For when there appear more passions than one at once. the mind of the Speaker appears unnatural and distracted. Otherwise, as the mind of the Speaker, so the mind of the Hearer always.]

CHAP. II.

Of the Choice of Words and Epithets.

THE Vertues of a Word are two; the first, that it be perspicuous; the second, that it be decent; that is, neither above, nor below the thing signified; or, neither too humble, nor too fine. Perspicuous are all Words that be Proper.

Fine Words are those, that are borrowed, or Translated from other significations; of which in the Art of Poetry.

The reason why borrowed Words please, is this. Men are affected with Words, as they are with Men, admiring in both that which is Forraign and New.

To make a Poem graceful, many things help; but few an Oration.

For to a Poet it sufficeth with what Words he can set out his Poem: but an Orator must not only do that; but also seem not to do it: for else he will be thought to speak unnaturally, and not as he thinks; and thereby be the less believed; whereas belief is the scope of his Oration.

The Words that an Orator ought to use are of three sorts. Proper; such as are Received; and Metaphors.

Words taken from Forraign Languages, Words compounded, and Words new coyned, are seldom to be used.

Synonimaes belong to Poets, and Equivocal Words to Sophisters.

An Orator, if he use Proper Words, and Received, and good Metaphors, shall both make his Oration beautiful, and not seem to intend it; and shall speak perspicuously. For in a Metaphor alone there is Perspicuity, Novity, and Sweetness.

Concerning Metaphors the Rules are these.

1. He that will make the best of a thing, let him draw his Metaphor from somewhat that is better. As for Example, let him call a Crime, an Error. On the other side, when he would make the worst of it, let him draw his Metaphor from somewhat worse, as, calling Error, Crime.

2. A Metaphor ought not to be so far fetcht, as that the Similitude may not easily appear.

3. A Metaphor ought to be drawn from the noblest things, as the Poets do that choose rather to say, Rosy-fingered, than Red-fingered Aurora.

In like manner the Rule of Epithets is,

That he that will adorn, should use those of the better sort; and he that will disgrace, should use those of the worse: as Simonides being to Write an Ode in honour of the Victory gotten in a Course by certain Mules, being not well paid, called them by their name ['Huóvovs] that signifies their propinquity to Asses: but having received a greater reward, stiles them the Sons of swift-footed Coursers.

CHAP. III.

Of the Things that make an Oration Flat.

THE things that make an Oration flat or insipide, are four. 1. Words Compounded; [and yet a Man may Compound a word, when the Composition is necessary, for want of a simple word; and easie, and seldom used.]

2. Forraign Words. As for Example, such as are newly derived from the Latine; which though they were proper among them whose tongue it is, are Forraign in another Language: and yet these may be used, so it be moderately.

3. Long, impertinent, and often Epithets.

4. Metaphors, indecent, and obscure.

Obscure they are, when they are far fetcht. Indecent when they are ridiculous, as in Comedies; or too grave, as in Tragedies.

CHAP. IV.

Of a Similitude.

A SIMILITUDE differs from a Metaphor only by such Particles of Comparison as these, As; Even as; So; Even so, etc. A Similitude therefore is a Metaphor dilated; and a Metaphor is a Similitude Contracted into one Word.

A Similitude does well in ar. Oration, so it be not too frequent; for 'tis Poetical.

An Example of a Similitude, is this of Pericles; that said in his Oration, that the Baotians were like to so many Oaks in a Wood, that did nothing but beat one another.

CHAP. V.

Of the Purity of Language.

FOUR things are necessary to make Language Pure.

1. The right rendring of those Particles which some antecedent Particle does require: as to a Not only, a Not also ; and then they are rendered right, when they are not suspended too long.

2. The use of proper Words, rather than Circumlocutions, unless there be motive to make one do it of purpose.

3. That there be nothing of double construction, unless there be cause to do it of purpose. As the Prophets (of the Heathen) who speak in general terms, to the end they may the better maintain the truth of their Prophesies; which is easier maintained in generals, than in particulars. For 'tis easier to divine, whether a number be even or odd, than how many; and that a thing will be, than what it will be.

4. Concordance of Gender, Number, and Person; as not to say Him for Her; Man for Men; Hath for Have.

In Summ; a Man's Language ought to be easie for another to read, pronounce, and point.

Besides, to divers Antecedents, let divers Relatives, or one common to them all, be correspondent: as, He saw the Colour; He heard the Sound; or He perceived both Colour and Sound; but by no means, He heard or saw both.

Lastly, that which is to be interposed by Parenthesis, let it be done quickly: as, I purposed, having spoken to him (to this, and this purpose) afterward to be gone. For to put it off thus: I resolved, after I had spoken to him, to be gone; but the subject of my speech was to this and this purpose, is vitious.

CHAP. VI.

Of the Amplitude and Tenuity of Language.

A MAN shall add Amplitude, or Dignity to his Language, but by such means as these.

1. By changing the Name with the Definition, as occasion

shall serve.

As when the Name shall be indecent, by using the Definition; or Contrary.

2. By Metaphors.

3. By using the plural number for the singular. 4. By privative Epithets.

CHAP. VII.

Of the Convenience or Decency of Elocution.

ELOCUTIONS are made Decent,

1. By speaking feelingly; that is, with such Passion as is fit for the matter he is in; as Angerly in matter of Injury. 2. By speaking as becomes the Person of the Speaker; as for a Gentleman to speak eruditely.

3. By speaking proportionably to the matter; as of great affairs to speak in a high; and of mean, in a low Stile.

4. By abstaining from Compounded, and from Outlandish words; unless a Man speak passionately, and have already moved, and, as it were, inebriated his Hearers. Or Ironically.

It confers also to perswasion very much, to use these ordinary Forms of speaking, All men know; 'Tis confessed by all; No Man will deny, and the like. For the Hearer consents, surprized with the fear to be esteemed the only Ignorant Man.

And

'Tis good also, having used a word that signifies more than the matter requires, to abstain from the Pronunciation and Countenance that to such a word belongs: that the Disproportion between it and the matter may the less appear. when a Man has said too much, it will shew well to correct himself: for he will get belief by seeming to consider what he says.

[But in this a Man must have a care not to be too precise in shewing of this Consideration. For the ostentation of Carefulness is an argument oftentimes of lying; as may be observed in such as tell particularities not easily observed, when they would be thought to speak more precise truth than is required.]

CHAP. VIII'.

Of two Sorts of Stiles.

THERE be two sorts of Stiles.

X

The one continued or to be comprehended at once; the other divided, or distinguished by Periods.

The first sort was in use with antient Writers: but is now out of date.

An Example of this Stile is in the History of Herodotus ; wherein there is no Period till the end of the whole History. In the other kind of Stile, that is distinguished by Periods; a Period is such a part as is perfect in it self, and has such length as may easily be comprehended by the understanding.

This later kind is pleasant; the former unpleasant, because this appears finite, the other infinite: in this the Hearer has always somewhat set out, and terminated to him; in the other he fore-sees no end, and has nothing finished to him; this may easily be committed to memory, because of the measure and cadence (which is the cause that Verses be easily remembered); the other not.

Every Sentence ought to end with the period, and nothing to be interposed.

Period is either simple, or divided into Parts.

Simple is that which is Indivisible; as, I wonder you fear not their ends, whose actions you imitate.

A Period divided, is that which not only has perfection and length convenient, for respiration, but also Parts. As, I wonder you are not afraid of their ends, seeing you imitate their actions: where in these words, I wonder you are not afraid of their ends, is one Colon, or Part; and in these, Seeing you imitate their actions, another: and both together make the Period.

The parts, or members, and periods of speech ought neither to be too long, nor too short.

Too long are they, which are produced beyond the expectation of the Hearer.

Too short are they, that end before he expects it.

Hobbes has overlooked Aristotle's 8th chapter "on Rhythm."