R II E 



It II E 



after this he taught the mathematics at Leipfic ; and he 

 afterwards left Saxony a fecond time, and went into Poland. 

 In the year 1576, upon the invitation of a Hungarian 

 nobleman, he went to Caffavia in Hungary, where, in con- 

 fequence of (leeping in a room recently plaiflered, he caught 

 a diforder on Ins lungs, which proved fatal to him in the 

 63d year of his age. He compofed and publifhed " Ephe. 

 merides," according to the doctrine of Copernicus, till the 

 year 155 1 ; " Orationes de Aftronomia, Geometria, et 

 Phyfica," &c. 



RHETORIANS, Riietorii, a fed, in the fourth cen- 

 tury, in Egypt, fo nominated from their leader Rhetorius. 



His diltinguifhing dodrine, as reprelented by Philaftrius, 

 was, that he approved of all the herefies before him, and 

 taught that they were all in the right. But what Philaf- 

 trius mentions of him appears fo abfurd and ridiculous, that 

 St. Auguftine, Hasref. 7, could not perfuade himfelf it 

 was true. 



RHETORIC, Rhetorica, formed from pVoftxt!, of ••x, 

 I /peak, whence pVr«f, fpeaher, orator, Es .the art of fpeaking 

 copioufly on any fubject, with all the advantages of beauty 

 and force. 



Rhetoric is generally coniidered as the art of perfuafion. 

 It attempts to produce convidion concerning fome par- 

 ticular objed, that it may influence the will to a corre- 

 fponding determination. It feeks cither to aroufe the mind 

 to adion, or to difluadc it from acting upon the resolutions 

 already taken, or fuch as are in contemplation. Its im- 

 mediate employment is not to fearch after truth, but to 

 render acknowledged or fuppofed truths influential. It 

 leaves to logic the province of cool investigation, and of 

 drawing legitimate conclufions from admitted premifes, 

 without any regard to motives. The rhetorician is feli- 

 citous to effect fome particular purpofe, and calls in the 

 art of reafon merely as an auxiliary. He attempts to in- 

 fluence the will by reafoning with the affections ; knowing 

 that if they be gained over to the party cfpoufed, the will 

 is ready to follow. He, therefore, artfully conceals, or 

 (lightly paffes over, every circumftance which is not favour- 

 able to his views, and brings forwards and largely expatiates 

 upon thole which are. He fuggefts motives of pleafurc, uti- 

 lity, fafety, honour, pity, &c. as the fubject admits. He not 

 only pre-iuppolcs the object in view of the firlf importance, 

 but he employs every method to implant this conviction in 

 the mind of thofe whom he endeavours to perfuade. Thefe 

 attempts become molt fuccefsful by a clofe imitation of 

 that train of ideas, and thofe modes of expreffion, which 

 any particular paflion or affection is prone to fuggefl. If 

 iefign be to excite anger and refenlment, rhetoric imitates 

 the language of anger. It places the fuppoled offence in 

 the ftrongeft point of view, and defcribea it in the molt 

 vivid colours. It affiduoufly collects and expatiates upon 

 every circumltance which contributes to the aggravation 

 of the crin indignant agairtft that fpiritlels tranquil- 



lity which can patiently endure inch inlults, and attributes 

 reluctance- to revenge to mean and cowardly motives. If its 

 to excite horror, it aflembles togethei ev n cir- 

 cumflance whi tendency to alarm with a ferrfe of 



danger, it (ligmatifes courage with the epithet of rafhnefe, 

 and flight is dignified with tin- title of prudence, &c. II 

 companion be the object, i; expatiates upon the wretched 



of the fufl , his apprehenfioris, his | 



tence. It palliates his faults, extols his good qualities, and 

 thus collects, in one point of view, all (lis itn- 



miferation. The f]>ccies of argument, which perfons under 



the influence of pafllCUS and lining affections perpetually 

 iidopt, is rendered more efficacious by appropi * 



The rhetorician, therefore, ftudies and imitates the parti- 

 cular language of each paflion, either in its energy, vivacity, 

 or diffufenefs. Hence he liberally employs all thofe tropes 

 and figures of fpeech which nature fuggefts, and art has 

 claflified. 



Oratory adds to rhetorical compofition the advantages 

 of elocution. It adapts the manner of delivery to the 

 nature of the fubject and the appropriate language. It 

 takes the characteriftic figns of each emotion for its model, 

 as far as it dares to imitate, without the imputation of 

 mimickry ; it enters into the attitudes, geflures, tones of 

 voice, accents, emphalis, cxpreflions of countenance, infpired 

 by the particular emotion, in fuch a manner, that not an 

 idea is fuffered to lofe its proper effect, by any deficiency 

 in kind or degree of energy communicated to it ; and thus 

 it enjoys every advantage to be derived from the power of 

 fympathy. 



Eloquence, according to the modern ideas of it, appears 

 to be the medium between the impetuofity which oratory 

 admits, and which was highly characteriftic of ancient 

 oratory, and the ltudied artifice of the profeffed rhetorician. 

 The term is fometimes applied to compofition, and fome- 

 times to delivery. When applied to both, it comprehends 

 a certain degree of elegance, both of diction and of manner. 

 The want of that energy which approaches to violence, is 

 compenfated by pertinency of language, fluency of utterance, 

 and guarded chaftity of addrefs. In a word, its excellency 

 confifts in a pleafing adaptation of language to the fubject, 

 and of manner to both. It refufes too dole an imitation of 

 the turbid emotions, but it delights in animated defcription. 

 It feems rather partial to the pathetic ; the elegance and 

 graces which it loves, harmonize mofl eafily and fuccefs- 

 tully with the foftelt and fineft feelings of our nature. 

 (Cogan on the Paffions.) See Elocution, EloirexcEj 

 and Oratory. 



Rhetoric, Chzralters in. See Character. 

 RHETORICAL Numbers. See Numbers. 

 Rhetorical Accent, among Hebrew Grammarians. See 

 Acer: N'T. 



RHETORICIAN. See Oratory. 

 RHEU, La, in Geography, a town of France, in the 

 department of the Ille and Vilaine ; the miles W.S.W. of 

 Ri nnes. 



RHEUM, in Botany, a name derived, as Linnaeus fup- 

 pofes, from p';a>, tojloiu, on account of its active medicinal 

 properties. The Pi , err , of Diofcorides is probably of 

 , and the origin of the name. — Linn. Gen. 201. 

 Seine!,. 271. Willd. Sp. PI. v. 2. 488. Mart. Mill. Did. 

 v. 4. Ait. Hort. Kew. v. 2.430. .luff. 82. Grertn. t. 119. 

 Lamarck Diet. v. 6. 192. Illultr. t. 324. (Rhabarba- 

 rum ; Tournef. t. 18.) Rhubarb. — Clals and order, En- 

 ntandria Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Holeracee, Linn. Poly got 

 Jufl". 



Gen. Ch. Cal. Perianth inferior, of one leaf, narrowed at 

 the bale, withering, but permanent, cloven into fix obi 

 fegments, alternately (mailer. Cor. none, except the thro 

 inner fegments of the calyx he coniidered Inch, as in Humes. 



Slam. Filament in ,_ < apillary, equal in length with thi 

 o/ilyx, and inlerted into" il ; anthers twin, oblong, obtufe. 

 J'j/I. Germen fuperior, (hort, triangular; Itylea fcarceh 

 three, red xed, feathery. Perie. none. 

 Seed folitary, large, triangular, acute, with mi ous 



margins. 



Ed". Ch, Calyx fix-cleftj permanent, Seed one. 

 gular. 



1. R. Rhabonticvm. Rhapontic Rhubarb. Linn. Sp. 

 PI. 531. Alpin. Rhapont. 1. t. 1.—" Leaves obtufe, 



