The art of rhetoric, with A discourse of the laws of England by Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury.

CHAP. III.

Of the several kinds of Orations: and of the Principles of Rhetorick.

IN all Orations, the Hearer does either hear only; or judge also.

If he hear only, that's one kind of Ora∣tion, and is called Demonstrative.

If he judg, he must judg either of that which is to come; or of that which is past.

If of that which is to come, ther's ano∣ther kind of Oration, and is called Delibe∣rative.

If of that which is past; then 'tis a third kind of Oration, called Judicial.

So there are three kinds of Orations; De∣monstrative, Judicial, Deliberative.

To which belong their proper times. To the Demonstrative, the Present; To the Ju∣dicial, the Past; and to the Deliberative, the time to come.

And their proper Offices. To the Deli∣berative, Exhortation and Dehortation. To the Judicial, Accusation and Defence. And to the Demonstrative, Praising and Dis∣praising.

And their proper ends. To the Delibe∣rative, to Prove a thing Profitable, or Vn∣profitable. To the Judicial, Just, or Vnjust. To the Demonstrative, Honourable, or Dis∣honourable.

The Principles of Rhetorick out of which Enthymemes are to be drawn; are the com∣mon opinions that men have concerning Pro∣fitable, and Vnprofitable; Just, and Vnjust; Honourable, and Dishonourable; which are the points in the several kinds of Orations questionable. For as in Logick, where cer∣tain and infallible knowledg is the scope of our proof, the Principles must be all infal∣lible truths: so in Rhetorick the Principles must be common opinions, such as the Judg is already possessed with: because the end of Rhetorick is victory; which consists in ha∣ving gotten belief.

And because nothing is Profitable, Vnpro∣fitable, Just, Vnjust, Honourable or Disho∣nourable, but what has been done, or is to be done; and nothing is to be done, that is not possible: and because there be degrees of Profitable, Vnprofitable, Just, Vnjust, Ho∣nourable, and Dishonourable; an Orator must

be ready in other Principles; namely, of what is done and not done; possible and not possible, to come and not to come, and what is Greater, and what is Lesser, both in gene∣ral, and particularly applyed to the thing in question; as what is more and less, general∣ly; and what is more profitable, and less pro∣fitable, &c. particularly.