The Art of Rhetoric, Book 2 · Part 1 · Section 10
¶Of mouyng affections.
BEcause the beautie of Amplifiyng, standeth most in apte mouyng of affections:Affections mouyng. It is needefull to speake somewhat in this behaulfe, that the better it may be knowne what they are, and howe they maie bee vsed. Affections therefore (called Passions) are none other thyng, but a stirryng, or forcyng of the mynde, either to desier, or elles to detest, and lothe any thyng, more vehemently then by nature we are commonly wonte to doe. We desier those thynges, we louelove them, and lyke them earnestly, that appere in our iudgement to be goodlie, we hate and abhorre those thynges, that seeme naughte, vngodlie, or harmefull vntounto vsus. Neither onelyonly are wee moued with those thynges which we thinke either hurtful, or profitable for our selues, but also we reioyce, we sorie, or we pitie an other mannes happe.
And euermore there are twoo thynges whiche moue vsus, either this waie, or that waie. The matter selfe whiche doth happen, or is lyke to happen: and the person also whome the matter dothe concerne. As for example: If a wicked wretche hauehave his desertes, we are al glad to heare it, but if an innocent shoulde be cast away, we thynke muche of it, and in stomake repine against wrong iudgement. If an euil man finde muche fauour, we enuie his good happe, yea it greeu…th vsus, th…t any suche shoulde hauehave suche fauour showed: And not on…ly doe we hate the euil, that are come to any wealth, but also we enuie commonly all suche as come to any preferrement, especially if either they hauehave been as poore men as we are, or elles came of a meaner house than we hauehave done. No one man woulde hauehave any to be better than hym selfe, and eueryevery one enhableth his owne goodnes to deserue lyke dignitie with the best. And whereas some hauehave go…te before, startyng so…bdeinly from an inche to an elle, we spare not to saie that flattery made theim speede, and though they hauehave muche gooddes, yet are they cleare voide of all goodnes, and therefore muche good may it do theim, we woulde not come by gooddes in suche sorte to wynne al the worlde▪ for the Deuill and they (saie wee) shall parte stakes with theim one daie. And thus wee can neuer bee content to geue our neighbour a good woorde. Yea though they hauehave serued right well, and deserued a greate rewarde, wee muste needes finde some faulte with theim to lessen their praises, and saye that though their desertes bee great, yet their natures are nought: none so proude, though fewe bee so hardy: none so enuiouse, though fewe so faithfull: none so couetouse, though fewe so liberall: none so gluttonouse, though fewe kepe suche an house. And thus, thoughe wee graunt them one thyng, yet we will take another thyng as fast againe from them.
Suche a man is an excellent felowe (saieth one) he can speake the tongues wel,…vith praisyng: dispraisyng vsed. he plaies of instrumentes few men better, he fey…eth to the Lute marueilouse swetely, he endites excellently: but for all this (the more is the pitie) he hath his faultes, he will bee dron…e ones a daie, he loues women well, he will spende Goddes coope if he had it, he will not tarye longe in one place, and he is somewhat large of his tongue. That if these faultes were not, surely he were an excellent fellowe. Euen as one shoulde saie: If it were not for liyng and stealyng, there were not an honester man than suche a one is that perchaunce hath some one good qualitie to set hym forwarde. These …uttes bee to brode, and these barres be ouer bigge, for looke what is geuen to one by commendyng, the same is streight taken away by buttyng. Therfore suche are not to be lyked that geue a man a shoulder of mutton, and breake his heade with the spitte when thei hauehave doen. And yet this is many a mās nature, especially where enuie hath any grounded dwellyng place, whose propertie is alwaies to speake nothyng of other without reproche and slaunder.
In mouyng affections, and stirryng the iudges to be greued, the weight of the matter must be so set forth, as though they saw it plaine before their …yes, the report must be suche and the offence made so hainouse, that the like hath not been seene heretofore, and al the circūstaunces must thus be heaped together:Descriptio… of an euil & wicke offence doen. The naughtines of his nature that did the dead, the cruel orderyng, the wicked dealyng and maliciouse handelyng, the tyme, the place, the maner of his doyng, and the wickednesse of his wil to hauehave doen more. The man that susteined the wrong, how litle he deserued, how wel he was estemed emong his neighbours, home small cause he gaue hym, how great lacke men hauehave of hym. Now, if this be not reformed, no good man shal lyue saufe, the wicked wil ouerflowe al the world, & best it were for sauegard to be nought also, and to take parte with them, for no good man shal goe quiet for them, if there be not spedie redresse found, and this faulte punished to thexample of al other.
Quintiliane coucheth together in these few wordes the ful heape of suche an heauouse matter, by gatheryng it vp after this sorte.
i. What is doen.
ij. By whome.
iij. Against whome.
iiij. Upon what mynde.
v. At what tyme.
vi. In what place.
vij. After what sorte.
viij. How muche he would hauehave doen.
IF one b…e beaten blac…e and blewe,what is d…en. wee take it greuously: but if one be slain▪ we are muche more troubled. Again, if a slaue or ruffine shall do suche a dede we are displeased,By whom. but if an officer, a preacher, or an hed i…ntleman, should vse any slauerie, wee are muche more agreued. Yea, or if a very notable euill man, commit suche an horrible offence, we thynke hym worthy to hauehave the lesse fauor. If a sturdy felowe be stroken,Against who… we are not so muche disquieted, as if a child, a woman, an aged man, a good man, or a chief officer, should be euil vsed. If the offence be committed vponupon…pon what mynde. a prepensed mynde, and wilfully, wee make muche more a do, then if it were doen by chaūce medly.At what …. If it be doen vponupon an holy daie, or els vponupon …he daie of Assise, or vponupon the daie of a kynges coronacion, or about suche a sol…mpne tyme or if it bee dooen in the nighte, rather then at Noone daies, we make the matter greater, then if it had b…en dooen at another tyme.In what place In the course if one strike a man, it is …hought greater, then if he should strike hym in the op…n streate. The maner of dooyng also, doeth muche moue the pacience of mē as if one should cowardly kill one,After what sorte. and strike hym sodainly▪ he were worthy greater blame, then if he should manfully set vponupon hym: or if one kill his felowe secre…ly with a gunne▪ he wer worthy more h…tred, then if he killed hym with a sword or if he wounded hym sore, or cruelly mangeled hym, we crie out muche more, then if he had barely killed hym. And las… of al, if his will had been to hauehave doen muche more then he did:How muche he would. we encrease our anger against his rage muche more, then euer we would els hauehave doen.