, age, bryngynge vp, or discipline, hauioure of the body, fortune, condicion, nature of the mynde, studies, affectacion, wordes forespoken, & deedes done before, commocion, counsell, name. [Sidenote: Kynred.] Kynred monisheth vs to csider of what progeny a man dothe come. For it is semely, and happeneth cmonlye that the sonnes be lyke the forefathers, and thereof procedeth causes to lyue well or euyll: [Sidenote: Nacion] Naci sheweth what disposicion and maners euery nacion hath peculiarly of theyr owne. [Sidenote: Kynd.] The difference of kynde is knowen to euerye man: [Sidenote: Age.] To diuerse ages diuerse thyngs be conueniente. [Sidenote: Educacion.] It skylleth more by whom, and by what wayes men be brought vp, then of whom they be begotten. [Sidenote: Hauiour of the bodie.] The hauioure of the bodye comprehendeth fayrnes or foulnes, strength or weaknes: For more credible is the accusacion of lecherye in a fayre body then in a foule, and violence more probable in the strong, then in the weake. [Sidenote: Fortune] Fortune perteineth to ryches, kynred, friendes, seruitures, dignities, honours. [Sidenote: Condicion.] Condicion comprehendeth manye thynges: as whether he be n.o.ble or not n.o.ble, an officer, or a priuate person, a father or a sonne, a citizen or a straunger, a fre man, or a seruaunt, a maried manne, or a single man, a father or none, hauinge had but one wyfe, or two. [Sidenote: The nature of the mynd] The nature of the mynde hath manifold varieties in men. Some be fearful, some strong, some gentle, some vehem?t, chaste, lecherous, glorious, modeste &c. [Sidenote: Studies] Studies, for other be the maners of the rustical, then of the lawyer, of the marchaunte, then of the Soldier, of the shipman then of the phisicion. [Sidenote: Affectacion.] To these they adde affectacion: For it skylleth muche what maner man euerye one wolde seme to be, whether he be y^e same or not: as ryche, or eloquent, iuste or mightie, mery or sad, a fauorer of the people, or of the great men. [Sidenote: Wordes spoken, & deedes done before] Both wordes that be spoken before time, and dedes that be done, be also considered. For of thynges that be paste, the present be estemed, & also thinges that be to come. [Sidenote: Commocion] Cmocion in thys differeth from the nature of the mynde, because that one is perpetuall, that other for a whyle: as anger is commocion, rancour the nature of the mynde, and feare a cmocion, fearefulnesse nature.
-- [Sidenote: Name.] To these they adde the name of the person, of whence many tymes an argument is tak?: as Cicero iesteth muche vpon Verres, or sweepers name, because beyng a strong thief, he swepte altogether.
Thus haue we shewed that much matter may be taken of thynges belongyng to a personne, so maye be also of those that belonge to a thynge or cause, whiche places bee so handeled of Quintiliane, that he myngleth th?
wyth the places whyche Aristotle hathe comprehended in hys eyghte bookes of Topyckes. [Sidenote: Circustaunces of things be these.] Circ.u.mstances of the thynges be these: Cause, place, tyme, chaunce, facultie, instrumente, manour. And fyrste of euerye thinge there be foure causes, efficient, materiall, formall and finall. Matter is the receptacle of al formes. The forme causeth it to be thys, and not another thynge: as the reasonable soule geueth to the body that it is a man, and the soule because it is a substaunce hathe her vnnamed forme, whereby she is a soule, and not an aungel. [Sidenote: Fine or ende.]
And what soeuer is made, is made to a certen ende, and one thynge maye haue diuerse endes: as nature hathe geuen brestes vnto women to geue milke, and also for comlynesse of theyr bodies, neyther doth any man that is of a sounde mynde take vpon hym anye businesse, but for that he desyreth to haue some thynge: nor there is nothynge desyred, but vnder the consideracion of good or profite. -- So the ende whyche is laste in effecte, and fyrste in intencion, loketh vpon the gettinge of profites, increase, and cfirmacion of them, and also vpon them, eschuynge of disprofites, diminyshynge, or puttyng them awaye. But in chosyng them, false perswacion deceyueth manye, whylest by errour they beleue that to be good y^t is naughte. -- This place therfore serueth for many thynges, to make more or lesse. -- Greatly happy shulde men be, if euerye man wolde looke vpon the marke, not the whych desyre hathe sette before hym, but whyche G.o.d and honest reason hath prefixed. -- And of such strengthe is the ende, that hereof is taken the felicitie of euery thyng. To fast that the body maye obeye the mynde, to do good workes is an holy deede. To fast to be counted holye, is hypocrisie. To faste to encrease thy good, is couetousenesse. To faste to be whole in thy bodie is phisycke, and so of praiynge, almose, and other laudable workes. After lyke maner must be wayed the secondarie endes. [Sidenote: Place.] An other circ.u.mstaunce of a thynge, is the place, whose qualitie oftentimes maketh the faute either greter or lesser: as to steale an holye thing out of an holy place, is worse then some other kynde of theft.
[Sidenote: Tyme.] No lesse matter of argumentacion ministreth the qualitie of time, which signifieth two thynges. [Sidenote: Time hathe two significacions.]
Fyrst it is taken playnly for the time present, past, or to come: Seconde it signifieth oportunitie to do a thynge, and so when a man cometh as we wold haue it, we saye he cometh in time. And in the seuenth of Ihon, when Christ sayth: My tyme is not yet come, tyme is taken for oportunitie of tyme. And lykewyse in the syxt to the Galat. Therfore whyle we haue tyme. &c.
[Sidenote: Chaunce.] The Rethoricianes put chaunce vnder tyme, because the ende of a thynge perteyneth to the time that foloweth: but of thys wyll we speke in the place called Euent. Facultie is a power to do the thynge that is taken in hand: and in coniectures two thinges speciallye be considered: whether he could or wold. Wyll is gathered of hope to performe it, and is made more probable wh? the nature of the mynde is ioyned to it: as it is not like he wyl abide in his glorye, because he is enuious and ambicious. Also when we counsell one to leaue of vayne mournynge, when it is not in his power to get agayne that is gone.