The Art of Rhetoric, Book 3 · Part 1 · Section 53
☞Example.
HE that myndeth to perswade, muste neades be well stored with examples.Exemplum And therfore muche are they to be commended whiche searche Chronicles of all ages, and compare the sta…e of our elders, with this prese…te time. The historye of Goddes boke to the christian is infallible, and therfore the rehearsall of suche good thinges as are therin conteyned, moue the faythfull to all vpright doinge and amendmente of their lyfe. The Ethnicke aucthoures styrre the hearers, beynge well applyed to the the purpose. For when it shall be reported that they whiche hadde no knowledge of God, liued in a brotherlye louelove, one towardes an other, detested aduoutrye, banished periures, hanged the vnthanckefull, kepte the ydle withoute meate, tyll they laboured for their liuynge, suffered none extorcion, exempted Brybers frome bearynge rule in the commune Weale: the Christians muste neades be ashamed of their euyll behauiour, and studye much to passe those, whiche are in callynge muche vnderunder theim, and not suffer that the ignoraunte and Paganes lyfe, shall counteruayle the taughte chyldren of God, and passe the Christians so much in good liuynge, as the Christians passe theim in good learninge. Uneguall examples commende muche the matter. I call theim vneguall, when the weaker is brought in againste the stronger, as if chyldren be faythfull, much more ought menne to be faythfull. If wome…ne be chaste, and vndefiled: menne shoulde muche more be cleane, and wythoute faulte. If an vnlearned manne wyll do no wronge, a learned man and a preacher muste muche more be vprighte, and liue without blame. If an housholder will deale iustlye with his seruauntes, a Kynge muste muche the rather …eale iustelye with his subiectes.
Examples gathered out of histories and vsed in this sort, helpe muche towardes perswasion. Yea, brute beastes minister greate occasion of righte good matter, considerynge manye of theim hauehave shewen vntounto vsus, the paternes and ymages of diuers vertues.
DouesDoues seyng an hauke, gather all together, teachynge vsus none other thing, but in aduersitie to sticke one to another.
CraynesCraynes in the nyght hauehave their watche, warninge vsus neuer to be carelesse, for if their watche faile them, they al neuer leaue tyll they hauehave killed that one Crayne, teachyng vsus that no traytours are worthye to liue vponupon earth. The watche for his safegarde, and because he woulde not slepe: holdeth a stone in his fote, the which falleth from him, whē he beginneth to waxe heauy, and so he kepeth him selfe s…yll wakyng. Wherby wee maye learne that all menne in their vocation shoulde be right ware and watchfull. The Henne clocketh her chickens, feadeth them, and kepeth theim from the Kyte. Womenne must clocke their children, bring them vp well, and kepe them from euill happe. Nowe I myght in speakinge of some odious vyce, largelye sette oute some example belonginge to the same, and compare it with o…her by heapinge of Chronicles, and matchinge of thynges together.
The vnthankefullVn…hankeful…nes how euil it is in this age (whereof there is no small number) can not hauehave enoughe saide againste theim. And therfore I am minded to saye somewhat againste theim, to the vtter abhorrynge of all suche vnkynde dealynge. For he that is vnthankeful, and for herty louelove, sheweth cankard hatred: wanteth all other Uertues, that are required to be in manne. The chiefe perfection and the absolute fulfillyng of the Lawe, standeth in the louelove which manne oweth first to God, and nexte to his neighboure. Lette a … hauehave fayth that he may be able to translate mountaines (as saint Paule sayeth:) yea, let his hauehave neuer so good qualities, or be he neuer so politique a manne for the saulfegarde of his Countrey, be he neuer so wise, so ware, and so watchful: yet if he wante LoueLove, he is nothynge elles but as a soundinge brasse, or a tinckelinge Cymbal.
Nowe he that is churlishe and vnthankefull, muste neades wante louelove, and therfore wanteth he all other goodnes. The Persians therfore seyng the greatenes of this offence and that where it rested, all vyces for euer were banished: prouided by a law that suche should suffer death as felons, which were founde faultye with vnthankefulnes.Vnthankefulnes punyshed by the Pers… …s with death
And yet I can not see but they deserue rather an exquisite kynde of Deathe (suche as fewe hauehave sene, or fewe hauehave felte) then to suffer lyke Deathe with other, that hauehave not like offended wyth them.
But nowe because this offence is an euill most odious, and the principal occasion of all other mischiefe, I will set forthe three notable examples, the one of a Dragon, the seconde of a Dogge, and the thirde of a Lyon (whiche all thre in thankefulnes, if that be true whiche is reported of theim wonderfullye exceaded,) and the rather I seke to set theim oute, that the wycked herebye maye well knowe what they theim selues are, when bruite Beastes shall sette theim al to schole.
There was a manne (as Plinie writeth) whiche fostered vp a yong Dragon,Thankfulnes of a Dragon who seynge the same beaste to waxe wonderfull greate, feared to kepe his Dragon anye longer within his house, and therfore he put him out into a wylde Foreste. It happened afterwarde that the same manne traueylinge on hys iourney throughe the Foreste, was besette with thieues. And nowe beynge in this distresse, and lokinge for none other ende but deathe, made (as lothe to departe) a grea…e showte and an outcrye: strayghte vponupon whose noyse, and at the knowledge of his voyce, the Dragō came to him in all the haste possible. Wherupon the theues beinge greatelye afrayed, ranne cleane awaye to saue theim selues harmeles. Thus throughe the thanckefulnes of a Dragon, this mans life was saued.
The dogge of the Romaine Fuluius is more wonderful This Fuluius traueylinge by the waye, was slayne wyth slaues that laye in wayte for him.Thākefulnes …. Hys Dogge seynge his master deade, laye by him for the space of two dayes. Wherupon when the manne was missinge, and searche made for him: they founde him dead, with his Dogge liynge by him.
Some marueylinge to see the Dogge lye there by hys deade master, stroke him, and woulde hauehave driuen him from the deade corse, and coulde not: some seynge suche kindenes in the Dogge, and pitiynge him that he should lye there wt out meate, two or thre dayes before: cast him a pece of flesh, wherupon the Dogge strayghte caried the meate to his masters mouthe, and woulde not eate anye whitte him selfe, thoughe he hadde forborne meate so longe before. And last of all, when this deade bodye shoulde be caste into the riuer, (according to the maner of the Romaines) the Dogge leapt in after, and holdynge vp his maister so longe as he coulde, did chose rather to dye with him, thē to liue without him.
The Lyon (wherof Appian the Grammarian doth speake) is also straunge for his kindenes, and almost incredible.Thākefulnes of a Lyon. A seruaunte that hadde runne awaye from his master, and hidde him selfe for feare in a caue, within a greate woodde, toke a thorne out of a Lions fote, whiche then came to him for succour as he lay there. Now whē he had done, the lion to requite his good turne, brought suche meate to the caue, as he coulde kyll in the woode. The whiche meate the Seruaunte rostynge againste the Sunne, (beynge in the mooste hotte countrey of all Affrica) did eate from time to time. At length yet being werye of suche a lothesome lyfe, he left the caue, & came abrode, by meanes wherof, he was takē again, and beinge a slaue to his master (who hadde power of life & deathe ouer him) he was condempned to be cast to the wylde beastes at Rome, there to be deuoured of a Lyon. The pore caytife stode pitifullye in the sighte of thousandes, euer iokinge when he sholde be deuoured. It happened at thesame time, when this felow was thus adiudged to dye: that the same Lyon was taken, whose foote he healed in the wood. When the Lyon was putte to him, he came firste very terribly towarde this felowe, and immediatly knowyng what he was, stoode styll, and at length fauned gently vponupon him. The felow at firste being amased, began to take harte vntounto him afterwardes, as halfe knowing him likewise, and thus they began bothe to take acquaintaunce thone of thother, & played together a good space withoute all daunger, wherupon the people beynge amased, muche wondered at the straungenes of this thinge. And standinge thus astonied, they sente to knowe of the slaue, what this matter shoulde meane. Unto whom this poore wretche opened the whole thynge altogether, euen as it happened. When the people hearde this, they not onelyonly reioysed much at the sight therof, but also they made earnest request to his Master for his lyfe. His master marueylinge as muche as anye of them, at suche an vnwonte kyndenes: gaue him not onelye hys life, but also his fredome. And nowe to the ende he myght hauehave somewhat whereupon to lyue, the people gaue hym a …ee for terme of his lyfe. The felowe by and by gotte him a …e and a coler, and caried the Lyon vp and downe the citye in suche sorte, as huntesmenne carye a Greyhounde, or a Spaniell, the people styll wonderynge, and sayinge euer as he came bye: Beholde a manne that hath cured a Lyon, behold a Lyon that hath saued a man.
The whiche example, the more straunge it is, the more ashamed maye they be that are vnnaturall, and maye learne kindenes of a bruite Beaste. For suche menne beynge ouercome with kindnes by Beastes, are worsse then Beastes, & more mete rather to be tormented with Deuils, then to liue with men.