The arte of rhetorique for the vse of all suche as are studious of eloquence, sette forth in English, by Thomas Wilson.

¶Of Narration.

AFter the preface & first Enteraunce, the matter must bee opened, and euery thyng lyuely tolde, that the hearers may fully perceaue what we go about▪ now in reportyng an acte done, or vtteryng the state of a controuersie,* 1.1 we must vse these lessons, whereof the firste is to be shorte, the next to be plaine, and the thirde is, to speake likely, and with reason, that the hearers may remember, vn∣derstande, & beleue the rather, suche thynges as shalbe said.

And first whereas we sholud be shorte in tellyng the mat∣ter as it lyeth,* 1.2 the best is to speake no more than needes we muste, not rauyng it from the botome, or tellyng bytales suche as rude people full ofte doe, nor yet touchyng euery poinct, but tellyng the whole in a grosse summe. And where as many matters shal neither harme vs, nor yet do vs good beyng brought in, and reported by vs: it were well done not to medle with them at al, nor yet twyse to tell one thyng, or reporte that, whiche is odiouse to be tolde againe. Notwith∣standyng this one thyng woulde bee wel considered that in seekyng to be short, we be not obscure. And therfore to make

matter plaine,* 1.3 that all may vnderstande it, the beste were first and formest to tell euery thyng in order so muche as is nedeful, obseruyng bothe the tyme, the place, the maner of doyng, and the circumstaunces thereunto belongyng. Wher∣in good heede woulde bee had that nothyng bee doubtfullie spoken, whiche maie haue a double meanyng, nor yet any thyng vtterde that may make asmuche against vs, as with vs, but that al our woordes runne to confirme wholly our matter. And suerly if the matter be not so plainely told that al may vnderstande it, we shall doe litle good in the reste of our report. For in other partes of y^e Oration if we be some∣what darke, it is the lesse harme, we may bee more plaine in an other place. But if the Narration, or substaunce of the tale bee not well perceyued, the whole Oration besydes is darckened altogether. For to what ende should we go about to proue that which the hearers know not what it is? Nei∣ther can we haue any libertie to tel our tale again, after we haue ones tolde it, but must streight go furthe and confirme that whiche we haue said howsoeuer it is. Therfore the re∣portyng of our tale may soone appere plaine, if we firste ex∣presse our mynde in plaine wordes, and not seeke these rope ••ype termes, whiche betraie rather a foole, than commende a wyse man: & again if we orderly obserue circumstaunces, & tell one thyng after another from tyme to tyme, not tum∣blyng one tale in an others necke tellyng halfe a tale, and so leauyng it rawe, hackyng & hemmyng as though our wittes and our senses were a woll gatheryng. Neither shoulde we suffer our tongue to runne before our witte, but with much warenesse sette forthe our matter, and speake our mynde e∣uermore with iudgement.

We shal make our saiynges appere lykely, and probable:* 1.4 Yf we speake directely as the cause requireth, if wee showe the very purpose of al the deuise, & frame our inuencion ac∣cordyng as we shal thynke them most willyng to allowe it, that haue the hearyng of it.

The Narration reported in matters of iudgement shall seeme to stande with reason,* 1.5 if wee make our talke to agree with the place, tyme, thyng, and persone, if we shall showe

that whatsoeuer we say, the same by al likelyhodes is true, if our coniectures, tookens, reasons, & argumentes be suche that neither in them there appere any fablyng, nor yet that any thyng was spoken whiche might of right otherwyse be taken, and that wee not onely speake this, but that diuers other of good creditie will stande with vs in defense of the same, all whiche reportyng may sone bee lyked, and the tale so tolde, may be thougt very reasonable. Yea, we shall make our doynges seme reasonable, if we frame our worke to na∣tures wil, and seke none other meanes, but suche onely, as the honest and wyse haue euer vsed and allowed, bryngyng in, and blamyng the euil alwaies for suche faultes chiefely, wherunto thei most of al are like to be subiect▪ as to accuse a spend al, of thefte: a whoremunger, of adulterie: a rash qua∣reller, of manslaughter: & so of other. Sometimes it is good and profitable to be merie and pleasaunt in reportyng a mat∣ter, against some maner of man and in some cause. For nei∣ther against all men that offend, nor yet against all matters shoulde the wittie alwaies vse iestyng. And nowe for those that shall tel their mynde in the other kyndes of Oratorie, as in the kynde Demonstratiue, Deliberatiue, in exhortyng or perswadyng:* 1.6 the learned haue thought meete, that they must also cal the whole summe of their matter to one espe∣cial poincte, that the rather the hearers may better perceiue whereat they leauel al their reasons. As if a Clarke do take in hande to declare Goddes hest, he will after his Ente∣raunce,* 1.7 tell what thyng is chiefely purposed in that place, and nexte after, showe other thynges annexed thereunto whereby not onely the hearers may g••tte great learnyng, and take muche profite of his doctrine, but he hym self may knowe the better what to say, what order to vse, and when to make an ende.

Some do vse after the literal sense to gather a misticall vnderstandyng, and to expounde the saiynges spiritually, makyng their Narration altogether of thynges heauenly. Some rehersing a texte particularly spokē, applie thesame generally vnto all states, enlargyng the Narration moste Godly by comparyng wordes long agoe spoken, with thyn∣ges

and matters that are presently done. Notwithstanding the auncient fathers because they did onely expounde the Scriptures for the moste parte, made no artificiall Narra∣tion: but vsed to folowe suche order as the plaine text gaue theim. So that if euery sentence were plainely▪ opened to the hearers, they went not muche farther, sauyng that when any worde gaue them occasion to speake of some vice, they woulde largely saie their mynde in that behaulfe: As Chrisostome and Basile haue done, with other.

The ware markyng and heedie obseruacion of tyme, place, and person may teache al menne (that be not past tea∣chyng,) howe to frame their Narration in all Controuer∣sies that are called in Question, and therfore when pre∣sente occasion shall geue good instruction, what neede more lessons? And especially seeyng nature teacheth what is co∣mely, and what is not comely, for all tymes.

Yea what tell I nowe of suche lessons, seeyng GOD hath raised suche worthe Preachers in this our tyme, that their Godly, and learned dooynges, may be a moste iuste example for al other to folowe: aswell for their lyuyng, as for their learnyng. I feare me the preceptes are more in nō∣ber, than wil be wel kepte or folowed this yeare.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Na••ration. i. Brife. ii. Plaine. iii. Probable
• * 1.2

  ••r••uitie howe 〈◊〉〈◊〉 might be vsed.
• * 1.3

  Pla••••en••s how it might be vsed.
• * 1.4

  Probalitie how it might be vsed.
• * 1.5

  Narration 〈◊〉〈◊〉 iudgement.
• * 1.6

  Narration in praisyng and counsel ge∣uyng.
• * 1.7

  Preachers what order they vse.