THE ART OF RHETORICK CONCISELY AND COMPLEATLY HANDLED Exemplified out of holy Writ and with a compendious and perspicuous Comment fitted to the capacities of such as have had a smatch of learning or are otherwise ingenious By I. B. Master of the free-school of Kinfare in Staffordshire ECCLES 12. 10. The Preacher sought to finde out acceptable words Printed for Nicolas Alsop and are to be sold at the Angel in Popes-head-alley 1634. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE IOHN LORD POULET Baron of Hinton Saint George All sanctified prosperitie Much honoured Lord THose reckonings that are daily added to the score and runne long on without computation swell insensibly to an height incredible of such nature are my obligations towards your noble self standing bound not onely for the principall but the interest the times and conditions of my lot being such that untill now my utmost studies and endeavours could never purchase an opportunitie in person to render the gratefull acknowledgements of your Lordships bounty towards my self and to present the due homage of mine own observance yea I am by experience sensible of much difficultie to pick out the times and means of dutifull demonstrations unlesse vicinitie of place and other conducing circumstances befriend us Wherefore my Lord having with the long travell of gratefull thoughts to your Honour and desire of publick good brought forth these two-languag'd twins I have ventured to deliver them into your Lordships hands if they may be welcome and through them into the hands of others if they may be worthy aiming by them to acquaint the world with my personall obligations and thankfull cogitations towards your Honour and if they by reason of their subject shall discover any thing that may redound to the benefit of many or few that that also may be reckoned to your Lordship as the means of my abilities unfeignedly withall desiring that this your bounty and all your vertuous actions may be summed up to the glory of God the authour of every good and perfect gift both in us and to us To whose gracious tuition my constant prayer shall earnestly recommend your worthy person and noble family Your Lordships in the manifold obligations of dutifull observance IOHN BARTON To the Reader THe sacred Scripture howbeit altogether eschewing and utterly condemning the impertinent use of frothie criticismes yet in beautifull varietie majesticall style and gracefull order infinitely and incomparably transcends the most pithie and pleasing strains of humane Eloquence From this authoritie therefore I have made the art of Rhetorick exemplary whereunto for the satisfying of the reader I have premised these severall instructions partly as apologies to the skilfull for those additions contractions alterations herein made partly as directions to the studious First I say not according to the received definition that Rhetorick is the art of pleading well howbeit I was about to define it the art of Oratory which is equivalent with the former but I consider that to an Oratour besides Rhetorick Logick and Grammar essentially belong For together with the cooking that is the dressing and serving up of an oration wherein Rhetorick consisteth an Oratour must have matter and method from Logick puritie of construction and words accustomed from Grammar or he cannot be perfect Indeed it is very rare to finde a man skilfull in Rhetorick who is not so in Logick and Grammar yet I have read some sermon-sermon-books stuft with Tropes and Figures which doubtlesse with a good deliverie would please yet were very barren of solid matter Now because these arts commonly met in a professed Oratour those that formerly wrote Rhetoricks put in the Topicks of Logick and Figures of Grammar as essentiall parts of Rhetorick Therefore must the learner in any pleasing passages of words diligently consider to which of these severall arts every vertue in them is to be ascribed For whose help herein if this work take I will annex in future editions an Appendix of all grammaticall figures Again I say not the parts of Rhetorick are Elocution and Pronunciation for both these are but utterance and neither implie the gesture as for that their common acceptation is equivalent with the terms I give this were tolerable in case of necessity not where more significant may be had Secondly I presume I need not excuse giving of English names having put the known names in the Margent and used them in my Comment as for changing those names good reason For Tropes and Figures were distinguished by names that had no difference as Metonymia and Metaphora are both Translation which is a name generall enough for all the Tropes neither can I think it but preposterous to speak of affections of Tropes before the Tropes themselves which perhaps they did that the examples wherein affections were might be more fully apprehended though I suppose so much at once would rather puzzle the learner Thirdly I thought it strange that Rhetoricians should be fain to define Metonymia and Synechdoche as Plato did a man by couching the particulars nor yet doâ—h their definition of a Metonymie directly teach Elliptick Substitution nor of the other comprehend the putting of one kinde for an other yet indeed I found it very difficult to distinguish them The truth is that these two are but one Trope and but for avoiding censure of singularitie I would have made them one as I have annexed them in regard of their affinitie Fourthly whereas I have made Metonymie twofold Perfect and Elliptick I say boldly that nothing in all Rhetorick doth more puzzle scholars then not being made acquainted with this difference of Metonymicall examples how that in some a borrowed word supplying the place of a proper we do no more but change again that is cast away the borrowed word and assume the proper and they are resolved But now again some examples will not suffer a change of the tropicall word for another but must be resolved by an addition of some word containing the Cause Effect Subject or Adjunct in a generall term Instance in this speech That rock was CHRIST They say truely In the word CHRIST is a Metonymie of the Subject for the Adjunct Well then say I Resolve this Trope put out the word CHRIST and render the Adjunct for which it is put That rock was what If they say CHRIST is put for the signe then I should say That rock was the signe But this resolution you see is defective therefore I must lay both together the generall term SIGNE and CHRIST and say thus That rock was the signe of Christ. Now in this example The Pope spurns Emperours KINGDOMES off their heads I need not fetch in the generall term to resolve it by spurns the SIGNE of their KINGDOMES c. but change for the adjunct it self which is ready and compleat Spurns Emperours CROVVNS off their heads Fifthly I averre that I have truely referred Pronominations to Metaphors for they all carry the force of comparison Instance I call an
Arch-traitour a IUDAS Now say Rhetoricians This is by a Synechdoche for here is Iudas a particular word put for the generall TRAITOUR How unlawfull this predication is and how insufficient the resolution any scholar will discern For Iudas by a Synechdoche cannot signifie an Arch-traitour but simply a Traitour Now make it a Metaphor and I have the full meaning But I will give a more usefull answer I say therefore that if this be a Synechdoche we need no Metaphor for I can by as fair a semblance as this reduce every Metaphor to a Synechdoche or Metonymie Instance Luk. 23. 43. To day shalt thou be with me in PARADISE Shall I say this is a Synechdoche one place of felicitie being put for another Yet why may not I as well as Butler call this speech They BUILD an horse a Synechdoche One kinde of structure saith he is put for another Again Psal. 34.1 The young LIONS lack Shall I say LIONS for FIERCE and GREEDY men is a Metonymie For Lion is the subject and fiercenesse and rapine the qualities of a Lion Yâ—t why not as well as Keckerman calls this speech Every day is an HOLY-DAY to the idle man a Metonymie Because HOLY-DAY is put sayes he for a time of leisure and sport which are appurtenances to an holy-day Now undoubtedly all these are Metaphors though Butlers 〈…〉 catachresticall But it would save much 〈◊〉 and prevent a deal of errour no more but to observe when the words bear the force of comparison for all such are Metaphors Rhetoricianâ— have been deceived by a relation Metaphoricall in stead of reall For instance They PRICK UP THEIR EARES Let us BREAK THEIR BONDS ASUNDER In these examples would Rhetoricians say are Metonymies of the Adjunct For PRICKING UP THE EARES is a signe of HEARKENING BONDS an Adjunct to AUTHORITIE But say I Pricking up the eares is a signe of hearkening in beasts So God hath no CORDS but comparatively therefore these are Metaphors Sixthly I say also that those examples which I have referred to an Ironie in the latter end of the chapter are truely referred And either an Ironie must be made so large as it well may to comprehend them or we must invent another Trope Synechdoches they cannot be though some make them so for they have no relation Seventhly I averre also that Hyperbole and Tapinosis are as flatly different as the names I give them although the Neotericks make them one But saith Keckerman Some Rhetoricians call Tapinosis Hyperbole in defect but it is better to distinguish them What when I call a MEER FOOL a SHALLOW FELLOVV a VVICKEDNES an ERROUR when I say that is WARM that shrewdly BURNS c. do I hyperbolize do I over-reach and speak beyond my compasse Moreover they were too short in not observing that these Affections were often found without being in other Tropes and so where they found speeches that were meerly hyperbolicall or tapinosicall they would referre them to some Trope though without reason For this speech I made my bed to SVVIMME Dietericus takes for a Metaphor but I pray you where is the comparison For put case his bed were born up with waters it were a plain speech which being impossible what is it else but a notable Hyperbole Eighthly I dare professe that whatsoever Rhetoricall excellencie is or can be in words is comprised in the Tropes and Figures which I have set down I have deliberatively read the most eloquent books besides divers Rhetoricks yet all the commendablenesse of words I could pick out would not yeeld a new Figure How all their examples come within compasse of my Figures will easily appeare But some examples I have which they never paralel'd and some things their Rhetoricks touch not It had been easie to have made my book confused and intricate with prolixitie to have shewed much reading and little wit and needlesly to have wearied and perplext my reader If it be objected that specially in those figures of Repetition Variation Allusion there are various examples which might have had severall names I answer if every phrase whereunto I could have given a proper term to expresse the form thereof should have been a Figure I should have runne in infinitum And doubtlesse the copious varietie of words especially in the Greek tongue hath begotten that difference among authours that sought to open the arts which being read by the unskilfull they took them for so many severall Figures as they found names and the species of them for distinct Figures the confusednesse whereof was by the diligence of the studious amended by degrees And why should not we contract and refine late writers as they did the former I have given generall terms whereto all kinde of pleasing speech may be reduced so that I know no reader wheresoever he meets with whole heaps of Figures together shall finde any thing but the spice or composition of what I have mentioned Ninthly whereas Rhetoricians give divers rules about delivery for the turning of the eye carriage of the hand setting of the countenance framing of the voice c. I dare say they are needlesse insufficient absurd for this varies according to a multitude of circumstances person subject place and these particulars are also various Onely I have mentioned the Emphasis and truely if mine observation fail me not look what facultie a man hath in giving a gracefull Emphasis in like degree he hath the gift of the whole delivery Lastly I expose my Treatise to the view and censure of the learned as I have been bold in some things to censure other mens Whoso will may examine the matter and whoso can may undertake the patronage although I have imputed faultinesse to theirs I do not warrant there can be none in mine own I have spared to mention the worst I found and think it might be judged pride and envy in me to reckon up the contradictions curiosities coincidencies impertinencies which are among them I arrogate nothing to my self in detecting or amending them I hold it a duty of this age and nation to leave arts more refined to posteritie having so abundant helps For what I have altered I think I could pick my apologie out of severall authours whom I found to be hammering upon those very matters though not finding a way out they were fain to come again into the common rode Indeed I had besides the advice of my learned friends the joynt assistance of my brother and that candle which we have lighted we set up to others Sure I am Reader that this facil art hath been found by good wits so imperfectly discovered that some things were very intricate some things very frivolous How difficultly and defectively young scholars have apprehended the notions of this art all schools have complainâ—â—â— That from the ignorance of Rhetorick besides many other inconveniences grosse miscoâ—structions of Scripture have sprung experience â—â—stifies I was opposed with that place in Daniâ—l Break
off thy sinnes by righteousnesse and thine INIQUITIES by shewing mâ—rcy unto the poore I answered that in thâ— word INIQUITIES was a Synechdocheâ— the generall word Iniquitie being put for Oppression one kinde of iniquitie whereby I clearâ—â— the place from seeming to confirm the Popish doctrine of making satisfaction for our sinnes by our works for which purpose that place was alledgedâ— and shewed that it did import no more then thâ—t speech of Isaiah Cease to do evil learn to do well I will not multiplie examples Reader thiâ— Tract having been proved and approved as a sufficient mean to instruct any indifferent wit that will bestow pains in serious meditation and conference with a scholar in the knowledge of the art I am bold to commend to thy use if thoâ— shalt need it and commit unto thy love if thoâ— shalt esteem it Farewell If thou sayest I haâ—e made my gates too big know I did it that my book might have the better passage But now I shut them up resting thine in the hope and endeavour of better services IOHN BARTON THE Art of RHETORICK CHAP. I. Sect. I. RHETORICK is the a skill of using daintie words and comely deliverie whereby to work upon mens affections It hath two parts Adornation and Action Adornation consisteth in the sweetnesse of the phrase and is seen in Tropes and Figures A b Trope is an affecting kinde of speech altering the native signification of a c word In a Trope are to be considered 1. The Kindes 2. The Affections There be foure kindes of Tropes 1. Substitution 2. Comprehension 3. Comparation 4. Simulation The Comment a That is to say It is the Art of trimming decking garnishing the Oration with fine wittie pithie moving pleasing words claâ—ses and sentences in the passages and style of speech b This word Trope is as much as to say a borrowed speech so that when any word leaves his native that is his proper signification â—â—d assumes a borrowed we say it is Tropicall Although some speeches are grown so common that they are taken to be proper as Correct me O Lord for Chastise me O Lord the Effect for the Cause but so usuall that few perhaps would note it c See Note 6. Sect. 2. SUbstitution is a borrowed speech by an accidentall a relation It is either Perfect or Elliptick b Perfect Substitution is when the word wherein the Trope lies is cast away in the c Resolution And it is fourefold 1. First of the Cause 2. Of the Effect 3. Of the Subject 4. Of the Adjunct or Accident Substitution of the Cause is two wayes 1. First when the d Efficient cause is put for the effect Gen. 4.7 a Sinne lieth at the doore Ezra 4. 7. The writing was in the Syrian a tongue 1. Tim. 6. 6. Godlinesse is a gain So when the Author e Principall or Famous in a thing is used for that which is wrought or brought in by him or named from him Act. 21.21 They are informed thaâ— thou teachest to forsake a Moses Psal. 14.7 a Iacob shall rejoyce and a Israel shall be glad 2. Secondly when the Materiall Cause is used for the Effect Psal. 105. 8. He was laid inâ— iron The Comment a Relation is when a thing in any respect hath reference to another An accidentall Relation I call that which continues onely while they are Tropes or otherwise they are not necessarily considered together as Sinne is put for horrour punishment Tongâ—â— for language Gain for gainfull Moses for the Law Iacob and Israel for the Israelites Iron for fetters Now there may be sinne where there is no horrour or punishment considered Gain may be considered abstractively that is by it self and not in a subject as there may be vertue justice though there were none just so there may be a tongue without language as in beasts Iacob might have been though no Israelites after him Moses though no Law Iron though no fetters But in Synechdoches there is a true Relation considered whether they be Tropes or no the Genus must have his Species and the whole his parts and contrarily These do subsist one in another In a word Substitution is from things that have but an affinitie Comprehension from things that have a consanguinitie b Note from this example that in some Metonymicall Relations the Cause and Effect Subject and Adjunct may perhaps be hard to conceive for unlesse to scholars it is not so readie to be apprehended that gain is the cause of gainfull though indeed it is for what makes gainfull but gain c The resolving of a Trope is the changing of it to a plain speech for instance The writing was in the Syrian language This now you see is made a plain speech by putting away the borrowed word tongue and resuming language whiâ—h was meant by tongue This I call a Perfect Resolution because I come directly to my word again d The Efficient Cause is whereby a thing is made or done the Material Cause whereof e Note that it is one thing when the Principall is considered as the Cause another as the Subject another as a Part. Instance Israel fought with Amalek If here by Amalek and Israel I mean their succeeding race themselves being dead it is a Metonymie of the Cause but if I mean by them their armies themselves being at home it is a Metonymie of the Subject If I mean by them the Israelites and Amalekites led by them into the field themselves being partners in the battell it is the Part for the Whole Sect. 3. SUbstitution of the Effect is when the Effect is used for the Cause 2. King 4.10 a Death is in the pot Ioh. 11. 25. I am the g resurrection Substitution of the b Subject is when the Subject is used for the Adjunct Eph. 4. 22. Cast off the old c man Thus the place or seat and container are used for the placed or contained thing Psal. 78. 87. Their d heart was not right Gen. 6. 11. The e earth was corrupt before God 1. Cor. 11. 26. As oft as you drink this f cup ye shew the Lords death The Comment a Death is put for poyson which is the effect of poyson b The Subject is that thing whereunto something is said to appertain or belong and the said appurtenance is called the Adjunct or Accident c Man is put for nature d Heart for the affections there seated e for people f for wine g I think good here to note that it will perhaps be difficult sometimes to hit upon a term whereby to resolve a Trope perfectly for indeed when I first considered of this example I could resolve it with addition thus I am the cause or causer of the resurrection but the term Raiser I could not think on a good while And at first view I thought these Elliâ—tick also Exod. 21. 21. Eph. 5. 16. Sect. 4. SUbstitution of the Adjunct is when the Accident is