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III.

Of RHETORIC.

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HOUGH nature and genius are the principal foundations of eloquence, and fometimes fuffice alone for fuccefs in it, we can. not however deny, but that precepts and art may be of great service to an orator, whether he uses them as guiles to fupply him with certain rules for dif tinguishing the good from the bad, or for improving and bringing to perfection the advantages he has received from nature.

Thefe precepts, founded on the principles of good fenfe and right reafon, are only the judicious obfervations of learned men on the difcourfes of the best orators, which were afterwards reduced into form, and united under certain heads; whence it was faid, that eloquence was not the offspring of art, but art of eloquence.

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From hence it is eafy to conceive, that rhetoric, without the study of good authors, is lifeless and barren, and that examples in this, as in all other things, are infinitely more efficacious than precepts; and indeed the rhetorician feems only to point out the path

a Ego in his præceptis hane vim & hanc utilita em effe arbitror, non ut ad reperiendum quid dicamus arte ducamur, fed ut ea quæ natura, quæ ftudio, quæ exercitatione confequimur, aut recta effe c. nfidamus, aut prava intelligamus, cum, quo referenda fint, didicerimus. Cic. 2. de orat. n. 232.

Ego hanc vim intelligo effe VOL. II.

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in præceptis omnibus, non ut ca fecuti orat res eloquentiæ laudem fint adepti? fed, quæ fua fponte homines el quentes facerent, ca quofdam obfervâffe, atque id egiffe. Sic effe non eloquentiam ex artificio, fed artificium ex eloquentia natum. 1. de orat. n. 146.

c In omnibus fere minus valent præcepta quam experimenta. Quint. 1. 2. c. 5.

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at a distance which youth are to follow; whilft the ora` tor takes them by the hand, and leads them into it.

As the end then propofed in the clafs of rhetoric, iş to teach them to apply the rules, and imitate the models or examples fet before them, all the care of mafters with regard to eloquence is reduced to thefe three heads; precepts, the ftudying of authors, and compofition.

Quintilian tells us, the fecond of thofe articles was entirely neglected in his time; and that the rhetoricians bestowed all their study on the other two. Το fay nothing here of the fpecies of compofition, then in vogue, called Declamation, and which was one of the principal caufes of the corruption of eloquence, they entered into a long train of precepts, and into knotty, and very often frivolous questions; which is the reason that even Quintilian's rhetoric, though fo excellent in other refpects, appears vaftly tedious in several places: he had too just a taste, not to observe that the reading of authors is one of the most effential parts of rhetoric, and moft capable of forming the minds of youth. Yet, however good his inclination might be, it was impoffible for him to ftem the torrent; and he was obliged, in spite of all his endeavours, to conform in public to a custom that prevailed univerfally; but followed, in private, that method which he judged the best.

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This method is now generally received in the univerfity of Paris, and did not gain ground there but by degrees. I fhall dwell chiefly on that which relates to the ftudy and explanation of authors, after having treated tranfiently of the other two, which it may be faid to include in fome measure.

d Cæterum,fentientibus jam tum optime, duæ res impedimento fueunt: quod & longa confuetudo

aliter docendi fecerat legem, &c. Quint, 1. 2. c. 5°

С НА Р.

CHAP. I.

Of the Precepts of Rhetoric.

THE beft way to learn rhetoric, would be to imbibe

it at the fountain head, I mean from Ariftotle, Dionyfius Halicarnaffeus, Longinus, Cicero, and Quintilian. But fince the reading of thefe authors, efpecially the Greek, is much above the capacity of the scholars ufually admitted into the clafs of rhetoric, the profeffors may explain, by word of mouth, the folid principles that occur in thofe great mafters of eloquence, which they ought to have made their peculiar ftudy; and content themselves with pointing out to their pupils, the most beautiful paffages in Cicero and Quintilian, where the topics to be expounded are difcuffed; for methinks it would be a fhame to leave the clafs of rhetoric, without having fome idea and knowledge of thofe authors, who have treated the art with fo much. fuccefs.

What is most important in rhetoric does not confift so much in the precepts, as in the reflections that attend them, and fhew their use. A man may know the number of the feveral parts of an oration, that of the tropes and figures, and the definitions very exactly, and yet be never the better qualified for compofition. These things are indeed useful and even neceffary to a certain degree, but do not fuffice; being only, as it were, the body or fhell of rhetoric. If the obfervations which give a reafon for, and fhew the effect of every precept, are not added, it is a body without a foul; but fome examples will explain my meaning.

One rule of the exordium is, that the orator fhould fpeak very modeftly of himself, in order to conciliate the judges in his favour; that he should not difplay his eloquence too much, and, if poffible, even render that of his opponent fufpected. This is a good and very neceffary precept, but Quintilian's reflections upon it

are much more valuable. "It is natural for us, fays he, to be prejudiced in favour of the weakest, and a "religious judge hears very willingly a pleader or ad66 vocate, when he thinks him incapable of impofing "upon his justice, and that he has no reason to diftruft "him. Thence, fays he, proceeded the care of the "ancients, to conceal their eloquence; in which they "differ very widely from the orators of our age, who "use their utmost efforts to difplay theirs."

He elsewhere gives another still more laudable reafon, deduced from nature itself, and founded on the knowlege of the human heart. f It is never com

"mendable, fays he, in any man to boast of him"felf; but an orator, of all people, appears with the "worft grace, when his eloquence makes him vain. "Such a conduct raises contempt, and fometimes ❝hatred, in the auditors; for there is fomething naturally great, noble, and fublime, in the heart of man, which cannot bear a fuperior. For this reafon "we are inclined to raise up those who are caft down, "or humble themselves, because it gives us an air of

fuperiority; and, as that proftrate condition leaves "no room for jealoufy, fentiments of candor and hu"manity naturally take place. On the contrary, he,

who fets too high a value upon himself, fhocks our "pride, because we think, he leffens and contemns us; and feems lefs intent upon magnifying himself, than upon making others his inferiors.

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* quoque commendatio tacita, nos infirmos & impares ingeniis contra agentium dixerimus Eft enim naturalis favor p Jaborantibus; & judex religiofus Abentiffime patronum audit, quem juftitiæ fuæ minime timet. Inde illa veterum circa occultandum eloquentiam fimulatio, multum ab hac nostrorum temporum jactatione diverfa. Quintil. l. 4. c. 1.

f Omnis fui vitiosa jaftatio est, eloquentiæ tamen in oratore præ. eipue; affertque audientibus non

faftidium modo, fed plerumque etiam odium. Habet enim mens noftra fublime quiddam, & erectum, & impatiens fuperioris. Ideoque abjectos, aut fuminittentes fe, libenter allevamus, quia hoc facere tanquam majores videmur; & quoties difceffit æmulatio, fuccedit humanitas. At, qui fe fupra modum extollit, premere ac defpicere creditur; nec tam fe majorem, quam minores cæteros facere. Quint,l.11, c. I.

Brevity

Brevity is generally laid down as one of the neceffary qualities of narration, and is made to confift in faying no more than is neceffary. If this precept be not explained, it will inform the mind but very little, and may occafion mistakes; but what Quintilian adds, fets it in the cleareft light. Although I obferved, that brevity confifts in faying no more than what

is neceffary, I do not however pretend, that the ora"tor fhould confine himself to the bare ftating the "fact; for though the narration fhould be short, it "fhould not want its graces: without which it would "be void of art, and difgufting. For pleafure de"ceives and amufes, and whatever gives delight feems "of fhort duration; as a fmooth and pleasant road, "though of a confiderable length, fatigues less than "one that is fhort, but fteep or difagreeable.

"It is plain fuch reflections may be of great "fervice towards giving us a juft tafte of eloquence, "and may even form and improve the ftile; but jejune and over-refined precepts only cramp the ge❝nius, and deprive orations of their nobler parts, "their vigour and beauty.'

M. Herfan, formerly profeffor in the college du Pleffis, under whom I was fo happy to ftudy three years, and who contributed in forming fome of the beft mafters that have fince appeared in the university, compofed, on the plan here mentioned, an excellent Tyftem of rhetoric, into which he introduced all the fineft thoughts of the ancients; but unhappily, it would take up too much time to dictate it; and befides, I own I am of opinion, that it would be better to read.

8 Quantum opus eft autem, non ita folum accipi volo, quantum ad; judicandum fuffici: quia non inornata debat effe brevitas, alioqui fit indocta. Nam & fallit voluptas, & minus longa quæ delectant videntur; ut amænum ac molle iter, etiamfi eft fpatii amplioris, minus fatigat quam durum arduumque compendium. Quiat, 1. 5. C€7...

h His omnibus admifcebitur dicendi ratio.. quæ alere facundiaur vires augere eloquentiæ poffit. Nam plerumque nullæ illæ artes nimia fubtilitatis affectione frangunt atque concidunt quicquid eft in oratione generofius, & omnem fuccum ingenii bibunt, & offa detegunt. Quintil. Procm. J. I..

B.3.

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