The Romans, notwithstanding their ea- 
gernefs to learn from their more polifhed 
neighbours the Greeks, were, at firft, fo ap- 
prehenfive of the power of Oratory, that, 
by a decree of the Senate, they banifhed all 
Greek philofophers and rhetoricians. The 
prohibition, however, was of no long dura- 
tion. Rhetoric was foon after fludied and 
taught as an art, and Rome produced a 
Quintilian and a Cicero. 
That fome advantage may be derived 
from the ftudy of Rhetoric, I have no doubt ; 
but, that the great art of Perfuafion is ge- 
nerally a boon from Nature, I am much 
more inclined to believe. The mod fluent 
and moft perfpicuous fpeaker I ever heard, 
was a Leeds merchant, the brother of Mr. 
John Lee, a gentleman eminent at the bar, 
and, fome time, Solicitor General. Yet this 
Mr. Thomas Lee probably had never read 
Ariftotle, Quintilian, Longinus, nor any 
fyftem of Rhetoric ancient or modern. We 
have at this time in both houfes of Parlia- 
ment, orators, fcarce, if at all, inferior to 
thofe of Athens or Rome; yet thefe are more 
the pupils of Nature than of Art. 
The purpofe of Logic is, to convince; 
that of Rhetoric, to perfuadej and this art 
of 
