1 5 2 Of the Advancement of Learning. L i b. V. 



HAP. 



III. 



I ThePittmonof the Inventive Art of ArgH»te»ts, into Tromptuary^ 



or Placet of Preparation ^ and Topick^ or Placet of Suggejiion. II. 



The Diviiion ofTopick Art into General. ^.And Particular Topickj. 



III. In example of Particular Topick,in the Enquiry De Gravid** 



Levi. 



r 



Invention ofArgumentt it not properly an Invention ; for to Invent is to 

 difcover thingt unknotvn, and not to recover , or recall that which is 

 htorvn already. The Vfe and Office of this kjnd of Invention fee ms to be 

 no other ^ than out of the Mafs of Knowledge^ congejied, andjiored ttp in 

 the Mind, readily to produce, that which may he pertinent to the Matter ^ 

 and ^efiion propounded. For he that is little or nothing acquainted 

 before hand with the Subjeft in queftion, Topicks of Invention will lit- 

 tle advantage him : On the contrary he that hath Provifion at home 

 which may be applied to the purpofe, even without Art and Places of 

 Invention, will at length, (though not fo readily and aptly) find ou6 

 and produce Arguments. So that this ^nd of Invention (as ive bav& 

 (aid) is not properly Invention, but only a Redu&ion into Memory^ or 

 Suggejiion with Application. But becaufe cuftom and confent hath au- 

 thoriz'd the word, it may in fome fort be called Invention : For itmiy 

 be as well accorapted a chafe, or finding of a Deer, which is made 

 within an inclofed Parkj as that within a Forreft at large. Butfet- 

 ting afide curiofity of words it may appear that the fcope and end of this 

 kind oi' Invention, is a certain promptitude, and expedite ufe of our 

 Knowledge , rather than any encreafe, or Amplification there- 

 of. 



I To procure this ready Provifion for difcourfe, there are two ways ; either 



that it niaybedeftgned and pointed out, as it were, by an Index, under 

 ivhat Heads the matter is to be fought j and this is that we call Topick^: Or 

 ejfe,that Arguments may be before hand frar>nd, andjiored up, about fuch 

 things as are frequently incident, and come intodifceptation ^ and this we 

 will call promptuary Art, or of Preparation. This later fcarcely deferveth 

 DeRepr. tobc cMcd a Part of Knowledge, feeing it rather confifteth in diligence, 

 Soph.iib. j.j^^n jjpjy artificial erudition. And in this part Arijlotlc doth wittily 

 *it!^'^" indeed, but hurtfully deride the Sophifts near his time, faying 5 They 

 did as ifoncythaf prof ejfed the Art off)oo-makjng, fiottld not teach how to 

 make up af.woej but only exhibit in a rcadinefs a number offiooes, of all 

 fafhions at:d fiz.es. But yet a man might here reply, that if a Shoo- 

 maker (liould have no (hooes in his fiiop, but only work as he isbe(po- 

 ken he would be but a poor man, and weakly cuftome4- But our 

 Mat 13. Saviour fpcaking of Divine knowledge, faith far otherwife ; Every 

 Scribe it:(iru!iedfor the Kingdom of heaven i, is like a good honpoldcr that 

 brirgetk forth both nevp and oldjlorc. And we (ce the ancient Writers 

 of Ilhetorick do gi\'e it in Precept, That Plead'^rspould have divers com- 

 mon r hires prepared long Lc fore hand, and handled, and illufi:ratcd both 

 ways; for example, for the fenceandequityofLawagainfi: the words, 

 and letter of Law ; and on the contrary. And Cicero himfelf being 

 cic.de o- broken 



lilt 



lit. 



