Advancement of Learning 149 



Sophisma. 

 Quod laudatur, bonum: quod vituperatur, malum. 



Redargutio. 

 Laudat venales qui vult extrudere merces. 1 



Malum est, malum est, inquit emptor : sed cum recesserit, 

 turn gloriabitur ! 2 



The defects in the labour of Aristotle are three: one, 

 that there be but a few of many; another, that their 

 clenches are not annexed; and the third, that he conceived 

 but a part of the use of them: for their use is not only 

 in probation, but much more in impression. For many 

 forms are equal in signification which are differing in 

 impression ; as the difference is great in the piercing of that 

 which is sharp and that which is flat, though the strength of 

 the percussion be the same : for there is no man but will 

 be a little more raised by hearing it said, Your enemies 

 will be glad of this : 



Hoc Ithacus velit, et magno mercentur Atridae; 3 



than by hearing it said only, This is evil for you. 



Secondly, I do resume also that which I mentioned before, 

 touching provision or preparatory store for the furniture 

 of speech and readiness of invention; which appeareth 

 to be of two sorts; the one in resemblance to a shop of 

 pieces unmade up, the other to a shop of things ready made 

 up ; both to be applied to that which is frequent and most 

 in request : the former of these I will call antitheta, and the 

 latter for mulcz. 



Antitheta are theses argued pro et contra ; wherein men 

 may be more large and laborious: but, in such as are able 

 to do it, to avoid prolixity of entry, I wish the seeds of the 

 several arguments to be cast up into some brief and acute 

 sentences, not to be cited, but to be as skeins or bottoms 

 of thread, to be unwinded at large when they come to be 

 used; supplying authorities and examples by reference. 



Pro verbis legis. 



Non est interpretatio, sed divinatio, quae recedit a litera: 

 Cum receditur a litera, judex transit in legislatorem. 



Pro sententia legis. 

 Ex omnibus verbis est eliciendus sensus qui interpretatur singula. 



1 Hor. Ep. ii. 2, u. * Prov. xx. 14. 8 Virg. JEn. ii. 104. 



