An introduction to the art of rhetorick composed for the benefit of young schollars and others, who have not opportunity of being instructed in the Latine tongue ... / by John Newton ...

Example.

Imagine that some King through am∣bition

of raigning had killed his brother Prince; And so make this proposition, The King ought to be deposed; The Reason, be∣••ause he is wicked: place this Logically thus: We ought not to endure a wicked man in the Kingdom; The King is awicked man; There∣fore he is not to be endured in the King dome. The Reason of the Major is; because other∣wise we shall blemish our reputation a∣mong forreigners, by whom we have been alwaies esteemed honourable, and promoters of vertue, but shall now be cal∣••ed patrons and servants of wickedness. The Reason of the Minor is, that he through ambition having deceitfully killed his bro∣••her, hath been injurious to nature and to ••s: This proposition, may Rhetorically be ••hus handled.

The Major.

Have we the Citizens of N. now at ••ength made such progress in the love of wickedness, as that we are not ashamed to see the power of our lives and liberties put ••nto the hands of a desperately wicked per∣son? Shall we now any longer honour the Prince in wickedness, or wickedness in the Prince? till we our selves are reckoned a∣mong the wicked.

The Reason of the Major.

Ah woe is me! O Citizens of N. Ah th•• glory of our name, bought with the bloo•• of our Ancestors, which we have so ras〈…〉〈…〉 prostituted, through our own inadverten∣cy! That we who were formerly reput•••• the patrons of vertue, should now be reck∣oned the servants of wickedness. Wha•• will be said by the bordering, what by th•• more remote nations? Behold (shall the•• say) the men for whose vertuous acts th•• world it self was too narrow; who coul•• imbrace nothing, nor do any thing, bu•• what was contained within, or did no•• exceed the bounds of vertue: behol•• them now so far fallen into naughtiness, that laying aside all modesty, they are no•• ashamed to adore wickedness in th•• Throne. And what is the guise of the re•••• of the Citizens? What is the reputatio•• of the nobles? if by their approbation base∣ness doth thus triumph in the highest plac•• of dignity. Certainly they cannot but love wickedness, who do not only permit it, bu•• also honour it.

The Minor.

Had our King gloried in a wicked act 〈…〉〈…〉ommitted upon one of the meanest of his Subjects; he might perhaps have had ••ome small pretence for his cruelty, though ••t had been accomplished with bloudy ••ands.

The Reason of the Minor.

But to be so inhumanely enraged against ••he Prince his brother, who was setled in ••he Kindome by our free and generall con∣sent, what is it but to proclaime a Warre against us and nature it self, and by this one ••mpietie, to offend the tribunals of all Na∣tions.

Approbation.

Truly, if we do well, in judging of the day by the morning, we may be no false Pro∣phets, in foreseeing, what kind of Nero he will prove to us, who begins to feed his cruelty with the blood of his own relations, and hath there made an entrance to his cruelty, where others have ended theirs. Awake

therefore O ye generous progeny of all ver∣tue, and if you have any respect to your 〈◊〉〈◊〉 based name, or the glory of your Nation▪ depose that wicked person from th•• Throne; let it be heard in the world, let 〈◊〉〈◊〉 be known to all posterity, that wickedne〈…〉〈…〉 might be in the Kingdom, but could no•• goe unpunished, no not in the Prince.

2. The second way of Rhetoricall argu∣ing is to put the Minor with the Reason•• thereof in the first place, the Major next and the Reasons thereof, and lastly the Conclusion.