making The thing containing for the thing or person contained As the the City met the Generall for the Citizens The adjunct property or quality for the subject of it As deserts are preferred for men deserving Take heed young idleness for idle youth Give room to the quoif for the Serjeant with the like SYNECDOCHE is an exchange of the name of the part for the whole or of the name of the whole for the part There are two kinds of totall comprehensions An entire body or a generall name As my name is tossed and censured by many toÌ„gues for many men where the part of an intire body goes for the whole Contrariwise he carries a Goldsmiths shop on his fingers for Rings He fell into the water and swallowed the Thames for the water So the generall name for the speciall Put up your weapon for your Dagger And the speciall for the particular As the Admirall is gone to sea for Admirall Blake The particular for the speciall As I would willingly make you a Sir Philip Sidney for an eloquent learned valiant Gentleman or for many as the Hollander they say comes against us for the Hollanders and such like which because they are easie I have exemplified familiarly Both these figures serve well when you have mentioned somthing before that may require Variety in repetition CATACHRESIS in English Abuse is now grown in fashion as most abuses are It is somewhat more desperate then a Metaphor And is the expressing of one matter by the name of another which is incompatible with and sometimes clean contrary to it As I gave order to some servants of mine whom I thought as apt for such charities as my self to lead him out into a Forrest and there kill him where Charity is used for Cruelty But this may also be by the Figure IRONIA The abuse of a word drawn from things far differing As a voyce beautiful to his ears Accusing in himself no great trouble in mind by his behaviour or action Do you grudge me part of your sorrow being sister in Nature I would I were not so far off a Kin in fortune This is a usuall figure with the fine conversants of our time when they strain for extraordinary expressions As I am in danger of preferment I am not guilty of those praises I have hardly escaped good fortune He threatens me a good turn All by the contrary And as he said that misliked a picture with a crooked Nose The elbow of his Nose is disproportionable The ear is not onely pleased with store and variety of words but takes great delight in the repetition of the same words which because they may be at the beginning at the middle in the end and in sundry correspondencies of each of these places one to another it happens that it has purchased severall names of Figures As Repetition of the same word or sound immediatly without interposition of any other is called EPIZEUXIS O let not let not from you be powred upon me destruction Tormented tormented torment of my soul Philoclea tormented This figure is not to be used but in passion ANADIPLOSIS is a repetition in the end of a former sentence and beginning of the next As you fear lest you should offend offend O how know you that you should offend Because she doth deny deny now in earnest I could laugh c. Why loved I alas alas why loved I to die wretched and to be the example of the heavens hate and hate spare not for â—our worst blow is given From whom they have commonly such respect and respect soon opens the door to perswasion c. This figure is often and handsomly used by Sir William Davenant in his Preface to Gondibert And as no man strikes in thought upon any thing but for some vehemency or distrust so in speech there is no repetition without importance CLIMAX is a kinde of ANADIPLOSIS by degrees making the last word a step to a further meaning If it be turned to an argument it is a SORITES A young man of great beauty beautified with great honor honored with great valor You could not enjoy your goods without government no Government without a Magistrate no Magistrate without obedience and no obedience where every one upon his private passion doth interpret the Rulers actions Now to make it a SORITES or climing argument joyn the first and the last with an ERGO As ERGO you cannot enjoy your own goods where every man upon his own private passions doth c This in a penned speech is too Academicall but in discourse more passable and plausible Seeing to like liking to love loving to c. Deceived me after deceit abused me after abuse forsaken me What doth better become wisdom then to discern what is worthy loving What more agreeable to goodness then to love it so discerned and what to greatness of heart then to be constant in it once loved Where the last word or some one word in the last sentence begets the next clause This Figure hath his time when you are well entred into discourse have procured attention mean to rise and amplifie ANAPHORA is when many clauses have the like beginning You whom vertue hath made the Princess of Felicity be not the minister of ruine You whom my choyce hath made the Goddess of my safety You whom Nature hath made the Load-starr of comfort be not the rock of shipwrack This figure beats upon one thing to cause the quicker apprehension of it in the audience and to awake a sleepy or dull passion EPISTROPHE is contrary to the former when many clauses end with the same words Where the richness did invite the eyes the fashion did enâ—ertain the eyes and the device did teach the eyes And all the night did nothing but weep Philoclea sigh Philoclea and cry out Philoclea c. Either arm their lives or take away their lives This is rather a Figure of Narration or Instruction then of motion SIMPLOCE or COMPLEXIO is when severall sentences have the same beginning and the same ending The most covetous man longs not to get riches out of that ground which can bear nothing Why Because it is impossible The most ambitious person vexes not his wits to climb to heaven Why because it is impossible This is the wantonest of Repetitions and is not to be used in serious matters EPANALEPSIS is the same in one sentence which SIMPLOCE or COMPLEXIO is in severall As Severe to his servants to his children severe Or the same sound reiterated first or last in a sentence As His superior in means in place his superior In sorrow was I born and must die in sorrow Vnkindness moved me and what can so trouble my courses or wrack my thoughts as unkindness This is a mild and sweet Figure and of much use though single and by it self not usuall in the Arcadia unless thus Overthrow of my desires recompence of my overthrow EPANADOS is when the midst and the end or
THE Academy of Eloquence By Tho Blount Gent Demosthenes Cicero Fr Lo Bacon Sr Ph Sidney W Faithorne Fe THE ACADEMIE OF ELOQUENCE Containing a Compleat ENGLISH RHETORIQUE Exemplified With Common-Places and Formes digested into an easie and Methodical way to speak and write fluently according to the mode of the present times Together with LETTERS both AMOROVS and MORAL Upon emergent occasions By THO. BLOUNT Gent ' CICERO Vt Hominis decus est ingenium Sic ingenij lumen est Eloquentia LONDON Printed by T. N. for Humphrey Moseley at the Princes-Arm's in S. Paul's Church yard 1654. TO ALL NOBLE GENTLEMEN AND LADIES OF ENGLAND WEre it absolutely necessary for him that should write of Eloquence to be perfectly Eloquent I would easily confess my self too rash in this enterprise But having seen often those treat knowingly of Painting that never held Pencill and Cicero remarking that Aratus by the comon consent of learned men wrote excellently of the Heavens Stars though he was no celebrated Astronomer I 'm encourag'd to say Why then may not I too discourse of Eloquence without being a Orator Galen that great Master of Physick who wrote so learnedly of every part of that Science was little seen in the Practick Nor are those that discourse best of the embattailing Armys and differencing military functions alwaies the best Warriers or the most daring The like may happen in this subject that he who is able to set down the Rules and Laws which ought to be observ'd in Speech or stile may notwithstanding find himself defective in the application and so may be said to give that to others which he has not himself The conceits of the mind are Pictures whose Interpreter is the tongue and the order of Gods Creatures in themselves is not only admirable and glorious but Eloquent he then that could apprehend the consequence of things in their truths and deliver his apprehensions as truely were a perfect Orator Thus Cicero Dicere recte nemo potest nisi qui prudenter intelligit Eloquence is equally fortunate in taming Passions and in charming senses she imitates Musick and makes use of the voice of Orators to enchant the Eares with the cadence of Periods and the harmony of Accents whilst the gestures apt motions Natural Aire and all those graces which accompany exact Recitation steal away the Heart by the eyes and work wonders upon the will But Eloquence is chiefly grounded upon Wisdom Wisdom arises principally from a due pre-consideration of all our actions Hence that excellent saying of a modern French Author Il est impossible de bien dire sans avoir bien pensé 't is impossible to speak well without having first well considered what to speak And Plotinus says 't is wisdom to think upon any thing before we execute it Now as 't is certain that No harmony can appear in his thoughts nor soundness in his reason whose speech is faltering and preposterous So likewise no clearness nor perfection in that Fancy which delivers it self by a confus'd abortion Great is the disparagment which flows from the defailance of the Tongue it not only dishonours the person of the Speaker but even sullys the opinion of his reason and judgement with a disrepute and oft-times renders the very truth suspected If then it so befall our verball expressions which are transient and less lyable to censure and where one hansome expression may excuse a number of solaecismes how shall that person be esteem'd prudent whose pen layes him wide open in a fungous and sordid stile how shall we expect ingenuity from him whose leisure and Genius assisted with the examen of his eyes yeild us no spirit in his writing He that has worth in him and cannot express it is a Cabinet keeping a rich Jewell and the key lost sayes a modern Author whereas a good stile with choise matter and embroidery of well chosen words is like a beautifull Woman with a virtuous Soul who attracts the eyes and charmes the hearts of all beholders This excellent faculty of speech ha's bin in high esteem even from the very infancy will be to the end of the World For in sacred Story we read the wise in Heart shall be called prudent and the sweetness of the lips increaseth understanding Pleasant words are as an honycomb sweet to the soul and health to the bones Hence 't was an ancient Author maintained that Pericles the Orator was no less Tyrant in Athens then Pysistratus without acknowledging other difference then that this exercis'd his Empire armed the other without armes by the sole terror of his speech which Aristophanes compar'd to a thunder bolt as Homer did that of Vlisses to a Torrent that beares down all with its violence And 't was said of old that the tongue of Cyneas the fam'd Scholler of Demosthenes conquer'd more Citties then the sword of Pyrrhus the valiant King of Epire. To have said thus much of the much more might be added in behalf of this charming Faculty and of the disadvantage commonly attending those who are unskill'd in it may serve as an inducement to the youth of both Sexes for whose benefit this little Work is chiefly intended and to their acceptance consecrated to make the perusall of it their subservient Recreation for vacant houres this w th little study will not only facilitate your discourse into the moding language of these times but adapt your pens too with a quaint fluent stile then which no qualities with confidence I speak it can render you more accomplish'd Here shall you be furnisht with all necessary materialls and helps in order to the acquiring so great a treasure such helps as have bin advised and often wisht for but never before published I. The first part containes a more exact English Rhetorique then has been hitherto extant comprehending all the most usefull Figures exemplifi'd out of the Arcadia and other our choisest Authors II. In the second part you have formulae majores or Common-places upon the most usual subjects for stile and speech The use and advantage whereof is asserted by my Lord Bacon who in his Advancement of learning sayes thus I hold the diligence and pain in collecting Common-places to be of great use and certainty in studying as that which aids the memory subministers copy to invention and contracts the sight of judgement to a strength III. In the third place you shall find Formulae minores as my Lord calls them lesser formes which he then reckon'd among the defects in our Language and sayes they are as it were the Portals and postern dores of stile and speech and of no smal use IV. Lastly you have a Collection of Letters and addresses written to for and by severall persons upon emergent occasions with some particular Instructions and Rules premised for the better attaining to a Pen-perfection The Formula's are but Analects which like the Humble-bec I gather'd in Spring time out of the choisest Flowers of our English
Garden nor have I in the Rhetorick or Letters transplanted much from my own barren Seminary I may say to some noble Correspondents what the Poet did of old in a like Case sic vos non vobis But you will easily distinguish Tinsill from better mettal what is mine will appear to be so by the Bluntismes that frequently occur the rest are of better allay So that if the defects of my own Essayes be but pardoned the rest I am confident will abide the touch and pass for Sterling T. B. AN English Rhetorique exemplified FIgures and Tropes sayes Alexander the Sophister are the vertues of Speech and Stile as Barbarismes and Solecismes are the vices we shall then begin with A METAPHOR or Translation is the friendly and neighbourly borrowing of a word to express a thing with more light and better note though not so directly and properly as the naturall name of the thing meant would signifie As to say Drops of Dew are Pearls Flowers in Meadows are Starres and the murmuring of waters Musick that little Birds are Angels of the Forrests Whales are living Rocks or Ships with souls that the Sea is a moving Earth and fountain water liquid Crystall And in expressing Desirous a kind of Desire is thirst and not much different from thirst is hunger Therefore for swords desirous of bloud Sir Philip Sidney says hungry of bloud Where you may note three degrees of a Metaphor in the understanding First the fitness to bloudshed in a weapon usurps the name of Desirous which is proper to a living Creature and then that it proceeds to thirst and so to hunger The rule of a Metaphor is that it be not too bold nor too far fetch'd And though all Metaphors go beyond the true signification of things yet are they requisite to express the roving fancies of mens minds which are not content to fix themselves upon one thing intended but must wander to the confines Like the eye that cannot chuse but view the whole knot when it purposely beholds but one flower in the Garden Or like an Archer that knowing his Bow will overcast or carry too short takes an aim on this side or beyond the mark Besides a Metaphor is pleasant because it enriches our knowledge with two things at once with the Truth and a Similitude As this Heads disinherited of their naturall Seigniories whereby we understand both beheading and the government of the head over the body as the heir hath over the Lordship which he inherits Of which in another place To divorce the fair marriage of the Head and body where besides the cutting off of the head we understand the conjunction of the head and body to resemble a marriage The like in concealing love uttered in these words To keep love close Prisoner There came along the street a whole fleet of Coaches for a great number Longinus saith That Metaphors and exchanges of words are of excellent use and much conducing to height in eloquence An Allegory is the continuall prosecuting of a Metaphor which before I defined to be a translation of one word and that proportionably through the whole sentence or through many sentences As Philoclea was so invironed with sweet Rivers of vertue that she could neither be battered nor undermined Where Philoclea is expressed by the similitude of a Castle her naturall defence by the naturall fortification of Rivers about a Castle and the Metaphor continues in the attempting her by force or craft expressed by battering or undermining Another But when she had once his Ensign in her mind then followed whole squadrons of longings that so it might be with a main battle of mislikings and repinings against their Creation where you have Ensigns Squadrons main Battels Metaphors still derived from the same thing i. Warr. As I said before a Metaphor might be too bold or too far feâ—ch'd so I now remember it may be too base and too bald a translation As the Tempest of judgment had broken the main mast of his will A goodly Audience of sheep Souldiers of friendship or such like Too base as in that speech Fritter of fraud and seething pot of iniquity And they that say A Red herring is a shooing horn to a pot of Ale But if you speak of disdainfull â—atter you may use the grosser terms Therefore for generall delight take your expressions from ingenious Arts and Professions to please the learned in severall kinds As from the Meteors Plants Beasts in naturall Philosophy And from the Starres Spheres and their motions in Astronomy from the better part of Husbandry from politick government of Cities from Navigation from the military profession from Physick but not out of the depth of those mysteries And unless your purpose be to disparage let the word be always taken from a thing of equall or greater dignity As speaking of Vertue The skie of your vertue overcast with sorrow where 't was thought unfit to stoop to any Metaphor lower then the Heaven An Embleme an Allegory a Simile a Fable a Poeticall Fiction differ thus An Embleme is but one part of the Similitude in the body and the other part under application in the words An Allegory is the similitude of the application exprest indifferently and joyned in one sentence with words some proper to one part some to another A Simile hath two sentences of severall proper terms compared A Fable is a Simile acted by Fictions in Beasts A Poets Tale for the most part by Gods and Men. In the former example Paint a Castle compast with Rivers and let the Motto be NEC OBSIDIONE NEC CUNICULIS Neither by siege nor undermining that is an Embleme Lay it as it is in Sir Philips Philoclea Vertue environed Rivers battering undermining the terms of the other part Put all these terms in one sentence and it is an Allegory But let it be thus There was a Lamb in a Castle and an Elephant and a Fox besieged her The Elephant would have assaulted her but he could not swim over the River the Fox would make an earth to get under her but he feared the River would sink in upon him and drown him then it is a Fable Let Spencer tell you such a Tale of a Fairy Queen or Ovid of Danae and 't is a Poeticall Fiction But utter it thus in one sentence As a Castle compassed about with rivers cannot be battered or undermined And thus in another So Philoclea defended round about with vertuous resolution could neither be forced nor surprized by deceit Then it is a Similitude in its own nature which is the ground of all Emblemes Allegories Fables and Fictions METONIMIA is an exchange of a name when one word comes in lieu of another not for a similitude but for other naturall affinity and coherence As when the matter is used for that which consists thereof As I want silver for money When the efficient or author is used for the thing made As my blade is right Sebastian for of Sebastians
advanced shall we that profess Laws maintain outrage And shall they that break all Laws yet in this observe civility Where you may see every word in the later sentence aggravated by opposition to every word in the former Another Did the most innocent vouchsafe a part of his glory to pray for his enemies And shall we the most sinfull esteem it a blot to our reputation to be unrevenged on our brethren Of this you shall have more examples hereafter But unless it be for the Declamatory exercise you are to avoyd too great swelling without substance The second way of Amplification is by Division which as a modern Author says is to anatomize it into severall parts and to examine it according to severall circumstances Not unlike the shew that Pedlers make of their Packs when they display them contrary to the German magnificence that serves in all the good meat in one dish But whereas the same Author says that this Art of Amplifying will betray it self in method and order I think it rather adorns it self For in stead of saying He put the whole Law to the Sword let me reckon all ages and sorts and say He neither saved the young men as pittying the unripe flower of their youth nor aged men as respecting their gravity nor children as pardoning their weakness nor women as having compassion on their Sex Souldier Clergyman Citizen armed or unarmed resisting or submitting all within the Town were destroyed by the fury of that bloody Executioner Note that the divisions here are taken from age profession sex habit or behaviour It may likewise be from all circumstances All dance the Heavens Elements mens mindes Common-wealths and so by part all dance Another example varied He apparels himselfe with great discretion Thus amplifie for circumstances For stuffs His cloathes were more rich then glittering As to the fashion rather usuall for his sort then fantastical for his invention for colour more grave and uniform then wild and light For fitness made as well for ease of exercise as to set forth to the eye those parts which had in him any excellency So to say he would take an occasion of discourse with a young witty Lady and would raise it first from her behaviour If she said nothing he would partly quarrell with her silence if she smiled he would gather out of it some interpretation of praise of her favour and of his own joy and good fortune if she frowned he would both move her to mirth and deny that she could be angry in earnest if she were sad he would conform his speech and action in that soberness to her humor as might beguile her passion by way of false confederacy if she walked or played the secret praise of her face her eyes her hair her voyce her hands her body her gait was the application of most conceipts whatever gave the ground of them yet with such dissembling art as if forgetfulness or love alluded in them not cunning or want of variety So you may divide by the forms of speech in general as he was never to seek how to propose or invent raise or maintain reconcile and distinguish any Arguments Histories Similitudes Proverbs Jests attended him in great plenty when he needed to imploy them he would deliver strong Reasons carelesly and choyce words smoothly and unaffectedly he used a sporting wisdom an eloquent prating But with Gallants and Ladies of better respect and less curiosity his duty their kindeness their common acquaintance the occasion of his coming the remembrance of his last conference the place the time the last news of forraign parts the Court the Countrey the City fed his invention and satisfied their ears All this is but division of the persons with whom you conversed their Manners Carriage the Fashions and Ornaments the Matter and Subject of discourse This in some sort used is more properly called Dilatation then Amplification and being often practised will inable you to discourse almost of any thing wherein you are not precisely tyed to the exact manner of division which Logicians use But you have liberty of seeking all things comprized within the sence of your generall Theame differ they essentially or in any notable Property You may also if you please run over the intire part of Amplification as the ship was blown up for the ship you may say the mast sails tacklings keel prowe stern for blowing up you may say rent torn smouthered scattered in the ayr sunk under the water all the circumstances of blowing up So in saying a fair tree you may divide the tree into the root body branches and fruit and fairness into talness straitness verdure sweetness and such things as are fair in a tree In describing a gallant man you may talk of his minde person his attempting prosecuting and finishing an enterprize And note that this Amplification hath in it both credibility and instruction for it makes instances of that which being generally spoken would seem but a flourish and gives more special note of that kinde which universally could not be conceived without confusion and dulness This kinde of Amplification is more taken up by Cicero then Demosthenes for Demosthenes never uses it but as it falls in his way The third way of Amplification is Accumulation which is a heaping up of many terms of praise or accusation importing but the same matter without descending into any part and hath his due season after some argument of proof Otherwise it is like a Schoolman foming out Synonima's or words of one meaning and will sooner beget a censure of superfluity of words then of sufficiency of matter But let us give some example to amplifie a Sedition tumults mutinies uproars desperate conspiracies wicked confederacies furious commotions trayterous rebellions associations in villany distractions from allegiance bloody garboyles intestine Massacres of Citizens But this example is somewhat too swelling Now to describe a beautiful woman you may say She hath a most winning countenance a most pleasant eye a most amiable presence a cheerful aspect she is a most delicate object c. The taste of former times hath termed it sweet to bring in three clauses together of the same sense as Your beauty sweet Lady hath conquered my reason subdued my will mastered my judgement How this will hold amongst our curious successors in their time I know not he that looks on the wearing of it will finde it bare how full of stuff soever it appears First it passeth for parts of division when indeed it is but a variation of an English Yet notwithstanding the practise will furnish you store of phrases without which you shal never have choyce the Mother of perfection Cicero in his Orations uses it much some others follow it to four clauses but he seldom exceeds three It has this certain effect that it will sufficiently secure your vein not to be dry and exhausted But to return to our first sort of Accumulation and reduce it with this under one