The Art of Rhetoric, Book 2 · Part 1 · Section 9
The deuision of Amplification.
AL Amplification and diminishynge eyther is tak…n oute of the substaunce in thinges, or els of wordes. Oute of the substaunce and matter, affections are deriued: oute of wordes, suche kindes of amplification, as I wyl nowe shewe, and partly hauehave shewed before, when I spake of the Conclusion, or lappynge vp of anye matter.
The firste kinde of Amplification is, when by chaunging a woorde, in augmentynge we vse a greater, but in diminishynge, we vse a lesse. Of the firste, this may be an example. When I see one sore beaten, to saye he is slayne: to call a naughtye felowe, thiefe, or hangemanne, when he is not knowen to be anye suche. To call a womanne that hathe made a scape, a commune harlot: to call an Alehouse haunter, a dronkarde: to call one that is troubl…d with choler, and often angrye, a madde manne: to call a pleasaunte gentilman, a raylynge iester: to call a couetous man, a deuill.
Of the latter, these examples shalbe: when one hath sore beaten his felowe, for the same manne to saye that he hathe scant touched him: When one hath sore wounded another, to saye that he hurt him but a little: when one is sore sicke, to be saide he is a little crased.Diminution In lyke maner also, when we geue vices, the names of vertue, as when I cal him that is a cruell or mercilesse man, somewhat soore in iudgement. When I call a naturall foole, a playne symple man: when I call a notable flatterer, a fayre spoken man: a glutton, a good felowe at hys table: a spende all, a liberall gentilman: a snudge, or pynche penye, a good husbande, a thriftye man.
Nowe in all these kindes, where woordes are amplified, they seme muche greater, if by corretionCorrection. the sentence be vtterde, and greater wordes compared with them, for whome they are vtterde. In the whiche kynde of speache, we shal seme as thoughe we wente vp by stayres, not onelye to the toppe of a thinge, but also aboue the toppe. There is an example hereof in the seuēth action that Tullie made against Uerres. It is an offence to bynde a Citezen of Rome with chaynes, it is an haynous deede to whyppe him: it is worse then manslaughter to kyll him: what shall I call it to hang hym vp vponupon a gibet? If one woulde commende the aucthoritye whiche he alledgeth, he myght saye thus. These wordes are no fables vtterde emonge men, but an assured truth lefte vntounto vsus by wrytynge, and yet not by anye commune writynge, but by suche as all the worlde hathe confirmed and agreed vponupon, that it is autentique, and canonicall: neyther are they the wordes of one, that is of the commen sort, but they are the wordes of a doctour in the church of God, and yet not the woordes of a deuine, or doctoure of the commune sorte, but of an Apostle: and yet not of one that is the worste, but of Paule, that is the best of al other: and yet not Paules, but rather the wordes of the holye ghost, speakyng by the mouthe of Paule. He that loueth to enlarge by this kinde, must marcke well the circumstaunces of thinges, and heapynge them altogether, he shall with ease espye how one thinge riseth aboue an other. And because the vse hereof extendeth largelye, I w…ll largelye vse examples. As thus. If a gentleman and officer of the kinges, beynge ouercharged at Supper with ouermuche dry…ke, and surfetyng with gorge vponupon gorge, should vomite the next daye in the Parliamente house: I myght enueyghe thus: O shameful dede, not onelye in sighte to be lothed, but also odious of all men to be hearde. If thou haddest done this dede at thyne owne house beynge at Supper wyth thy wyfe and children, who would not hauehave thought it a filthy dede? but now for the to do it in the Parliamente house, emong so manye gentilmē, & such, yea, the best in al England: beyng bothe an officer of the kynges, and a man of muche aucthoritye, and there to caste oute gobbets (where belchinge were thoughte greate shame) yea, and suche gobbets as none coulde abyde the smell, and to fyll the whole house wyth euill sauoure, and thy whole bosome with muche filthines, what an abhominable shame is it aboue all other? It had bene a fowle dede of it selfe to vomite where no suche gentilmen were: yea, where no gentilmen were: yea, wher no Englysh men were: yea, wher no men were: yea, wher no cōpany were at al: or it had ben euil, if he had borne no maner of office, or had ben no publique officer, or had not bene the kinges officer: but being not onelyonly an officer, but a publike officer, and that the kynges officer: yea, & suche a kinges, & doyng such a dede: I cā not tel in y• world what to say to him. Diuers examples mayebe inuented like vntounto this. As thus, againste an heade officer in a noble mans house, I myght enueigh thus. Now Lorde, what a man is he, he was not ashamed beyng a gentilman, yea, a man of good yeres, and much aucthoritie, and the heade Officer in a Dukes house, to playe at dyce in an al…house wyth boyes, bawdes, and verlets. It had bene a a greate faulte to playe at so vile a game, emonge suche vile persons, beynge no gentilman, beynge no officer, beyng not of suche yeres: But beynge bothe a man of fayre landes, of an auncient house, of great aucthoritie, an officer to a duke, yea, and to suche a Duke, and a man of such yeres, that his white heeres shoulde warne him to auoyde all suche foly…, to play at suche a game, with suche roysters, a…d such verlets, y…a, and that in such a house as none come thither but theues, bawdes, and Ruffians: nowe before God I can not speake shame enoughe of him. There is an other kynde of Amplification when vntounto the hyghest, there is added some thinge higher then it is. As thus. There is not a better preacher emonge theim all, excepte Hughe Latimer, the father of all preachers. Th…re is no better Latine man within England, excepte Gualter Haddon the lawe….
Againe, we amplifye a matter not ascendyng by degrees, but speakinge that thinge onelyonly, than the whiche no greater thinge can be spoken. As thus. Thou haste killed thyne owne mother, what shall I saye more, thou hast kylled …hine owne mother. Thou hast deceaued thy soueraine Lord and kinge, what shall I saye more, thou hast deceiued thy soueraine Lorde and kinge.
Sometymes wee amplifie by comparynge, and take oure grounde vponupon the weakest and least, the whiche if they seme greate, then muste that neades appeare gr…ate, whyche wee woulde amplifie and encrease. As Tullie againste Catiline. My seruauntes in good south, if they feared me in such sort, as all the Citezens do feare thee: I would thinke it best for me to forsake my house. Thus by vsing the lesse first, this sē tence is encreased, fewe seruauntes are cōpared with all the citezens, bondmen are compared with free men: Tullie the master, is compared with Catiline the traytour, which was neither lord nor ruler ouer the Citezens: and Tullies house is compared with the Citye.
By comparing of examples, we vse also to encrease oure matter. As thus. Did the Maior of London thrust throughe Iacke Straw beinge but a verlet rebell, and onelyonly disquietinge the Citye: and shall the kynge suffe… Capi…a…ne Kete to liue in Englandes grounde, and …ioye the … of his realme, beinge a most tyrannou… tray…oure, a…d such a rebell as sought to ouerthrow the whole Re…m…?
Here is Iacke Strawe compared with Capitaine Ket… the Citye of London, with the whole Realme, the Maio… with the kinge. So that if he which is a priuate person, and hathe no power of deathe, myghte punyshe wyth deathe the disquietynge of a Citye: the kynge him selfe hauynge all power in his hande, maye iustelye punishe hym that seketh to ouerthrowe his whole realme.
The places of Logique helpe ofte for Amplification. As, where men hauehave a wronge opinion, and thynke theft a greater faulte then slaunder, one myght proue the contrarye aswell by circumstaunces, as by argumentes. And first he might shewe that slaunder is thefte, and that euerye slaundererSlaunder, a greater off… ̄ce then theft… is a thiefe. For as well the slaunderer as the thiefe, doe take away an other mannes possession againste the owners will. After that he might shewe that a slaunderer is worse then anye thiefe, because a good name is better then all the goodes in the worlde: and that the losse of money maye be recouered, but the losse of a mannes good name, can not be called backe againe, and a thefe maye restore that agayne whiche he hath taken awaye, but a slaunderer can not geue a man his good name againe, whiche he hath taken frō him. Agayne, he that stealeth goodes or cattell, robbes onelyonly but one man, but an euill tongued man infecteth all their mindes: vntounto whose eares this reporte shall come.
Besides this, there are lawes & remedies to subdue theues: but there is no lawe agaynste an euyll tongue. Agayne, all suche haynous Offences are euer the more greuouslye punished, the more closlie, and more craftelye they are committed. As it is thought a greater faulte to kyll one with poyson, then to kyll him with the swerde, and a more haynous offence to cōmit murder, then to cōmit māslaughter: we maye gather an argument also from the instrumente or maner of doyng. As a thefe hath done this offence wyth hys hande, a slaunderer hath done it with his tongue. Agayne, by the iudgement of al menne, enchauncement is a notable euill: But they that infecte a prynce or a kinge wyth wycked counsayle, are not they more wycked enchaunters, considerynge they doe as muche as if one shoulde Poyson a conduite head, or a Riuer from whence al men featche their water. And yet they do more, for it is a greater fault to poison the mynde, than the bodie. Thus by the places and circumstaunces, great matter might be made.
By contrraries set together, thynges oftentymes appere greater. As if one shoulde set Lukes Ueluet against Geane veluet, the Lukes wil appere better, and the Geane wil seeme worser. Or sette a faire woman against a foule, and she shal seeme muche the fairer, and the other muche the fouler. Accordyng whereunto there is a saiyng in Logique▪ Contraria inter se opposita magis elucescunt. That is to say, Contraries beyng set, the one against the other, appere more euident. Therefore if any one be disposed to set fur…he chastitie, he may bryng in, of the contrari… parte, whordome, and show what a fouly offence it is to liue so vnclenly, and then the deformitie of whoredome shall muche sette forthe chastitie: or if one be disposed to perswade his felow to learnyng and knowlege, he may showe of the contrarie what a naked wretche, man is, yea how muche a man is no man, and the life no lyfe, when learnyng o…es wāteth. The lyke helpe we may hauehave by comparyng lyke examples together either of creatures liuyng, or of thynges not liuyng: As in speakyng of constauncie, to showe the Sonne who euer kepeth one course: in speakyng of incōstaunce to showe the Moo…e whiche keepeth no certaine course. Againe, in younge StorkesStorkes. wee may take an example of louelove towardes their damme, for when she is olde, and not able for her crooked bil to picke meat, the youngones fede her. In young Uipers…ipers. there is a contrary example (for as Plinie saieth) they eate out their dammes wombe, and so come forthe. In Hennes there is a care to bryng vp their chickens, is Egles the contrarie, whiche caste out their egges if thei hauehave any mo then thre: and al because they woulde not be troubled with bryngyng vp of many.
There is also a notable kynde of amplification when we would extenuate and make lesse, great faultes, which before we did largely encrease: to thende that other faultes might seeme the greatest aboue all other. As if one had robbed his maister, thrust his felow through the arme, accōpaned with harlottes, kepte the tauerne till he had been as dronke as a ratte: to say after a large inuectiue against al these offences. You hauehave heard a whole court roule of ribauldrie and yet al these are but fle bitynges in respect and comparison of that which I shal now show you. Who doth not loke for a maru…ilouse great matter & a most hainouse offence, when those faultes that are thought moste greuouse are counted but fle bitynges in respect and comparison of that whiche he myndeth to reherse? In like maner, one might exhort ye people to godlinesse, and whereas he hath set forthe al the commodities that folowe the same, as in showyng a quiet conscience not gilty of any great faulte, the libertie of spirite, the peace whiche we hauehave with GOD, the felowship with al the electe, for the seruant of Sathan, to be the sonne of GOD the comforte of the soule, the greatenesse wherof no man is able to conceiue: to say at lengthe, and what can be greater, what can be more excellent, or more blesseful? & yet al these are smal matters if thei be cōpared with the blessed enheritaunce of the euerliuing God prepared for al those that liue Godlie here vponupon earthe, fastenyng there whole trust vponupon Christe aboue, whiche bothe is able, and will saue all those that ca… vntounto him with faith. We do encrease our cause by reasonyng the matter and casting our accompt, when either by thynges that folow, or by thynges that go before, or elles by suche thynges as are annexed with the matter, wee geue sentence how great the thyng is. By thynges goyng before I iudge when I see an …nuiouse, or hasty man fight wi…h an other as hastie, that there is lyke to be bloudshed. As who should saie, can enuiouse, or hastie men matche together, but that they must needes trie the matter with bloudshedyng? Assuredly it can not be otherwyse but that bloude must appease their rage. Likewyse seeyng two wyse men earnestly talkyng together, I cannot otherwyse iudge but that their talke must nedes be wittie, and concerne some weightie matter. For to what ende shoulde wyse men ioyne, or wherefore shoulde they laie their heades together, if it were not for some earnest cause? wh…t a shame i… it for a strong man, of muche health & great manhode, to be ouercome with a cuppe of drynke. Frō thynges ioyned with the cause, thus. A woman hauyng her housbande emprisoned, and in daunger of death, soubdenly steppe before the Kyng and craued his pardon. Bold was that womā whiche durst aduenture to knele before a Kyng, whose housband had so greuously offended. Though wo…en by nature are fearful, yet in her appered a manly stomake, and a good bolde harte, yea euen in great…st daunger. By thynges that folowe, thus, al England lament the death of Duke Henrie and Duke Charles twoo noble brethren of the house of Suffolke. Then may we wel iudge that these two ientlemen were wonderfully beloued, when they both were so lamented.
There is a kynde of Amplifiyng, when in speakyng of .ii. that fought together, wee praise hym muche that had the worse, because we would the other to hauehave more praise. Cō sideryng for a man to beate a boye, it were no praise, but for a talle man to matche with an other, that were as talle as hym selfe: that were somwhat worthe. Therfore I woulde hauehave the Scottes wel praised, whome the Englishmen hauehave so often vanquished. He that praiseth muche …he stronghold of Boleine, must nedes thereby praise kyng Henry the .viij. of England, who by martial power, wonne it, and kepte it al his lyfe tyme. Or thus. Suche a one kepes a marueilouse good house, for the worst boie in his house drynkes one and thesame drynke with his master, and al one bread, yea eueryevery one hath his meate in siluer, chamber vessels, and all are of siluer. We iudge by apparel, by armour, or by harnesse what a man is of stature, or biggenes. We iudge by occasion, the goodnes of men, as when they might hauehave doen harme, thei would not, when they might hauehave slaine, thei sought rather to saue. Frō the place where one is, encrease may be gatherd As thus. Beyng euen in the Court, he was neuer moued to gāmyng, beyng at Rome, he hated harlottes, where thereis by report so great plentie as there are starres in the elemēt.
From the tyme thus, he must needes be well learned in the lawes of our Realme that hath been a student this thirtie wynter.
From the age: assuredly, he is lyke to be good, for beeyng but a childe he was euer most godlie.
From the state of lyfe: no doubt but he is honest, for beyng but a seruaunt he lyued so vprightely, as none coulde iustly blame his lyfe.
From the hardenesse of a thyng. That whiche is almost onelyonly proper to Aungels must nedes be harde for man: therefore chastitie is a rare gifte, and harde for man to kepe.
From the straungenesse of a thyng. Eloquēce must nedes bee a wonderful thyng, when so fewe hauehave attained it.
Lykewyse notable aduentures doen by a fewe, are more praise worthy than suche as hauehave been done by a great nombe. Therfore the battail of Muskelborow against the Scottes where so fewe Englishmen were slaine, and so many Scottes dispatched: must nedes be more praise worthie, than if the nomber of Englishmen had been greater.
Uehemencie of woordes full often helpe the matter forwarde, when more is gatherde by cogitacion, than if the thyng had been spoken in plaine woordes. When wee heare one say suche a mā swelled seyng a thyng against his mynd, we gather that he was then, more than half angrie. Againe, when wee heare one saie, suche a woman spittes fier, we gather streight that she is a Deuill. The Preacher thunderde in the Pulpite, belyke then he was metely hoote. But concernyng all suche speaches, the knowlege of a Metaphore, shall bryng men to muche knowlege, (whereof I wil speake hereafter emong the figures) and therefore I surcease to speake of it in this place.
We encrease our cause by heapyng of wordes & sentences together, couchyng many reasons into one corner which before were scaterde abrode, to thentent that our talke might appere more vehement. As when by many coniectures and great presumptions we gather that one is an offendor, heapyng them al into one plumpe, whiche before were sparpled abrode, and therefore did but litle good.Amplification by coniectures As thus: To proue by cōiectures a murder committed, I might thus say against a suspected person. My Lordes do not weye my wordes and sentences seuerally, but consider them all altogether. If the accused persone here shall receiue profite by this other mans deathe, if his lyfe heretofore hath euer been euill, his nature couetouse, his wealthe most slendre, and that this dead mans gooddes could turne to no mans auaile so muche as vntounto this accused person, and that no man could so easely dispatche him, and that this man could by no better meanes compasse his desier, and that nothyng hath been vnatt…mpted whiche might further his naughtie purpose, & nothyng doen th…t was thought needelesse, and seeyng a meete place was chefely sought for, and occasion serued very wel, & the tyme was most apt for suche an attempte and many meanes heretofore deuised to compasse this offence, and greate hope bothe to kepe it close, and also to dispatche it, and besydes that, seeyng this man was seen alone a litle before in the same place, where this other man was slaine, and that this mans voice whiche did slaye hym was hard a litle before in the same place where this other man was slaine, and seyng it is well knowne that this man came home late the same night, and the nexte daie after beyng examined, did answere confusedlie, fearefullie, and as though he were amased, and seeyng al these thynges are partely showed by wittenesses, partely by good reason, partely by his owne confession, and partely by the reporte that comonly goeth of hym, whiche by lyke is not spoken without some ground: It shalbe your partes worthie iudges wayng al these thynges together to geue certaine iudgement of hym for this offence, and not to thynke it a matter of suspicion. For it might hauehave been that thre of foure of these coniectures beyng proued, might geue but onelyonly a cause of suspicion, but whereas all these together are plainely proued by hym, it can not be otherwise but that he hath offended.
It is an excellent kynd of Amplifiyng when thynges encreased, and thynges diminished are both set together, that the one may the rather beautifie the other. As if, when Gods goodnesse towardes vsus wee largely amplified, we did streight extenuate our vnthanfulnesse towardes him again. As thus: Seeyng God hath made man a creature vntounto his owne likenesse, seeyng he hath geuen hym lyfe, and the spirite of vnderstandyng, endewyng hym with h…s manifolde graces, and redemyng hym not with vile money, but with his owne preciouse bodie, sufferyng deathe, and blodesheddyng vponupon the Crosse, the rather that man might lyue for euer: what an vnthankefull parte is it, yea what an hainouse thyng is it for man so ofte to offende, so ofte to wallowe in suche his wickednesse, and euermore for Goddes louyng kyndnesse, to showe hym selfe of all other creatures most vnkynde?
Lykewyse contraries beyng rehersed and the euil immediatly vtterde after the good, make muche for encrease. As many men now a daies for sobrietie, folowe gluttonie, for chastitie, take leachery, for truthe, lyke falsehode, for gentlenesse, seeke crueltie, for iustice, vse wrong dealyng, for heauen, hell, for God, the Deuill: to whome they will without peraduenture, it Goddes grace be not greater.