The Art of Rhetoric, Book 3 · Part 1 · Section 52
¶A Similitude.
A SimilitudeSimilitudo is a likenesse when .ij. thynges, or mo then two, are so cōpared and resembled together, that thei bothe in some one propertie seme like. Oftentymes brute beastes, and thynges that hauehave no life, minister greate matter in this behalfe. Therefore those that delite to proue thynges by similitudes, must learne to knowe the nature of diuerse beastes, of metalles, of stones and al suche, as hauehave any vertue in them, & be applied to mannes life. Sometymes in a worde appereth a similitude, whiche beyng dilated helpeth wel for amplificaciō. As thus. You striue against the streme, better bowe then breake. It is euill runnyng against a stone wall. A man maie louelove his house wel, and yet not ride vponupon the ridge. By all whiche, any one maie gather a similitude, and enlarge it at pleasure. The prouerbes of Heiwode helpe wonderfull well for this purpose. In comparyng a thyng from the lesse to the greater, Similitudes helpe well to set out the matter. That if we purpose to dilate our cause hereby with poses and sentences, wee maie with ease talke at large.Similitude enlarged. This shall serue for an e…ample. The more precious a thyng is, the more diligently should it bee kepte, and better hede taken to it. Therfore tyme, (cōsideryng, nothyng is more precious,) should warely bee vsed, and good care taken, that no tyme bee lost, without some profite gotten. For if thei are to be punished, that spende their money, and waist their landes, what folie is it, not to thynke theim worthie muche more blame, that spend their tyme (whiche is the chifest treasure that God geueth) either idlely, or els vngodly? For what other thyng doeth manne lose, when he loseth his tyme, but his life? And what can bee more deare to man, then his life? If wee lose a litle money, or a ryng of golde with a stone in it, we compt that greate losse. And I praie you, whē wee lose a whole daie, whiche is a good porcion of a mannes life, shall wee not compte that a losse, consideryng though our money bee gone, wee maie recouer thesame again, but tyme lost can neuer be called backe again. Again whē we lose our money, some bodye getteth good by it, but the losse of time turneth to no mannes auayle. There is no man that loseth in anye other thynge, but some bodye gayneth by it, sauynge onelye in the losse of time. Yea, it hathe saued the lyfe of some, to lose al that they hadde. For riches be the occasion sometimes of muche mischiefe in this lyfe, so that it were better sometymes wastefullye to spende, then warely to keepe: by the losse of time, no man hath profited him selfe any thing at all. Besides this, the better & more precious a thing is, the more shame to spēd it fondly. Though mē kepe their goodes neuer so close, and locke them vp neuer so fast, yet often times, either by some mischaunce of fyre, or other thinge, they are lost, or els desperate Dickes borowes nowe and then againste the owners wille, all that euer he hathe. And now though ye owner be vndone, yet is he not therfore dishonest, considerynge honestye standeth not in wealthe or heapes of money: But the losse of tyme, seynge it happeneth throughe oure owne folye, not onelye dothe it make vsus wretches, but also causeth menne to thinke that wee are paste all grace. A wonderfull kynde of infamie, when the whole blame shall reste vponupon none other mannes necke, but vponupon his onelye that suffereth all the harme. Wyth money a manne maye bye lande, but none can gette honestie of that pryce: and yet with well vsinge of tyme, a manne not onelyonly might get him muche worshippe, but also myghte purchase himself a name for euer. Yea, in a smal time a man might get greate fame, and liue in much estimation. By losinge of money wee lose little elles: by losynge of time, wee lose all the goodnes and gyftes of GOD, whiche by laboure might be hadde.
Thus a Similitude myghte be enlarged by heapynge good sentences, when one thinge is compared wyth an other, and a conclusion made therupon.
Emonge the learned menne of the Churche, no one vseth this figure more then Chrisostome, whose writynges the rather seme more pleasaunte and swete. For similitudes are not onelye vsed to amplifie a matter, but also to beautifie the same, to delite the hearers, to make the matter playne, and to shewe a certaine maiestye wyth the reporte of suche resembled thinges, but because I hauehave spokē of similitudes heretofore in the boke of Logique, I will surcesse to talke anye further of this matter.