The Art of Rhetoric, Dedication
To the right honorable Lorde, Iohn Dudley, Lorde Lisle, Earle of Warwike, and maister of the horse to the kynges maiestie: your assured to commaund Thomas Wilson.
WHen Pyrrhus Kynge of the Epirotes made battayle agaynste the Romaynes, & could neither by force of Armes, nor yet by anye Policye wynne certayne stronge holdes: he vsed cō munely to send one Cineas (a noble Oratour, and sometimes scholer to Demosthenes) to perswade with the Capitaynes & people that were in them, that they shoulde yelde vp the sayde holde or townes without fyght or resistaunce. And so it came to passe, that through the pithye eloquence of this noble Oratoure, diuers stronge Castels and Fortresses were peaceablye geuen vp into the handes of Pirrhus, whyche he shoulde hauehave founde verye harde and tedious to wynne by the sworde. And this thinge was not Pirrhus himselfe ashamed in his commune talke to the prayse of the sayde Oratoure, openlye to confesse: allegynge that Cineas throughe the eloquence of his tongue, wanne moe Cityes vntounto him, then euer him selfe shoulde els hauehave bene able by force to subdue. Good was that Oratour whiche coulde do so muche: & wise was that king which woulde vse suche a meane. For if the worthines of eloquēce may moue vsus, what worthier thing can there be, thē with a word to winne cities & whole coūtries? If profite may perswade, what greater gayne can we hauehave, then withoute bloudshed to achiue a conquest? If pleasure may prouoke vsus, what greater delite do we know, thē to se a whole multitude with the onelyonly talke of a man rauished & drawen whiche waye him liketh best to hauehave them? Boldly then may I aduenture and without feare steppe forthe to offer that vntounto your Lordeshyppe, whiche for the dignitye is so excellente, and for the vse so necessarye: that no man oughte to be withoute it, whiche either shall beare rule ouer manye, or muste hauehave to do wyth matters of a Realme. Consideringe therfore your Lordshyps hyghe estate, & worthy callyng, I knowe nothyng more sittynge wyth your honoure, then to the gyfte of good reason and vnderstandynge, wherwith we see you notably endued, to ioyne the perfection of Eloquente vtteraunce. And because that aswell by your Lordeshyppes moste tender imbracynge of all suche as be learned, as also by your right studious exercises, you do euidently declare, not onelyonly what estimation you hauehave of all learnynge and excellente qualities ingenerall, but also what a speciall desyre and affection you beare to eloquence: I therfore commende to youre Lordeshyppes tuition and patronage, thys traictise of Rhethorique, to the ende that both ye maye get some furtheraūce by the same, & I also be discharged of my faithefull promyse this laste yere made vntounto you.
For where as it pleased you emonge other talke of learnynge, earnestlye to wyshe that ye myghte one daye see the Preceptes of Rhetorique sette forthe by me in Englyshe, as I hadde erste done the Rules of Logique: hauynge in my Countrey thys laste Somer a quiet time of vacation wyth the ryghte worshypfull sir Edwarde Dymmoke Knyghte: I traueyled so muche as my leasure myghte serue therunto, not onelye to declare my good harte to the satisfiynge of youre requeste in that behalfe, but also throughe that your mocion to helpe the towardnes of some other, not so well furnished as your Lordeshyppe is. For as touchinge your selfe, by the tyme that perfect experience of manifolde and weyghtye matters of the commune weale, shall hauehave encreased the eloquence, whyche alreadye dothe naturallye flowe in you: I doubt nothing but that you wil so farre be better then this my boke, that I shal not onelye blowshe to chalenge you for a Scholer, in the Arte of Rhetorique, by me rudelye sette forthe: but also be driuen to sette this simple Traictise to your Lordshyppe to Schole, that it may learne Rhetorique of youre daylye talke, fyndynge you suche an Oratoure in your speach, as greate Clarckes do declare what an Oratoure shoulde be.
In the meane season I shall ryghte humblye beseche your good Lordshippe so to be a Patrone and defendoure of these my Laboures to you dedicated: as I shal be a continuall peticioner vntounto almyghtye God for your preseruation, and longe continuaunce.