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

CHAP. XVII.

Of Interrogations, Answers, and Jests.

THe times wherein 'tis fit to ask ones Adversary a question are chiefly four.

1. The first is, when of two Propositi∣ons that conclude an Absurdity, he has al∣ready uttered one; and we would by In∣terrogation draw him to confess the other.

2. The Second, when of two Propositi∣ons that conclude an Absurdity, one is ma∣nifest of it self, and the other likely to be fetch'd out by a question; then the Interro∣gation will be seasonable; and the absurd Conclusion is presently to be inferr'd, with∣out adding that Proposition which is ma∣nifest.

3. The third, when a Man would make appear that his Adversary does contradict himself.

4. The Fourth, when a Man would take from his Adversary such shifts as these, In some sort 'tis so; In some sort 'tis not so.

Out of these Cases 'tis not fit to Interro∣gate. For he whose question succeeds not, is thought vanquished.

To equivocal questions a Man ought to answer fully, and not to be too brief.

To Interrogations which we fore-see tend to draw from us an Answer, contrary to our purpose, we must, together with our Answer, presently give an Answer to the ob∣jection which is implyed in the question.

And where the question exacteth an an∣swer that concludeth against us, we must together with our answer presently distin∣guish.

Jests are dissolved by serious and grave discourse: and grave discourse is deluded by Jests.

The several kinds of Jests are set down in the Art of Poetry.

Whereof one kind is Ironia, and tends to please ones self.

The other is Scurrility, and tends to please others.

The latter of these has in it a kind of baseness: the former may become a Man of good breeding.