SECT. I. Of the PARTS OF AN ORATION, with an Example. THE EXORDIUM, or Beginning of an Oration, is that in which we are to give our Audience fome Intimation of our Subject, and from the Nature of it to prepare their Minds to Benevolence and Attention. In which Part the Speaker' ought to be clear, modeft, and not too prolix. The NARRATION is the Reciting or Telling the whole Cafe in brief as it stands, from beginning to end. Which ought to be plain that it may be understood, likely that it may be credited, pleafing that it may be liften'd to, and short that it mayn't tire. The PROPOSITION proposes the Purport or Sum of the whole Difcourfe, or Thing in Dif pute. If it divides the Oration into Parts, which ought never to exceed three or four at most, 'tis call'd Partition. The CONFIRMATION is to ftrengthen and confirm our Subject by all the Proofs and Arguments we can obtain from Invention. In doing which Rhetoricians advife to place our Strongest in the Front, our Weakest in the Middle, and to keep fome few of our Beft as Referves. Vid. Cic. de Orat. 2. 77. IN The make plain, brief and probable, σαφεῖς καὶ βραχείας και εκ diss. C. 31. Thefe in our ANNOTATION S. OBS. I. N the PARTS OF AN ORATION, ARISTOTLE defcribes the EXORDIUM PROPOSITION we may just as it is above; Es de Προοίμιον, &c. See his Rhet. ad Alex. C. 30. NARRATIONS, fays he, we muft 8 divide into three Parts, Takoμεν δὲ αὐτὰς διὰ τριῶν. C. 32. In Our CONFIRMATION we must ftrengthen what The REFUTATION, or Confutation, anfwers all our Adverfaries Arguments, and takes off all Objections, by fhewing them to be abfurd, falfe, or inconfiftent. The PERORATION, or Conclufion, recapitulates or fums up the strongest and chief Arguments, and by moving the Paffions endeavours to perfuade the Hearers to yield to the Force of 'em. Take for Example CATILINE's inimitable ORATION to his Affociates, Confpirators against the Roman Commonwealth. Anno ante Chriftum 63. . . . . . See SALLUST. Bell. Catalin. EXORDIUM. If I, O my Companions, had had not fufficient Experience before now of your Courage and Faithfulness, I fhould not imagine that much wou'd come of the great Hopes which I have entertain'd, and the Opportunity that is now in our Hands to make ourselves Mafters of the Roman State. Nor fhou'd I through Easiness, or Want of Judgment, take for a Certainty, what would otherwise be, perhaps, doubtful. But because I have more than once found you both valiant and firm ANNOTATIONS. τὰς what went before by credi- τῶν λελεγμένων ἀναμνήσομεν τις ble, juf, and proper Proofs, ἀκροατάς, τὰ πραχθέντα ἐν ἐκ τῶν πίσεων καὶ τῶν δικαίων κεφαλαίῳ αὖθις εἰπόντες Προκαὶ τῶν συμφερόνων τὰς προ- σέξεσι δέ σου, ἐὰν μεγάλας ειρημένας βεβαιώσομεν. C. 33. In the REFUTATION to take off all Objections, δεῖ τὰ μὲν ἐκείνων μικραποιών, τὰ δὲ σαυτό αύξειν, You muft extenuate your Adverfaries Arguments, and amplify your own. C. 34. In the PERORATION, wapi καὶ καλὰς μεταχειρίζη D OBS. firm to me even in Junctures of Danger, I have ventur'd with great Affurance to undertake an Enterprize the greatest and nobleft in the World. Moreover I know that we all agree in pursuing and founning the fame Things. And what's the Band of a lafting Friendship but fuch a Conformity of Difpofitions? NARRATION. You have every Man of you had my Defign communicated' feparately to you already: And I cannot but tell you, that my Spirit is quicken'd to it every Day more and more upon thinking what a Life we must lead if we do not fight ourselves into Liberty. For a few great Ones having engrofs'd the Government into their own Hands, Kings, Tetrarchs, Provinces and Countries muft pay Tribute to no-body but them. And as for other brave Fellows, Nobles and Commoners, or whoever we be, we are all but infignificant Mob; without the leaft Authority or Intereft; and under the Lash of those Men, to whom if the Government were but put on a right Foot, we fhould rather be a Terrour. All the Wealth, Intereft and Preferments are with thefe Fellows, or at their Difpofal; and they have left us nothing but the goodly Portion of Repulfes, Dangers, Punishments and Want. But how long will you, the braveft of Men, tamely fuffer this intolerable Ufage! PROPOSITION. Is it not better to die OBS. II. ANNOTATION S. D OF OR A bravely, IFFERENCE clamation, Theme, &c. Orators differ very much among themfelves. But QUINTILIAN ties us up to Nothing but Quid deceat & Quid expediat. His Argument is beautiful, and therefore I'll tranfcribe the Heads of it- Nemo autem à me exigat id Præceptorum Genus, quod eft à plerifque Scrip TIONS. Inventio in Sex Partes Orationis confumitur, in Exordium, Narrationem, Divifionem, Confirmationem, Confutationem, Conclufionem. Cic. ad Her. 1. 3. Tho' this is the ufual Divifion, yet, refpecting the Parts of an Oration, De toribus bravely, than continue the Scorn of other Mens Infolence, and lose our Lives at laft with Difgrace?' Gods! But we have Victory in our Hands that will fave 'em. CONFIRMATION. We have Fouth, we have Strength, we have Courage on our Side. But every Thing with them is as old and decrepit' as their Riches, their Luxury, and their Years can make it. We have nothing to do but to ftrike the Stroke; the Undertaking will afterwards finish itfelf. REFUTATION. Who that has any Soul in him can endure that they fhould have fpare Money enough to build them Palaces in the Sea itself, and to level Hills and Mountains for their Pleasure, at the fame time that we have hardly fo much as Bread to fubfift on? That they fhould have Choice of Seats for their Delight, and we fcarce have a fingle Houfe remaining to fhelter ourfelves in? Your Pictures, your Statues, and your Rarities in Sculpture are all in the Hands of these Purchasers. They pluck ye down even Piles that are new, and set up others more ftately in their Room. In fine, they are ever raking up Money by all Ways, and ever confuming it. And yet their Treasure is fo vaft, that with all their Extravagance they can never exhauft it. But as for us we have Poverty at home, and hungry Creditors abroad to devour us; defperate Circumftances, and more defperate Expectations. In fhort, what is left us but our miferable Breath? PERORATION. Arife then, Brother Soldiers, and lash up your Refentment! View the Liberty, the tranfporting Liberty, which you have so often figh'd after! View the Riches and the Honours that are before you! They will all attend as Rewards of your Success. Poverty, Danger, Opportunity, Circumstances added to the Spoils of Victory, fhould inflame you more than all the Harangues in the World. For my own Part, you shall either have me as your General, or as a private Soldier, juft as you please. My Heart and my Hand fhall be infeparably with you. And I doubt not but that I fhall act as Conful with you in this Enterprize; if I am not perhaps out in my Thoughts, and you rather chufe to continue Slaves, than hew out a Way to Empire with your Swords. Mr. J. ROWE. See the LATIN of this, Page 83. ANNOTATION S. Mons occurret, fi Flumen ob- qua; & interim decet, ùt in Statuis atque Piduris videmus, variari Habitus, Vultus, Status, &c. Inft. lib. 2. c. 13.At Oratio perfecta in Pueris, nec exigi, nec fperari poteft. Satis eft fi Puer omni Cura, & fummo, quantum Ætas illa capit, Labore fcripferit. SECT. |