XXXI.

" changed his clothes deliberately, and wait- LECT. "ed for fome time, till his wife had got all " her things ready for going with him in his "carriage to the country. He did not fet out " till such time as Clodius might easily have " been in Rome, if he had not been lying in "wait for Milo by the way. By and by, "Clodius met him on the road, on horseback, " like a man prepared for action, no carriage, " not his wife, as was usual, nor any family " equipage along with him: whilft Milo, who " is supposed to be meditating flaughter and "affaffination, is travelling in a carriage with " his wife, wrapped up in his cloak, embar"raffed with baggage, and attended by a

great train of women servants, and boys." He goes on, describing the rencounter that followed, Clodius's servants attacking those of Milo, and killing the driver of his carriage; Milo jumping out, throwing off his cloak, and making the best defence he could, while Clodius's fervants endeavoured to furround him; and then concludes his Narration with a very delicate and happy stroke. He does not say in plain words, that Milo's servants killed Clodius, but that " in the midst of the tumult, Milo's fer"vants, without the orders, without the "knowledge, without the prefence of their " master, did what every master would have

" wished

LECT. " wished his fervants, in a like conjuncture,

"to have done *."

IN Sermons, where there is feldom any occafion for Narration, Explication of the fubject to be discoursed on, comes in the place of Narration at the Bar, and is to be taken up

* " Milo, cùm in Senatu fuisset eo die, quod Senatus "dimissus est, domum venit. Calceos et vestimenta mu"tavit; paulisper, dum se uxor (ut fit) comparat, com

"

moratus eft; deinde profectus est, id temporis cùm jam "Clodius, fi quidem eo die Romam venturus erat, re" dire potuiffet. Obviam fit ei Clodius expeditus, in

"

equo, nulla rheda, nullis impedimentis, nullis Græcis " comitibus, ut folebat; fine uxore, quod nunquam fere. " Cum hic infidiator, qui iter illud ad cædem faciendam " apparâffet, cum uxore veheretur in rheda, penulatus, " vulgi magno impedimento, ac muliebri et delicato an"cillarum puerorumque comitatu. Fit obviam Clodio

ante fundum ejus, hora fere undecima, aut non multo " fecus. Statim complures cum telis in hunc fa"ciunt de loco superiore impetum: adversi rhedarium " occidunt; cùm autem hic de rheda, rejecta penula de" filuiffet, seque acri animo defenderet, illi qui erant " cum Clodio, gladiis eductis, partim recurrere ad rhedam, "ut a tergo Milonem adorirentur; partim, quod hunc jam interfectum putarent, cædere incipiunt ejus fervos " qui poft erant; ex quibus qui animo fideli in dominum

397

XXXL

much on the same tone; that is, it must be LECT. concife, clear, and distinct; and in a Style correct and elegant, rather than highly adorned. To explain the doctrine of the text with propriety; to give a full and perfpicuous account of the nature of that virtue or duty which forms the subject of the Discours, is properly the didactic part of Preaching; on the right execution of which much depends for all that comes afterward in the way of perfuafion. The great art in succeeding in it, is, to meditate profoundly on the subject, so as to be able to place it in a clear and strong point of view. Confider what light other passages of Scripture throw upon it; consider whether it be a subject nearly related to some other from which it is proper to diftinguish it; consider whether it can be illustrated to advantage by comparing it with, or opposing it to, some other thing; by enquiring into causes, or tracing effects; by pointing out examples, or appealing to the feelings of the hearers; that thus, a definite, precise, circumftantial view may be afforded of the doctrine to be inculcated. Let the Preacher be perfuaded, that by such distinct and apt illustrations of the known truths of religion, it may both display great merit in the way of Composition, and, what he ought to confider as far more valuable, render his Difcourses weighty, instructive, and useful.

:

LECTURE XXXII.

LECT.
ΧΧΧΙΙ.

CONDUCT OF A DISCOURSE - THE ARGU-
MENTATIVE PART-THE PATHETIC

PART-THE PERORATION.

Igular Difcourse of ration

N treating of the constituent parts of a re

I have already confidered the Introduction, the Divifion, and the Narration or Explication. I proceed next to treat of the argumentative or reasoning Part of a Difcourse. In whatever place, or on whatever subject one speaks, this, beyond doubt, is of the greatest consequence. For the great end for which men speak on any ferious occafion, is to convince their hearers of fomething being either true, or right, or good; and, by means of this conviction, to influence their practice. Reason and Argument make the foundation, as I have often inculcated, of all manly and perfuafive Eloquence.

Now, with respect to Arguments, three things are requifite. First, the invention of them; secondly, the proper disposition and

arrange

!

:

XXXII.

arrangement of them; and thirdly, the ex- LECT.
preffing of them in fuch a style and manner, as
to give them their full force.

THE first of these, Invention, is, without doubt, the most material, and the groundwork of the rest. But, with refpect to this, I am afraid it is beyond the power of art to give any real assistance. Art cannot go fo far, as to fupply a Speaker with arguments on every cause, and every subject; though it may be of confiderable use in assisting him to arrange, and express those, which his knowledge of the subject has discovered. For it is one thing to discover the reasons that are most proper to convince men, and another, to manage these reasons with the most advantage. The latter is all that Rhetoric can pretend to.

THE antient Rhetoricians did indeed attempt to go much farther than this. They attempted to form Rhetoric into a more complete system; and professed not only to affift Public Speakers in fetting off their arguments to most advantage; but to supply the defect of their invention, and to teach them where to find arguments on every fubject and cause. Hence their Doctrine of Topics, or, "Loci "Communes," and "Sedes Argumentorum," which makes so great a figure in the writings of Ariftotle, Cicero, and Quinctilian. These Topics

I