The Art of Rhetoric, Preface
¶Eloquence first geuen by God, after loste by man, and laste repayred by God agayne.
MAn (in whom is poured the breathe of lyfe) was made at hys firste beinge an euerliuynge Creature, vntounto the likenes of God, endued with reason, and appoynted Lorde ouer all other thinges liuing. But after the fall of our firste father, Sinne so crepte in, that our knowledge was muche darkened, and by corruption of this oure fleshe, mans reason and entendement were bothe ouerwhelmed. At what time God beinge sore greued with the folye of one man, pitied of his mere good uesse, the whole state and posteritie of mankinde. And therefore (wher as throughe the wicked suggestion of our ghostelye enemye, the ioyfull fruition of Goddes glorye was altogether loste:) it pleased our heauenly father to repayre mankynde of hys free mercye, and to graunte an euerliuynge enheritaunce vntounto all suche as woulde by constante fayth seeke earnestlye thereafter, Longe it was ere that man knewe himselfe, beinge destitute of Gods grace, so that al thinges waxed sauage, the earth vntilled, societye neglected, Goddes will not knowen, man againste manne, one agaynste another, and all agaynste order. Some liued by spoyle, some like brute Beastes grased vponupon the ground, some wente naked, some romed lyke woodoses, none did anye thing by reason, but most did what they could, by manhode. None almoste considered the euerliuynge God, but all liued moste communely after their owne luste. By death they thoughte that all thinges ended, by life they loked for none other liuynge. None remembred the true obseruation of wedlocke, none tendered the education of their chyldren, lawes were not regarded, true dealinge was not once vsed. For vertue, vyce …are place, for right & equitie, might vsed aucthoritie. And therfore where as man through reason might hauehave vsed order, manne throughe follye fell into erroure. And thus for lacke of skill, and for wante of grace, euyll so preuayled, that the Deuyll was mooste estemed, and GOD either almost vnknowen emonge theim all, or elles nothinge feared emonge so manye. Therefore euen nowe when man was thus paste all hope of amendemente, God still tendering his owne workemanship, stirred vp his faythfull and elect, to perswade with reason, all men to societye. And gaue his appoynted ministers knowledge bothe to se the natures of men, and also graunted them the gift of vtteraunce, that they myghte wyth ease wynne folke at their will, and frame theim by reason to all good order.
And therefore, where as Menne lyued Brutyshlye in open feldes, hauing neither house to shroude them in, nor attyre to clothe their backes, nor yet anye regarde to seeke their best auayle: these appoynted of God called theim together by vtteraunce of speache, and perswaded with them what was good, what was badde, and what was gainefull for mankynde. And althoughe at firste, the rude coulde hardelie learne, & either for straungenes of the thing, would not gladlye receyue the offer, or els for lacke of knoweledge could not perceyue the goodnes: yet being somewhat drawē and delighted with the pleasaūtnes of reason, & the swetenes of vtteraūce: after a certaine space, thei became through nurture and good aduisement, of wilde, sober: of cruel, gentle: of foles, wise: and of beastes, men. Suche force hath the tongue, and such is the power of eloquence and reason, that most men are forced euen to yelde in that, whiche most standeth againste their will. And therfore the Poetes do feyne that Hercules being a man of greate wisdome, had all men lincked together by the eares in a chaine, to draw them and leade them euen as he lusted. For his witte was so greate, his tongue so eloquente, & his experience suche, that no one man was able to withstand his reason, but euerye one was rather driuen to do that whiche he woulde, and to wil that whiche he did, agreing to his aduise both in word & worke, in all that euer they were able.
Neither can I see that menne coulde hauehave bene broughte by anye other meanes to lyue together in felowshyppe of life, to mayntayne Cities, to deale trulye, and willyngelye to obeye one another, if menne at the firste hadde not by Art and eloquence perswaded that, which they ful oft found out by reason. For what manne I praye you beinge better abl… to maintayne him selfe by valeante courage, then by liuing in base subiection: would not rather loke to rule like a lord, then to lyue lyke an vnderlynge: if by reason he were not perswaded that it behoueth euerye man to lyue in his owne vocation, and not to seke anye hygher rowme, then whereunto he was at the first appoynted? Who woulde digge and delue from morne till euening? Who woulde trauaile and toyle with the swea…e of his browes? Yea, who woulde for his kynges pleasure aduenture and hasarde his life, if witte hadde not so wonne men, that they thought nothing more nedefull in this world, nor anye thing wherunto they were more bounden: then here to liue in their duty, and to traine their whole lyfe accordynge to their callynge. Therfore where as menne are in manye thynges weake by Nature, and subiecte to much infirmitye: I thinke in this one point they passe all other Creatures liuynge, that they hauehave the gift of speache and reason.
And emonge all other, I thinke him most worthye fame, and emongest menne to be taken for halfe a God, that therin dothe chiefelye, and aboue all other, excell menne, wherin men do excell beastes. For he that is emonge the reasonable, of all moste reasonable, and emonge the wittye, of all moste wittye, and emonge the eloquente, of all mooste eloquente: him thincke I emonge all menne, not onelye to be taken for a singuler manne, but rather to be counted for halfe a God. For in sekynge the excellencye hereof, the soner he draweth to perfection, the nygher he commeth to GOD who is the chiefe wisdome, and therefore called God, because he is most wise, or rather wisdome it selfe.
Nowe then seinge that God geueth his heauenlye grace vntounto all suche as call vntounto him with stretched handes, and humble harte, neuer wantynge to those, that wante not to them selues: I purpose by his grace and especial assistence, to set forthe preceptes of eloquence, and to shewe what obseruation the wise hauehave vsed in handeling of their matters, that the vnlearned by seinge the practise of other, may hauehave some knowledge them selues, and learne by their neyghbours deuise, what is necessarye for them selues in their owne case.
The arte of Rhetorique.
what is Rhetorique.
RHetorique is an art to set furthe by vtteraunce of wordes, matter at large, or (as Cicero doeth saie) it is a learned, or rather an artificiall declaracion of the mynde, in the handelyng of any cause, called in contencion, that maie through reason largely be discussed.
¶The matter whereupon an Oratour must speake.
AN Orator muste be able to speake fully of all those questions, whiche by lawe and mannes ordinaunce are enacted, and appoyncted for the vse and profite of man, suche as are thought apte for the tongue to set forward.Rhetorique occupied aboute all lawes, concernyng man. Now Astronomie is rather learned by demonstracion, then taught by any greate vtteraunce. Arithmetique smally nedeth the vse of eloquence, seeyng it maie be had wholy by nombryng onelyonly. Geometrie rather asketh a good square, then a cleane flowyng tongue, to set out the arte.Questions of two sortes. Therfore an Orators profession, is to speake onelyonly, of all suche matters as maie largely be expounded, for mannes behoue, and maie with muche grace be set out, for all men to heare theim.