ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING 273 



thing. In deliberatives, we inquire what is good, what 

 evil; and of good, which is the greater, and of evil, which 

 the less. Whence the persuader s task is to make things 

 appear good or evil, and that in a higher or lower degree; 

 which may be performed by true and solid reasons, or rep 

 resented by colors, popular glosses, and circumstances of 

 such force as to sway an ordinary judgment; or even a wise 

 man that does not fully and considerately attend to the sub 

 ject. But besides this power to alter the nature of the 

 subject in appearance, and so lead to error, they are of use 

 to quicken and strengthen such opinions and persuasions 

 as are true; for reasons nakedly delivered, and always after 

 one manner, enter but heavily, especially with delicate 

 minds; whereas, when varied and enlivened by proper 

 forms and insinuations, they cause a stronger apprehen 

 sion, and often suddenly win the mind to a resolution. 

 Lastly, to make a true and safe judgment, nothing can be 

 of greater use and preservation to the mind than the dis 

 covery and reprehension of these colors, showing in what 

 cases they hold and in what not; which cannot be done 

 without a comprehensive knowledge of things; but when 

 performed it clears the judgment, and makes it less apt to 

 slip into error. 13 



SOPHISM I. What men praise and celebrate, is good; what they dispraise 

 and censure, evil 



This sophism deceives four ways; viz., either through 

 ignorance, deceit, party, or the natural disposition of the 

 praiser or dispraiser. 1. Through ignorance; for what sig 

 nifies the judgment of the rabble in distinguishing good 

 and evil ? Phocion took it right, who, being applauded by 



13 This paragraph is taken from the fragment of the Colors of Good and 

 Evil, usually printed as an appendix to the author s essays. That fragment 

 was reconsidered, better digested, and finished by the author, in order to fit it 

 for tiiis place, in the De Augmentis Scientiarum; to which himself assigned 

 it in the Latin edition. The reason of its being called a fragment was, that the 

 author had made a large collection of such kind of sophisms in his youth ; but 

 could only find time, in his riper years, to add the fallacies and confutations of 

 the following twelve. Shaw. 



