The Art of Rhetoric, Book 2 · Part 1 · Section 7 – Section 8
¶Of the figure amplificacio….
EMong all the figures of Rhetorique, there is no one that so muche helpeth forwarde an Oracion, and beautifieth thesame with suche delitefull ornamentes, as dooeth amplificacion.… For if either wee purpose to make our tale appere vehemente, to seme pleasaunt, or to be well stored with muche copie: nedes must it be that here we seke helpe, where helpe chiefly is to be had, and not els where. And nowe because none shall better bee able, to amplifie any matter then those, whiche beste can praise, or moste dispraise any thyng here vponupon yearth, I thinke it nedefull, firste of all to gather suche thynges together, whiche helpe best this waie. Therefore in praisyng, or dispraisyng, we muste bee well stored euer with suche good sentences, as are oftē vsed in this our life, the whiche through arte beyng encreased, helpe muche to perswasion. As for example, where it is saied (ientle behauioure wynneth good will, and clerely quensheth hatered) I mighte in commendyng a noble ientlemanne for his lowlinesse, declare at large howe commendable, and howe profitable a thyng, ientle…behauioure is, and of the other side, how hatefull and howe harmefull, a proude disdainfull manne is, and howe beastly a nature he hath, that beeyng but a manne, thinketh hymself better then any other manne is, and also ouer good to hauehave a matche or felowe in this life. As thus, if lowelinesseLowlinesse. and Charitee maintayne life, what a beaste is he, that throughe hatered will purchace deathe? If God warneth vsus to louelove one another, and learne of him to be ientle, because he was iētle and humble in harte: howe cruell are thei, that dare withstande his commaundement? If the subiect rebell against his kyng, we crie with one voyce, hang hym, hang hym, and shall wee not thynke hym worthy the vilest death of all, that beeyng a creature, contempneth his creatour, beyng a mortall manne neglecteth his heauenly maker, beyng a vile moulde of claie, setteth lighte by so mightie a God, and euer liuyng Kyng? Beastes and birdes without reason, louelove one another, thei shroude, and thei flocke together, and shall men endued with suche giftes, hate his euen christian, and eschewe companie? When Shepe dooe straie, or cattell doo striue one against another, there are Dogges ready to call them in, yea, thei wil bite them (as it hath been full often seen) if twoo fight together: and shall man wante reason, to barke against his …ewde affeccions, or at the least shal he hauehave none to checke hym for his faultes, and force him to forgeue? Likewise if you would rebuke one that geueth eare to backbitersBackbityng. and slaunderers, ye muste declare what a greate mischief an euill tongue is, what a poysone it is, yea, what a murder, to take a mannes good name from hym. We compte hym worthy death, that poysoneth a mannes body, and shal not he suffer the like pain that poysoneth a mannes honestie, and seketh to obscure and darken his estimacion? Menne bee well accepted emong the wise, not for their bodies, but for their vertues. Now take a waie the thyng, whereby menne are commended: and what are menne, other then brute beastes? For beastes do nothyng against nature, but he that goeth against honestie, thesame manne fighteth against nature, whiche would that all menne should liue well. When a manne is killed secretly, wee aske Iudgement for the offendour, and shall thei escape without Iudgement, that couertly murder a mannes soule? That separate hym from GOD, that Iudge hym to helle, whose life hath euer been moste heauenly? When oure pursse is piked, we make strieght searche for it agayne, and emprisone the offendoure, and shall we not seke recouerye of our good name, when euyll tongues hauehave stayned it? If our fame be of more price, then is either golde or gro…es, what meane we to be so carelesse in kepynge the one, and so carefull in kepynge the other? Fonde is his purpose that beinge in the rayne, casteth his garmente in a Bushe, and standeth naked him selfe, for sauynge the glosse of his gaye coate. And yet what other thing do they that esteme the losse of money, for greate lacke: and counte not the losse of their honestie for anye wante at all? Thus we see, that from vertues and vyces, suche amplifications maye be made, and no doubt he that can prayse or dispraise anye thinge plentifullye, is able moste copiouslye to exaggerate anye matter.
Agayne,… sentences gathered and heaped together commende muche the matter. As if one shoulde saye: Reuengemente… belongeth to God alone, and therby exhorte menne to pacience: He myghte brynge in these sentences with him, and geue greate cause of muche matter. No man is hurte but of him selfe, that is to saye: aduersitie or wronge sufferinge is no harme to him that hathe a constaunt h…rte, and liues vpright in all his doynges.
He is more harmed that dothe wronge, then he that hath suffereth wronge.
He is the stowter that contemneth, then he is that committeth wronge.
Yea, he gayneth not a little, that had rather suffer much losse, then trye his ryght by contention.
Gaine gotte by fraude, is harme and no gaine.
There is no greater victorye, then for manne to rule hys affections.
It is a greater matter to ouercome anger, then to winne a fortresse or a tower.
There is no greater token of a noble harte, then to contemne wronge.
He that requiteth euill for euill: throughe hatred of an euil manne, is made euyll hym selfe, and therfore worthy to be hated.
He that contemneth his enemye in battayle, is counted a goodman of warre, and a wise.
He that requiteth good for euill, is an aungell of God.
He that mindeth reuengemente, is at the next doore to manslaughter.
God is moued wyth nothynge soner to forgeue vsus our… offences, then if we for his sake fo…geue one another.
The requitinge of iniuries hath no ende.
Strife is best ended throughe Pacience
Anger is a madnesse, differing from it in this point only, that anger is shorte, and tarieth not longe, madnesse abideth still.
It is folye to suffer the fome of a horse, or the striking of his fote, and not abyde anye thynge that a foole dothe, or a noughtye disposed felowe speaketh.
No man trusteth a dronkard: And yet seyng the dronkēnes of rage, and madnesse of anger, are much more daungerous then surfetinge with wyne: he dothe foly shely that trusteth his owne wytte anye thynge, when he is in a rage. Good dedes shoulde all waies be remembred, wronge doing shoulde sone be forgeuen, and sone be forgotten.
Againe for liberalitye,Liberality cō mended wyth heapes of sentences. these sentences might serue. It is the propertie of a God to helpe man. He hathe receyued a good turne by geuynge, that hath bestowed his liberalitye vponupon a worthye man.
He geueth twise, that geueth sone and chearefully.
God loueth the gladde geuer.
It is a poyncte of liberalitie, sometymes to lose a good turne.
He that geueth to hym that wyll euyll vse it, geueth no good thing, but an euil thing.
Nothyng is more safelye layed vp, then is that whiche is bestowed vponupon good folke.
Be not afrayed to sowe good fruite.
Nothinge is better geuen to Christe, then is that whiche is geuen to the pore.
No one man is borne for him selfe.
He is vnworthye to hauehave, that hath onelye for him selfe.
The thirde kinde of Amplifiynge is when wee gather suche sentences as are communelye spoken, or elles vse to speake of suche thynges as are notable in thys lyfe. Of the first these maye be examples. In lamenting the miserye of wardeshyppes,Prouerbes alleged, helpe Amplificatiō. I might saie it is not for noughte so communely said: I wil handle you like a warde. She is a steppe mother to me: that is to saye, she is not a naturall mother: who is worsse shodde then the shomakers wife? that is to saye: gentilmens children full ofte are kepte but meanelye. Trotte sire, and trotte damme, how should the fole amble, that is, when bothe father and mother were noughte, it is not like that the childe wil proue good, without an especial grace of God.
Likeryshe of tongue, lighte of taile: that is, he or she that will fare dainetelye, will ofte liue full wantonlye. Sone rype, sone rotten. Honoure chaungeth maners. Enoughe is as good as a feaste. It is an euill coke that can not li…ke his owne fingers. I will soner truste mine eye, then myne eare. But what nede I heape all these together, seynge Heywodes Prouerbes are in prynte, where plentye are to be hadde: whose paynes in that behalfe, are worthye immortall prayse.
Thinges notableThynges notable or straunge, helpe forward Amplification. in this life are those, the which chaunce to fewe. As this: To see a man of an hundred yeres of age. A yonge chylde as sober as a man of fiftye yeres. A woman that hath hadde .xxiiij. chyldren. A man once worthe three or foure thousande pownde, now not worthe a grote. A yong man fayrer then anye woman. A woman that hath had seuē or eyght husbandes. A man able to draw a yarde in his bow besides the feathers. A man merye nowe, and deade wythin halfe an houre after. There is none of all these, but serue muche to make oure talke appeare vehemente, and encrease the weight of communication. As for example, If one woulde perswade an olde man to contemne the vanities of thys worlde, he might vse the examples of sodayne death, & shew that childrē hauehave dyed in their mothers lappe, some in their cradell, some stryplinges, some elder, & that not one emonge a thousande commeth to thre score yeres.
Or be it that some lyue an hundred yeares, beyonde the which not one in this last age passeth, what is there in this lyfe, for the whiche anye manne shoulde desire to liue longe, seynge that olde age bringeth this onelye commoditye wyth it, that by longe liuinge, we see many thinges, that we woulde not see, and that manye a manne hath shortened his life, for wearines of this wretched worlde▪ Or what thoughe some pleasures are to be hadde in this life, what are they al to the pleasures of the lyfe to come? Lykewise in speakinge of euill happe, I myght brynge him in that was once worthe three thousande pounde, and is not nowe worthe three grotes, and perswade menne either to set lyghte by riches, or elles to comforte theim, and perswade theim not to take thought, seyng great harmes hauehave happened to other heretofore, and time maye come when God will sende better. These sentences aboue rehearsed, being largely amplified, encrease much any suche kinde of matter.
…vhat is amplification.
AMplification is a figure in Rhetorique, which cō sisteth mooste in Augmentynge and diminishynge of anye matter, and that diuers wayes.