Treatise of Religion and Learning, Book 2 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Of the Liberal Arts and Sciences.
AN Art is a Collection of universal precepts prepared to know, act or work in some certain latitude of end.Ars est rei cujusque scientia, usu, vel traditione, vel ratione praecepta, tendens ad usum aliquem vitae necessarium Bibliand. de rat. Comm. omnium ling. Ars est collectio universalium praeceptorum parara ad cognoscendum, agendum, vel operandum, in certa aliqua finis latitudine. Ludov. Viv. de tradend. Discip. lib. 1.
Nataram aemulatur aers, sed non planè assequitur, saith Bibliander, as we may see in painting and many other works.
All Arts are distinguished by the end not the matter.
Seneca *Consolatione ad Marciam. cap. 18. Gen. 4.21, 22. The knowledge even of mechanical Arts ought to be referred to God the Authour, as the very Gentiles by the light of Nature were forced to confesse, and the Scripture witnesseth in the builders of the Tabernacle of Moses, and of Solomons Temple.distinguisheth Arts into three kindes, some which instruct the life, others which adorn it, others which rule it. The mechanical Arts instruct the life. Liberal Arts are properly those which become free and ingenuous men, which require understanding, not the operation of the hands.
They are called Liberal Arts, because they are worthy of a Freeman,Artes ingenuae seu liberales idcirco appellatoe sunt, quod libero ac ingenuo sint homine diguae: sive quòd liberos suos sectatores efficiant, & in fastigio rerum humanarum quasi reges collocent & reponant. Cael. Secund. Cur. Orat. de ingenuis artibus. Latini artes vocant liberales tanquam libero homine dignas. Voss de Philol. cap. 1. Sunt artes universae in duo genera distribu…ae: in Logicas & Mathematicas. Logicas appellarunt quae in sermonis ratione versantur: Mathematicas, in quantitate. Quantitatis autem duplex genus fecerunt, aliud dejunctum, aliud conjunctum. Dejuncta ad numeros pertinent, ex quibus ea disciplina manavit, quam Arithmaticen dixere. Quemadmodum ex conjunctis Geometria, in qua lineamenta, formae, intervalla, magnitudines versantur. Porro numeri ipsi ad harmoniam translati, Musicem pepererunt, ea enim numeros, voces, & modos continet. Geometriae facultas ad res coelestes accomodata, nobis dedit Astrologiam, in qua Coeli conversio, ortus, obitus, motúsque siderum considerantur. Rursum eadem ipsa Geometria ad vim cernendi traducta, Opticen produxit, quae causas affert cur oculi interdum vivendo decipiantur, cùm aut majores, aut minores, quàm sint res, esse videantur. Ex hac vero & ipsa Geometria, pingendi ars orta videtur, quam veteres inter liberales numerabant. Caelii Secun. Cur. Orat. de ingen. art. and ingenuous, as if only ingenuous persons should learn and exercise them.
It is a received opinion, That there are seven Liberal Arts, three concerning speech, Grammer, Logick, Rhetorick, four concerning Quantity, Geometry, Arithmetick, Musick, Astronomy, which the Grecians call Mathematicks.
Gram: loquitur, Dia: vera docet, Rhe: verba colorat
Mus: canit, Ar: numerat, Geo: ponderat, Ast: docet astra.
foreign, dicitur, quasi foreign, that is, the circle of the Arts, which was wont to be accounted by the number of the seven Liberal Arts.
Ric. Vitus Basingstock in his fifth Oration De studiorum finibus, saith, All Arts and Sciences are but ten, the seven Liberal Arts before-mentioned, and three more, Ethicks, Physick, Metaphysicks, into which all Philosophy is divided.
Sir Francis Bacon *Advancem. of Learning, l. 2. cap. 1. Qui autores in singulis artibus legendi sint. In Grammatica Diomedes, Perottus Valla: in Dialectica Aristoteles: in Rhetorica, Cicro & Fabium praecipul. In Astronomia legendi Proclus & Aratus, nam apud Latinos pauci de ea docte scripsere. Si altiora spectes, adjungere potes Ptolomaeum. In Astrologia Julius Firmicus, qui caeteris elegantius & verius artem tradidit. In Cosmographia, Ptolomaeum: In Geographia, Pomponium Melam: In Geometria Euclideu censeo perdiscendos. Ringelbergius De ratione studii.saith, That is the truest Partition of humane Learning, which hath reference to the three faculties of mans soul, which is the seat of Learning. History is referred to Memory, Poesie to the Imagination, Philosophy to Reason. Theology also or divine Learning (saith he) consists either of sacred History, of Parables, which are a kinde of divine Poesie; or of Precepts and Doctrines, as an eternal Philosophy.
There are three Organical Arts, and Arts concerning speech. Grammer,Grammatica à foreign scribo dicitur Synec. dochicè, quia voce tam scriptâ quam prolatâ ad sensa animi prodenda uti consuevimus. Amesii Technometria. Grammatica dicitur, voce quidem Graeca, sed tamen Romana olim jam civitate donata: quam tamen puerilem doctrinam, & literarum scientiam Ciceronem, literaturam Quintilianum sequentes possumus appellare. Cael. Sec. Cur. Orat de ingenuis artibus. Vide Polyd. Virg. De Juveat rerum, l. 1. c. 7. Grammatica est rectè scribendi & loquendi ratio. Gra…. Graec. ling. Spicil. Grammatica Graeco nomine de literis dicitur, idcirco à Quintiliano literatura transfertur in latinam vocem, apertam quidem illam, sed non perinde receptam. Lud. Viv. de caul. corrupt. Art. l. 2. Grammatica est scientia instrumentalis, qua dirigimur congruè ap. éque, proprie & concinnè loqui in omni idiomate, Hebraeo, Graeco, Latino, Anglico, Gallico, &c. Instrumentum est, & quidem omnium primum discendis scientiis. Crakanth. Log. l. 2. c. 13. Habet & ista doctrina quam Grammaticam vulgus vocat; ne que tamen intelligit. Habet, inquam, & vetussissimos suo… vindices, Linum & Palamedem, & Cadinum, & alios. Volebam nescius ne estes eam à maximis viris non solum cultam sed etiam excultam fuisse. Qui enim de ea libros reliquerunt maximi v…i, etiam in aliis studiis fuerunt, Crates, Aristophanes, Nicander, Callimachu. Apollonius ille Rhodius, Chrysippu…, alii Heroes magni Jos. Scalig, Francisco Vertuniano inter opusc. Vide plura ibid & Herald. Animad in Salmas. observ. Ad. Jus A…t. & Rom. l. 2. c. 22. Inter Graecos Grammaticos nemo non primum locum tribuit Theodoro Ga…, proximum mea sententia, Constantinus Lascaris sibi jure suo vendicat. Inter Latinos vetusti…s, Diomedes. Inter recentiores haud maltum video discriminis, nisi quod Nicolaus Perottus videtur omnium diligentissimus, citra superstitionem tamen. Eras Deratione studii. which shews what should be spoken, and with what Reason; Rhetorick which is for Ornament; and Logick which is for Argument and proof.
Some call these three general Arts, because they have their use in all things and Arts.
I. Grammer. It hath its name from letters.
This is as it were an usher to other Sciences, a place not very honourable, yet necessary, it is an Antidote against that malediction of the confusion of Tongues, Polyd. Verg. It is an Art of speaking well.
Others adde, and of writing, but in vain, when writing happens to speaking. Its end is to speak well, the means conducing to this end are the rules of classical writers founded on use.
That which is commonly called Orthographia, is better called Orthocepia, because speaking was before writing, which happens to speech.
The beginning of this Art and Rhetorick (saith Suetonius l. de grammat.) was thus, by the observation of those things which were either fit or unfit in speaking, men noting those things either to imitate or shun them, made this Art. Austin saith, That there were Grammarians among the people of Israel in the time of Moses.
That would be a most excellent kinde of Grammer, if some man skilfull in many Languages, as well learned, as mother-tongues, should write a Treatise of the divers Proprieties of Languages; shewing in what points every particular Language doth excell, and in what points it was deficient.
Despauterius was a famous Latine Grammarian, Clenard a Greek one, John Isaack an Hebrew one. Our Linacer also was a special Grammarian, and his books de Emendata Structura have much conduced to expell barbarism.
Gerardius Vossius hath put out a most learned and elaborate book De Arte Grammatica, and another De vitiis Sermonis.
Nuncupantur autem triviales scholae quasi vulgares, & in triviis constitutae: quomodo nomen id nulli Scholae, ad Latinas, Graecasque literas discendas publicitus constitutae conveniat: quae rarò in triviis erectae: quin fere una duntaxat etiam in magnis est urbibus, vel potius inde trivialibus Scholis nomen fecerunt majores, quod in his tres artes, Grammaticen, Rhetoricen, Logicen, docerent. Nam eas trivium dixere: ut quadrivium, quatuor artes Mathematicas; Arithmeticen, Geometriam, Astrologiam, & Muficen: quòd ex Cassiodoro cognoscimus. Voss De vitiis Sermonis l 1. c. 26. Quòd Philosophi, quòd Medici, quòd jure consulti, quòd omni literarum genere plerique exculti sunt, huic uni acceptum referunt omnes: Siquidem per unam Grammaticen, ad omne disciplinarum genus gradum fieri necesse est. Nam ut in aedificiis videmus, nisi solida firmáque constiterint fundamenta, labefactari omnia divuliáque ruinam trahere: sic in disciplinarum profectu, nisi quis puri dilucidique sermonis doctrinam solidè substruxerit, frustra caeteris in sudabit? Cael Sec. Cur. Orat in Nicol. Invitiat. nobil. Grammat.Trivial and Grammer Schools are to be respected and encouraged, because they are the Nurseries of Learning, there the foundation being well laid, young plants thence removed to the publick Universities, well furnished with that kinde of Learning, may prove eminent instruments in Church or State.
Grammer challengeth the first place to it self, and boyes are to learn both the Greek and Latine Grammer. Non modo quod his duabus linguis omnia fermè sunt prodita quae digna cognitu videantur, verùm etiam quod utraque alteri sic affinis est, ut ambae citius percipi queant conjunctim, quam altera sine altera, certè quam Latina sine Graeca. Erasm. De Ratione Studii….
For the pure Greek writers, Erasmus commends chiefly Lucian, Demosthenes, Herodotus; and of the Poets, Aristophanes, Homer, Euripides. For the Latine (saith he) Quis utilior loquendi antor quàm Terentius, purus, tersus, & quotidiano sermoni proximus, tum ipso quo que argumenti genere jucundus adolescentie. Huic si quis aliquot selectas Plauti Comaedias putet, addendas, quae vacent obscaenitate; equidem nihil repugno. Proximus locus erit Virgilio, tertius Horatio, quartus Ciceroni, quintus C. Caesari. Salustium si quis adjungendum arbitrabitur, cum hoc non magnopere contenderim, at que has quidem ad utriusque linguae cognitionem satis esse duco Erasm. De ratione studii.
Logica, est Scientia instrumentalis quâ dirigimur argumentari vel ratiocinari, seu Argumenta recte contexere. Crakanth. Log. lib. 2. cap. 13. Logicam Aristoteles & invenit, & ita excoluit, obsolvitque, ut in his mille annorum spaco, nihil in his vel addi à quoquam possit, vel demi. Crakanth Logic. lib. 4. cap. 4. Instrumentalis propriè Logica dicitur: Quae ideò foreign ab Aristotele appellatur, quia praeceptis & regulis suis dirigit mentem hominis in indagatione ac cognitione rerum. Wal. Eth. Chrysippus Stoicus Philosophus in dialecticis tam subtilis & acutus, ut in Graecia vulgo jactarecur, si Dii dialecticis uterentur, non aliis, quam Chrysippeis usuros esse. Rami undecima oratio in librum De Fato.II. Logick. It is the most universal of all Arts.
It is usefull for all Sciences. It is ingeniorum lima & cos.
The proper formall object of it is Reason, its adequate end to dispute well.
The duties of a Logician, are either general, as that which is comprehended in the definition of Logick, to reason well; or special, as those which be contained in the distribution of Logick, to invent well, and to judge well.
Logice dirigit intellectum in cognitione veri: praecipuaque ejus instrumenta sunt argumentatio, definitio, divisio, methodus. Gerard. Joan. Vos. De Studiorum ratione parte priore.
Zeno the Stoick said, Rhetorick was like the palm, or the hand stretcht out, Logick to the fift, he might have said more fitly (saith Ludovicus Vives *De Caus. corrupt. Art. lib. 4. Dialectica est ars benè disserendi, id est, rationes rerum benè discernendi, & inter se componendi. Ames. Demonstrat. Logicae verae. Thess 1. Opus praecipium, Syllogismus, Demonstrativus. Savil. Lect. 12. in Euclyd.) that the Logician collects an Argument for the subtill examination of the learned, but the Rhetorician applies it to the popular sense, for the Oratour often more briefly collects then the Logician.
III. Rhetorick is a speech dressed with certain allurements proper to please and perswade.Rhetorica scientia est ornatè, distinctè, aptèque dicendi. Cel. Sec. Cur. Orat. De Rhet. usu. Oratori propositum est quod est per suasibile, Poerae admirabile, Historico verum. Stradae Prolas. Hist. 3. part. 2.
Tully saith, The absolute praise of an Oratour is three-fold, Docere, Delectare, Movere; Docere debitum est, Delectare honorarium, permovere necessarium.
The great virtue of an Oration is perspicuity, Omnis oratio tres habet virtutes, ut emendata, ut dilucida *Oratio cujus summa virtus est per. spicuitas, quam sit vitiosa, si egeat interprete. Quintil. Institut. Orat. lib. 1. cap. 6. Rhetorica à foreign vetere Graeciae verbo, quod est fluo, vel dico, dicta esse videtur, quod sermonis ornatum & copiam quandam aurei fluminis instar polliceatur. Oratoriam artem Cicero & Quintilianus, duo hujusce artis lumina hanc dici posse docuerunt, candem tamen ferè definientes, benè dicendi tum artem, tum facultatem, tum doctrinam, tum rationem vocitarunt. Nihil aliud est eloquentia, nisi copiosè loquens sapientia. Et benè dicere, non est ornatè tantum, sed scienter & peritè, simul & ornatè dicere. Praeclarè enim, ut omnia, illud dixit Orator: Ex rerum cognitione efflorescat & redundet oporter oratio: quae, nisi subest res ab Oratore percepta & cognita, inanem quandam habet elocutionem, & penè puerilem. Ut enim sine lumine corpora cernere non possumus, ita sine eloquentia nemo sensa & cogitationes suas in lucem aptè proferre potest. Quod sol mundo hoc eloquentia caeteris doctrinis est, sine hac non artes modò aliae, sed res omnes, quae quidem sint dictione explicandae, in altissimo tenebrarum caligine versarentur. Cel. Sec. Cur. Orat. De ingenuis artibus., ut ornata sit. Quintil. Instit. orat. l. 1. c. 5.
Nazianzene in one of his Orations saith, He affected Rhetorick so much, because he had some thing of value to esteem as nothing for Christ.
Nemo te, nisi tu, exprimere rectè valet.
None is able to set forth eloquence but it self. This hath immortalized Plato, Demosthenes, Cicero, Homer, Virgil, Herodotus, Thucydides, Livie, Salust.
Cùm Ciceronem dico, ipsam Romanam eloquentiam intelligere debetis. Cùm verò libros de oratore, opus in ea facultate putatote, quo opere nullum nec Graecia, nec Italia melius aut perfectius unquam habuit. Cael. Sec. Cur. Orat. de ingenuis artibus. Vide ejus orat. De Rhetoricae usu.
Quintilian makes it a chief end and fruit of long pains and exercises in the Art of Rhetorick, to attain to such a faculty,Eloquentia maximè in liberis civitatibus floruit, velut Athenis & Romae, quod is certissimus esset gradus ad maximos honores ac potentiam. Ludov. Viv. de causis corrupt. art. lib 1. Menilius verò incomparabilis tunc eloquentiae vir, & quod summae prudentiae suit, iniquioris caussae nusquam defensor, tanto nativi sermonis candore, tanta sententiarum ubertate Patrum animos demulcebat, ut eos in quam optaret partem ferè flecteret ac impelleret. Seaev. Samarth. Elog. Gallorum doctrina illustrium. l. 2. as to be able also upon any sudden occasion to speak pertinently without any premeditation.
What an inchanting force hath Rhetorick? One had need of the force of Demosthenes, or rather, that divine eloquence of Tully, to set forth the due praises of eloquence.
Pierius Valerianus observes in the 26 Book of his Hieroglyphicks, that sweet eloquence is signified by the Hieroglyphicks of the Bee. Bees setled on Plato's lips when he was a childe sleeping in the Cradle, a presage of his future eloquence. The same is reported of Ambrose and Pindar.
The same Pierius in the 41 Chapter of his 20 Book of Hieroglyphicks saith, Wise men did put Syrens for the Hieroglyphick of Eloquence, and the perswading force of Rhetorick, whence that saying of Cato the Grammarian, Cato Grammaticus, Latina Syren.