L I B. V. Of the Advancement of Learning* 15^ 



broken unto it by great experience, delivers it plainly 5 That an Ora- 

 tor if he be diligent andfedulous, may have in e^eS fremcditatc^ and j^^ A,t;j,^ 

 handled^ rvhatjoever a man jimll have occasion to fpeak^of '-^ lb that in the tib.xvi. 

 Pleading of the Caufe itfelf hclliall have no need to infcrt any new or ^^'^^ 

 fudden matter, befides new names, and (bme individual Circumftan- 

 ces. But the pains and diligence of De«?^y?^c»ej went fo far, that in 

 regard of the great force that the entrance and accels into a Cau(e hath 

 to make a good Irapreffion upon the Minds of Auditors, he thought 

 it worth his labour to frame, and to have in readinefs a number of Pre- PJ"' ^; 

 faces [ox Orations and Speeches. And thefe PreOdents, and Authori- fi^kij * 

 ties, maydeiervedly overweigh /4r/^tf//t'*/ Opinion, that would advife 

 MS to change a IFardrope for a pair of Shears. Therefore this part of 

 knowledge touching FvomptHary Preparation^ was not to be omitted ^ 

 whereof for this place this is fufficient. And feeing it is common to 

 both Lfl;^/c;^and Rbctorick^^ we thought good here amongd Logickj^ on- 

 ly in PaflTage, to touch it; referring over a more ample handling of it 

 to Rhetoric^. 



II The other Part o£ Invention^ which is Topic^^ we will divide into 

 General and Particular Topick. General is that which is diligently and 

 copioujly handledin Logick^ or rational knowledge ^ as it were needlefs to 

 ftay upon the explication thereof. Yet thus much we thought meet to 

 admonifli by the way 5 that this Ti^/J/V^is of ufe, notonly inargumen- 

 tations, when we come to difpute with another j but in meditations 

 alfo, whenwereafbn and debate matters within our felves. Neither 

 do thefe places ferve only fory«^,?ey?;^«, or adt/ionition^ what we ought 

 to affirm ox ajfert'-) but alfo what we ought to ew^«/>e and demand. 

 And a faculty of wife interrogating, is half a knowledge, {ox Plato 

 faith well, IFhofoeverfeekj, comprehends that he feel^s for, ingeneralno- in Menc* 

 tion^ elfehowjloall he l{now it, when he hath found it ^ And therefore the ^^' 

 larger and more certain our anticipation is, the more diredf and compendi- 

 ous is ourfearch. The fame places therefore, which will conduce to 

 fearch the mind of our inward conceptions, andunderftanding; and to 

 draw forth the knowledge there ftored up j will alio help us to pro- 

 duce kno.vledge from without. So as if a man of Learning, and un- 

 derftanding be in prefence, we might be able, aptly and wifely to pro- 

 pound a Queftion thereof 5 and likewife profitably feled and perule 

 Authors and Books, or parts of Books, which might teach and inform 

 us of thofe points we enquire. 



§ But particular Topickj do much more conduce to the purpofe we fpeak^ * 

 of--y and is to be accompted a thing of far greater ufe. There hath been I^^^ioi^ 

 indeed fbme flight mention made hereof, by fome Writers ; but it hath lak.es. 

 not yet been handled fully, and according to the dignity of the SubjeiS. 

 But to let pafs that humour and pride, which hath reigned too long in 

 Schools, which is, to purfue with infinite fubtilly, things that are within 

 their command i, but never to touch at things any whit removed , we do 

 receive and imbrace particular Topickj, as a matter of great ufe, that is, 

 places of enquiry and invention, appropriate to particular Stibj ells and Sci- 

 e«fej-;and thefe places arc certain mixtures of Logic k^and the proper matter 

 of particular Sciences. For he is but a weak man, and of narrow capa- 

 city, who conceives that the Art of finding out Sciences may be found 

 out, propounded and perfeftedat once, even in their firfl: conception S| 



V and 



