THE SECOND BOOK 313 



wisdom will help a man to a name or admiration, but that 

 it is eloquence that prevaileth in an active life. And as to 

 the labouring of it, the emulation of Aristotle with the 

 rhetoricians of his time, and the experience of Cicero, hath 

 made them in their works of Rhetorics exceed themselves. 

 Again, the excellency of examples of eloquence in the 

 orations of Demosthenes and Cicero, added to the perfec- 

 tion of the precepts of eloquence, hath doubled the 

 progression in this art ; and therefore the deficiences 

 which I shall note will rather be in some collections which 

 may as handmaids attend the art, than in the rules or use 

 of the art itself. 



Notwithstanding, to stir the earth a little about the 

 roots of this science, as we have done of the rest : The 

 duty and office of Rhetoric is to apply Reason to Imagina- 

 tion for the better moving of the will. For we see Reason 

 is disturbed in the administration thereof by three means ; 

 by Illaqueation or Sophism, which pertains to Logic ; by 

 Imagination or Impression, which pertains to Rhetoric ; 

 and by Passion or Affection, which pertains to Morality. 

 And as in negotiation with others men are wrought by 

 cunning, by importunity, and by vehemency ; so in this 

 negotiation within ourselves men are undermined by 

 Inconsequences, solicited and importuned by Impressions 

 or Observations, and transported by Passions. Neither is 

 the nature of man so unfortunately built, as that those 

 powers and arts should have force to disturb reason, and 

 not to establish and advance it : for the end of Logic is to 

 teach a form of argument to secure reason, and not to en- 

 trap it ; the end of Morality is to procure the affections to 

 obey reason, and not to invade it ; the end of Rhetoric is to 

 fill the imagination to second reason, and not to oppress it: 

 for these abuses of arts come in but ex obliquo, for caution. 



And therefore it was great injustice in Plato, though 

 springing out of a just hatred of the rhetoricians of his 

 time, to esteem of Rhetoric but as a voluptuary art, 

 resembling it to cookery, that did mar wholesome meats, 

 and help unwholesome by variety of sauces to the pleasure 

 of the taste, For we see that speech is much more 



