in.] RHEfofeicAL SOPHISMS NEEDED. 23? 



the greatest orators, generally, have not tins political and 

 sociable eloquence in private discourse ; for whilst they 

 endeavour at ornament and elegant forms of speech, they 

 fall not upon that ready application and familiar style of dis 

 course which they might with more advantage use to parti 

 culars. And it were certainly proper to begin a new inquiry 

 into this subject ; we therefore place it among the deficiencies 

 under the title of prudential conversation,* which the more 

 attentively a man considers, the higher value he will set 

 upon it; but whether this be placed under rhetoric or politics 

 is of no great significance. 



We have already observed that the desiderata in this art 

 are rather appendages than parts of the art itself ; and all of 

 them belong to the repository thereof, for the furnishing of 

 speech and invention. To proceed in this view ; first, we 

 find no writer that hath carefully followed the prudent 

 example of Aristotle, who began to collect popular marks 

 or colours of apparent good and evil, as well simple as com 

 parative. 1 These, in reality, are but rhetorical sophisms, 

 though of excellent use, especially in business and private 

 discourse. But the labour of Aristotle about these colours 

 has three defects ; for 1. though they are numerous, he 

 recites but few ; 2. he has not annexed their redargutioris ; 

 and 3. he seems not to have understood their full use : for 

 they serve as well to affect and move as to demonstrate. 

 There are many forms of speech which, though significative 

 of the same things, yet atfect men differently ; as a sharp 

 instrument penetrates more than a blunt one. supposing both 

 of them urged with equal force. There is nobody but would 

 be more affected by hearing this expression, How your 

 enemies will triumph upon this : 



&quot; Hoc Ithacus velit, et magno mercentur Atridce,&quot;&quot; 1 

 than if it were simply said, This will injure your affairs : 

 therefore these stings and goads of speech are not to be 



Brougham s discourse to the Glasgow University and to the Manchester 

 Mechanics Institution. Ed. 



k The foundations for this are, in some measure, laid by the learned 

 Morhof in the sketch of his &quot; Homiletice Erudita.&quot; See &quot; Polyhistor,&quot; 

 torn. i. lib. i. cap. 25. See also Jo. Andr. Bosii &quot;De Prudentia et 

 Eloquentia Civili comparanda,&quot; od. Jense, 1693; and &quot; Prudent:* 

 Consultatoria in Usum Auditorii Thomasiani,&quot; ed. Halse Magdeburg, 

 1721. Ed. i Knetor. ii. 3-8. ^EneM, ii. 104. 



