There ray be SECT. I. Of the PARTS OF AN ORATION, with an Example. TH HE 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 ftands, 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 propofes the Purport or Surn of the whole Difcourfe, or Thing in Difpute. If it divides the Oration into Parts, which -nega ought never to exceed three or four at most, 'tis we Propcall'd Partition. ་ ive well as 1ositive. The CONFIRMATION is to strengthen 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. ANNOTATIONS. OBS. I. TN the PARTS The 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... SALLUST. Bell. Catalin. EX See XORDIUM. If I, O my Companions, had not had 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 ourfelves Mafters of the Roman State. Nor fhou'd I through Eafinefs, or Want of Judgment, take for a Certainty, what would otherwife be, perhaps, doubtful. But becaufe I have more than once found you both valiant and firm ANNOTATION S. what went before by credible, jul, and proper Proofs, ἐκ Η πίσεων και δικαίων και των συμφερόντων τας προ ερημένας βεβαιώσομεν. C. 33. In the REFUTATION to take off all Objections, de τὰ μὲν ἐκείνων μικροποιῶν, τὰ ἢ σαυτόν αύξειν, You mut extenuate your Adverfaries Arguments, and amplify your own. C. 34. In the PERORATION, wel ♡ ή λελεγμένων αναμνήσομαι τοὺς ἀκροατὲς τὰ πραχθέν τα ἐν κεφαλαίῳ αὖθις εἶποντες· Προσέξεσι δέ σοι, ἐὰν μεγάλας καὶ καλὰς μετα χειρίζη τας πράξεις, We mult put our Auditors in mind οf what has been faid, by fumming up or recapitulating our Arguments: Who by this means, if your Subject is honeft and honourable, will be render'd attentive and benevolent. C. 39. D OBS. 1 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 fhunning 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 must 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 Lafh 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 bravely, ANNOTATIONS. OBS. II. DI IFFERENCE OF ORA 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, Decla mation, 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 transcribe the Heads of it- Nemo autem à me exigat id Præceptorum Genus, quod eft à plerifque Scrip toribus bravely, than continue the Scorn of other Mens Infolence, and lose our Lives at last with Difgrace? Gods! But we have Victory in our Hands that will fave 'em. CONFIRMATION. We have Youth, 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 House remaining to fhelter ourfelves in? Your Pictures, your Statues, and your Rarities in Sculpture are all in the Hands of thefe Purchasers. They pluck ye down even Piles that are new, and fet 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 Treafure is fo vaft, that with all their Extravagance they can never exhaust it. But as for us, we have Poverty at home, and hungry Creditors abroad to devour us; defperate Circumstances, and ANNOTATION S. more toribus Artium traditum, ut tur : Sed mutantur pleraque quafi quafdem Leges immutabili Caufis, Temporibus, Occafione, Neceffitate conftrictas fludiofis Nceeffitate, &c. Quid fi enim dicendi feram: utique Proce- præcipias Imperatori, quoti mium, & id quale: proxima Aciem inftruet, dirigat Fronbuic Narratio, que Lex deinde tem, Cornua utrimque promonarrandi: Propofitio poft hanc, yeat, Equites pro Cornibus lo&c. Effet enim Rhetorica Res cet? Erit hæc quidem rectiffima prorfus facilis ac parva, fi uno fortaffe Ratio, quoties licebit: Sed mutabitur Natura Loci, fi brevi Præfcripto continere D 2 Mons more defperate Expectations. In fhort, what is left us but our miserable Breath? PERORATIO N. Arife then, Brother Soldiers, and lafh up your Refentment! View the Liberty, the tranfporting Liberty, which you have fo 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, Circumftances added to the Spoils of Victory, should inflame you more than all the Harangues in the World. For my own Part, you fhall either have me as your General, or as a private Soldier, juft as you pleafe. 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. ANNOTATIONS. Mons occurret, fi Flumen ob- qua; & interim decet, ut in Statuis atque Picturis 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 tas illa capit, Labore fcripferit. SECT. |