146 Bacon 



illustration of tradition, comprehended in that science 

 which we call rhetoric, or art of eloquence ; a science excellent, 

 and excellently well laboured. For though in true value 

 it is inferior to wisdom, (as it is said by God to Moses, 

 when he disabled himself for want of this faculty, Aaron 

 shall be thy speaker, and thou shalt be to him as God :) 1 yet 

 with people it is the more mighty: so Salomon saith, 

 Sapiens corde appellabitur pmdens, sed dulcis eloquio 

 majora reperiet ; 2 signifying, that profoundness of wisdom 

 will help a man to a name or admiration, but that it is 

 eloquence that prevaileth in an active life. And as to the 

 labouring of it, the emulation of Aristotle with the rhetori 

 cians of his time, and the experience of Cicero hath made 

 them in their works of rhetorics exceed themselves. Again, 

 the excellency of examples of eloquence in the orations 

 of Demosthenes and Cicero, added to the perfection of the 

 precepts of eloquence, hath doubled the progression in this 

 art; and therefore the deficiencies which I shall note will 

 rather be in some collections, which may as hand-maids 

 attend the art, than in the rules or use of the art itself. 



Notwithstanding, to stir the earth a little about the roots 

 of this science, as we have done of the rest; the duty and 

 office of rhetoric is, to apply reason to imagination for the 

 better moving of the will. For we see reason is disturbed 

 in the administration thereof by three means ; by illaquea- 

 tion or sophism, which pertains to logic; by imagination 

 or impression, winch pertains to rhetoric; and by passion 

 or affection, which pertains to morality. And as in negotia 

 tion with others, men are wrought by cunning, by impor 

 tunity, and by vehemency; so in this negotiation within 

 ourselves, men are undermined by inconsequences, solicited 

 and importuned by impressions or observations, and 

 transported by passions. Neither is the nature of man so 

 unfortunately built, as that those powers and arts should 

 have force to disturb reason, and not to establish and 

 advance it. For the end of logic is, to teach a form of 

 argument to secure reason, and not to entrap it; the end 

 of morality is to procure the affections to obey reason, 

 and not to invade it; the end of rhetoric is, to fill the 

 imagination to second reason, and not to oppress it: for 

 these abuses of art come in but ex obliquo, for caution. 

 1 Exod. iv. 1 6. 2 Prov. xvi. 21. 



