C^AP lit] RfiEtORlCAL SOPHISMS KEEt)^D. ^37 



the greatest orators, generally, have not this 2:>olitical 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 I'hetoric or politics 

 is of no great significance. 



We have already obsei*ved 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 coloui*s of apparent good and evil, as well simple as com- 

 parative.^ 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 redargutions ; 

 and 3. he seems not to have imderstood 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 affect 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 : 



** Hoc Ithacus velit, et magno mercentur AtriJae,"'" 

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

 therefore these stings and goads of speech are not to be 



Drougham's discourse to the Glasgow University and to the Manchester 

 Mechanics' Institution. £d. 



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

 Morhof in the sketch of his "Homiletice Erudita." See " Polyhistor," 

 torn. i. lib. i. cap. 25. See also Jo. Audr. Bosii "De Prudentia et 

 Eloquentia Civili comparanda," ed. Jense, 169S ; and " Prudenti** 

 Oonsultatoria in Usum Auditorii Thomasiani," ed.HalaB Magdeburij, 

 1721. £d, * Icnetor. ii. 3-S. • .^neid, ii. 104. 



