The Art of Rhetoric, Book 2 · Part 1 · Section 6
¶Of conclusion.
A Conclusion is the handsome lappyng vp together,Conclusion, what it is. and brief heapyng of all that, whiche was saied before, stirryng the hearers by large vtteraunce, and plentifull gatheryng of good matter, either the one waie, or the other.
There are twoo partes of a conclusion,Conclusion, of twoo sortes. the one resteth in gatheryng together briefly, all suche argumentes as wer before rehersed, reportyng the sōme of them, in as fewe wordes as can be, and yet after suche a sorte, that muche varietie be vsed▪ bothe when the rehersall is made, as also after the matter is fully reported. For, if the repeticion should bee naked, and onelyonly set furthe in plain woordes, without any chaunge of speache, or shift or Rhetorique: neither should the hearers take pleasure, nor yet the matter take effect. Therfore, when the Oratour shall touche any place, whiche maie geue iuste cause to make an exclamacion, & stirre the hearers to be sory to bee glad, or to be offended: it is necessary to vse arte to the outermoste. Or when he shall come to the repeatyng of an heinous acte, and the maner thereof: he maie set the Iudges on fire, and heate them earnestly against the wicked offendor Thus in repeatyng, arte maie bee vsed, and nexte with the onelyonly rehersall, matters maie bee handesomely gathered vp together.
The other part of a conclusion resteth, either in augmentyng and vehemently enlargyng that, whiche before was in fewe wordes spoken, to set the Iudge or hearers in a heate: or els to mitigate and asswage displeasure conceiued, with muche lamentyng of the matter, and mouyng theim thereby the rather to shewe merciemercy. Amplificacion is of twoo sortes, whereof I will speake more at large, in the nexte Chapiter. The one resteth in wordes, the other in matter. Suche wordes muste bee vsed, as be of greate weight, wherein either is some Metaphore, or els some large vnderstandyng is conteined. Yea, wordes that fill the mouthe, and hauehave a sound with them, set furthe a matter very well. And sometymes wordes twise spoken, make the matter appere greater.
Again, when we firste speake our mynde in lowe wordes, & after vse weightier, the fault likewise semeth to be greater As whē one had killed a ientleman, thus might another amplifie his mynd. For one slaue to strike another, wer worthy of punishement, but what deserueth that wretche, whiche not onelyonly striketh a manne, but striketh a ientlemanne, and not onelyonly striketh a ientleman, but cowardly killeth a ientlemanne, not geuyng hym one wounde, but geuyng hym twentie. To kill any manne in suche sorte, deserueth deathe, but what saie you to him, that not onelyonly killeth hym so, but also hangeth hym moste spitefully vponupon a tree. And yet not content with that, but scourgeth hym, and mangeleth hym whē he is dedde, and last of all, maketh a iest of his moste naughtie deede, leauyng a writyng there, aboute the dedde mannes necke. Now then seyng his crueltee is suche, that thouly killyng, cannot content his deuilishe deede, and moste dedly malice: I aske it for Gods louelove, and in the waie of Iustice, that this wicked Deuill, maie suffer worthy death, and bee punished to the example of all other. Amplifiyng of the matter, consisteth in heapyng, and enlargyng of those places, whiche serue for confirmacion of a matter. As the definicion, th… cause, the consequent, the contrary, the example, and suche other.
Again, amplificacion maie be vsed, whē we make the law to speake, the dedde persone to make his complaint, the con̄ trey to crie out of suche a deede. As if some worthy manne wer cast awaie, to make the countrey saie thus: If England could speake, would she not make suche, & suche cōplaints? if the walles of suche a citee or toune, had a tongue, would thei not talke thus and thus? And to bee shorte, all suche thynges should be vsed, to make the cause seme greate, whiche concerne God, the commō weale, or the lawe of nature. For if any of these three bee hindered, we hauehave a large fielde to walke in. In praisyng, or dispraisyng, wee muste exaggerate those places towardes the ende, whiche make menne wonder at the straungenesse of any thyng. In perswadyng, or disswadyng, the rehersall of commoditees, and heapyng of examples together, encrease muche the matter. It were a greate labour to tell all the commoditees, and all the properties, whiche belong vntounto the conclusion. For suche arte maie bee vsed in this behalfe, that though the cause bee very euill, yet a wittie manne maie gette the ouerhande, if he bee cunnyng in his facultee.
The AtheniansAthenians for bad conclusiōs therfore did streightly forbid by a lawe, to vse any conclusion of the cause, or any enterance of the matter to wynne fauour. Cicero did herein so excell, that lightly he gotte the victorie in all matters, that euer he tooke in hande. Therefore as iust… praise ariseth by this parte, so I doubte not, but the wittiest will take moste paines in this behalf, and the honest, for euer will vse the defence of moste honest matters. Weapons maie bee abused for murder, and yet weapons are onelyonly ordeined for saufgard.