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precept to the orators to be always provided of various 

 commonplaces, ready furnished and illustrated with argu 

 ments on both sides; as for the intention of the law against 

 the words of the law; for the truth of arguments against 

 testimonies, and vice versa. 8 And Cicero himself, being 

 taught by long experience, roundly asserts, that a diligent 

 and experienced orator should have such things as come 

 into dispute, ready labored and prepared, so as that in 

 pleading there should be no necessity of introducing any 

 thing new or occasional, except new names, and some 

 particular circumstances. 4 But as the first opening of the 

 cause has a great effect in preparing the minds of the audi 

 ence, the exactness of Demosthenes judged it proper to 

 compose beforehand, and have in readiness, several intro 

 ductions to harangues and speeches; 6 and these examples 

 and authorities may justly overrule the opinion of Aristotle, 

 who would have us change a whole wardrobe for a pair of 

 shears. This promptuary method, therefore, should not be 

 omitted; but as it relates as well to rhetoric as to logic, 

 we shall here touch it but slightly; designing to consider 

 it more fully under rhetoric. 6 



We divide topical inventions into general and particu 

 lar. The general is so copiously and diligently treated in 

 the common logics, that we need not dwell upon its expla 

 nation: we only observe by the way, that this topical 

 method is not only used in argumentation and close con 

 ference, but also in contemplation, when we meditate or 

 evolve anything alone. Nor is its office only confined 

 to the suggesting or admonishing us of what should be 

 affirmed or asserted, but also what we should examine or 

 question; a prudent questioning being a kind of half- 

 knowledge; for, as Plato justly observes, a searcher must 

 have some general notion of the thing he searches after, 

 otherwise he could never know it when he had found it; 



8 De Oratore. * Epistles to Atticus, vi. 16. 



5 The prefaces alluded to are of doubtful authority. 



6 See hereafter, sect. 18. In Menone, ii. 80. 



