Part 1
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[Transcriber's Notes:
About this book: _A booke called the Foundacion of Rhetorike_ was published in 1563. Only five copies of the original are known to exist. This e-book was transcribed from microfiche scans of the original in the Bodleian Library at Oxford University. The scans can be viewed at the Bibliothèque nationale de France website at http://gallica.bnf.fr.
Typography: The original line and paragraph breaks, hyphenation, spelling, capitalization, punctuation, inconsistent use of an acute accent over "ee", the use of u for v and vice versa, and the use of i for j and vice versa, have been preserved. All apparent printer errors have also been preserved, and are listed at the end of this document.
The following alterations have been made:
1. Long-s has been regularized as s.
2. The paragraph symbol, resembling a C in the original, is rendered as ¶.
3. Missing punctuation, hyphens, and paragraph symbols have been added in brackets, e.g. [-].
4. A decorative capital followed by a capital letter is represented here as two capital letters, e.g. NAture.
5. Except for the dedication, which is in modern italics, the majority of the original book is in blackletter font, with some words in a modern non-italic font. All modern-font passages are marked by underscores.
6. Sidenotes have been placed in-line, approximately where they appear in the original.
7. Incorrect page numbers have been corrected, but are included in the list of printer errors at the end of this e-book.
8. Abbreviations and contractions represented as special characters in the original have been expanded as noted in the table below. A "macron" means a horizontal line over a letter. "Supralinear" means directly over a letter; "sublinear" means directly under a letter. The "y" referred to below is an Early Modern English form of the Anglo-Saxon thorn character, representing "th," but identical in appearance to the letter "y."
Original Expansion
vowel with macron vowel[m] or vowel[n] y with supralinear e y^e (i.e., the) accented q with semicolon q[ue] w with supralinear curve w[ith] e with sublinear hook [ae]
Pagination: This book was paginated using folio numbers in a recto-verso scheme. The front of each folio is the recto page (the right-hand page); the back of each folio is the verso page (the left-hand page in a book). In the original, folio numbers (beginning after the table of contents) are printed only on the recto side of each leaf. For the reader's convenience, all folio pages in this e-book, including the verso pages, have been numbered in brackets according to the original format, with the addition of "r" for recto and "v" for verso, e.g., [Fol. x.r] is Folio 10 recto, [Fol. x.v] is Folio 10 verso.
Sources consulted: The uneven quality of the microfiche scans, as well as the blackletter font and some ink bleed-through in the original, made the scans difficult to read in some places. To ensure accuracy, the transcriber has consulted the facsimile reprint edited by Francis R. Johnson (Scholars' Facsimiles and Reprints, New York, 1945). The facsimile reprint was prepared primarily from the Bodleian copy, with several pages reproduced from the copy in the Chapin Library at Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, where the Bodleian copy was unclear.]
¶ A booke cal- _led the Foundacion of Rhetorike, be-_ cause all other partes of _Rhetorike_ are grounded thereupon, euery parte sette forthe in an Oracion vpon questions, verie profitable to bee knowen and redde: Made by Ri- chard Rainolde Maister of Arte, of the Uniuersitie of Cambridge. 1563.
_Mens. Marcij. vj._
_¶ Imprinted at London, by Ihon Kingston._
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORIE
¶ _To the right honorable and my singuler good Lorde,_ my Lorde Robert Dudley, Maister of the Queenes Maiesties horse, one of her highes pri- uie Counsaile, and knight of the moste honou- rable order of the Garter: Richard Rai- nolde wisheth longe life, with increase of honour.
_ARISTOTLE the famous Phi- losopher, writing a boke to king Alexa[n]der, the great and migh- tie conquerour, began the Epi- stle of his Booke in these woor- des. Twoo thynges moued me chieflie, O King, to betake to thy Maiesties handes, this worke of my trauile and labour, thy nobilitie and vertue, of the whiche thy nobilitie encouraged me, thy greate and singuler vertue, indued with all humanitie, forced and draue me thereto. The same twoo in your good Lordshippe, Nobilitie and Vertue, as twoo migh- tie Pillers staied me, in this bolde enterprise, to make your good Lordshippe, beyng a Pere of honour, indued with all nobilitie and vertue: a patrone and possessoure of this my booke. In the whiche although copious and aboundaunte eloquence wanteth, to adorne and beau- tifie thesame, yet I doubte not for the profite, that is in this my trauaile conteined, your honour indued with all singuler humanitie, will vouchsaufe to accepte my willyng harte, my profitable purpose herein. Many fa- mous menne and greate learned, haue in the Greke tongue and otherwise trauailed, to profite all tymes their countrie and common wealthe. This also was my ende and purpose, to plante a worke profitable to all ty- mes, my countrie and common wealthe._
_And because your Lordshippe studieth all singula- ritie to vertue, and wholie is incensed thereto: I haue compiled this woorke, and dedicated it to your Lorde- shippe, as vnto who[m] moste noble and vertuous. Wher- in are set forthe soche Oracions, as are right profitable to bee redde, for knowledge also necessarie. The duetie of a subiecte, the worthie state of nobilitie, the prehe- minent dignitie and Maiestie of a Prince, the office of counsailours, worthie chiefe veneracion, the office of a Iudge or Magestrate are here set foorthe. In moste for- tunate state is the kyngdome and Common wealthe, where the Nobles and Peres, not onelie daiely doe stu- die to vertue, for that is the wisedome, that all the graue and wise Philophers searched to attaine to. For the ende of all artes and sciences, and of all noble actes and enterprises is vertue, but also to fauour and vphold the studentes of learnyng, whiche also is a greate ver- tue. Whoso is adorned with nobilitie and vertue, of necessitie nobilitie and vertue, will moue and allure the[m] to fauour and support vertue in any other, yea, as Tul- lie the moste famous Oratour dooeth saie, euen to loue those who[m] we neuer sawe, but by good fame and brute beutified to vs. For the encrease of vertue, God dooeth nobilitate with honour worthie menne, to be aboue other in dignitie and state, thereupon vertue doeth encrease your Lordshipps honor, beyng a louer of vertue and worthie no- bilitie._
Your lordshippes humble ser- uaunt Richard Rainolde.
_To the Reader._
APHTHONIVS a famous man, wrote in Greke of soche declamacions, to en- structe the studentes thereof, with all fa- cilitée to grounde in them, a moste plenti- ous and riche vein of eloquence. No man is able to inuente a more profitable waie and order, to instructe any one in the ex- quisite and absolute perfeccion, of wisedome and eloquence, then _Aphthonius Quintilianus_ and _Hermogenes_. Tullie al- so as a moste excellente Orator, in the like sorte trauailed, whose Eloquence and vertue all tymes extolled, and the of- spryng of all ages worthilie aduaunceth. And because as yet the verie grounde of Rhetorike, is not heretofore intreated of, as concernyng these exercises, though in fewe yeres past, a learned woorke of Rhetorike is compiled and made in the Englishe toungue, of one, who floweth in all excellencie of arte, who in iudgement is profounde, in wisedome and elo- quence moste famous. In these therefore my diligence is em- ploied, to profite many, although not with like Eloquence, beutified and adorned, as the matter requireth. I haue cho- sen out in these Oracions soche questions, as are right ne- cessarie to be knowen and redde of all those, whose cogitacio[n] pondereth vertue and Godlines. I doubte not, but seyng my trauaile toucheth vertuous preceptes, and vttereth to light, many famous Histories, the order of arte obserued also, but that herein the matter it self, shall defende my purpose aga- inste the enuious, whiche seketh to depraue any good enter- prise, begon of any one persone. The enuious manne though learned, readeth to depraue that, which he readeth, the ignoraunt is no worthie Iudge, the learned and godlie pondereth vp- rightly & sincerely, that which he iudgeth, the order of these Oracions followeth afterward, and the names of the[m].
¶ _The contentes of_ this Booke.
AN Oracion made, vpon the Fable of the Shepher- des and the Wolues, the Wolues requestyng the Bandogges: wherein is set forthe the state of eue- ry subiecte, the dignitie of a Prince, the honoura- ble office of counsailours.
An Oracion vpon the Fable of the Ante and the Gres- hopper, teachyng prouidence.
An Oracion Historicall, howe Semiramis came to bee Quéene of Babilon.
An Oracion Historicall, vpon Kyng Richard the thirde sometyme Duke of Glocester.
An Oracion Historicall, of the commyng of Iulius Ce- ser into Englande.
An Oracion Ciuill or Iudiciall, vpon Themistocles, of the walle buildyng at Athenes.
An Oracion Poeticall vpon a redde Rose.
A profitable Oracion, shewyng the decaie of kingdomes and nobilitie.
An Oracion vpon a Sentence, preferryng a Monarchie, conteinyng all other states of common wealthe.
The confutacion of the battaile of Troie.
A confirmacion of the noble facte of Zopyrus.
An Oracion called a Common place against Theues.
The praise of Epaminundas Duke of Thebes, wherein the grounde of nobilitée is placed.
The dispraise of Domicius Nero Emperour of Roome.
A comparison betwene Demosthenes and Tullie.
A lamentable Oracion of Hecuba Queene of Troie.
A descripcion vpon Xerxes kyng of Persia.
An Oracion called _Thesis_, as concerning the goodly state of Mariage.
An Oracion confutyng a certaine lawe of Solon.
[Fol. j.r]
_The foundacion of_ Rhetorike.
NAture hath indued euery man, with a certain eloquence, and also subtili- [Sidenote: Rhetorike and Logike giuen of na- ture.] tée to reason and discusse, of any que- stion or proposicion propounded, as _Aristotle_ the Philosopher, in his Booke of _Rhetorike_ dooeth shewe. These giftes of nature, singuler doe flowe and abounde in vs, accordyng to the greate and ample indumente and plentuousnes of witte and wisedome, lodged in vs, there- fore Nature it self beyng well framed, and afterward by arte [Sidenote: Arte furthe- reth nature.] and order of science, instructed and adorned, must be singular- lie furthered, helped, and aided to all excellencie, to exquisite [Sidenote: Logike.] inuencion, and profounde knowledge, bothe in _Logike_ and [Sidenote: Rhetorike.] _Rhetorike_. In the one, as a Oratour to pleate with all facili- tee, and copiouslie to dilate any matter or sentence: in the other to grounde profunde and subtill argument, to fortifie & make stronge our assercion or sentence, to proue and defende, by the [Sidenote: Logike.] force and power of arte, thinges passyng the compasse & reach of our capacitée and witte. Nothyng can bee more excellently [Sidenote: Eloquence.] giuen of nature then Eloquence, by the which the florishyng state of commonweales doe consiste: kyngdomes vniuersally are gouerned, the state of euery one priuatelie is maintained. The commonwealth also should be maimed, and debilitated, [Sidenote: Zeno.] except the other parte be associate to it. _Zeno_ the Philosopher comparing _Rhetorike_ and _Logike_, doeth assimilate and liken [Sidenote: Logike.] them to the hand of man. _Logike_ is like faith he to the fiste, for euen as the fiste closeth and shutteth into one, the iointes and partes of the hande, & with mightie force and strength, wrap- [Sidenote: Similitude[.] Logike.] peth and closeth in thynges apprehended: So _Logike_ for the deepe and profounde knowlege, that is reposed and buried in it, in soche sort of municion and strength fortified, in few wor- des taketh soche force and might by argumente, that excepte [Fol. j.v] like equalitée in like art and knowledge doe mate it, in vain the disputacion shalbe, and the repulse of thaduersarie readie. [Sidenote: Rhetorike like to the hande.] _Rhetorike_ is like to the hand set at large, wherein euery part and ioint is manifeste, and euery vaine as braunches of trées [Sidenote: Rhetorike.] sette at scope and libertee. So of like sorte, _Rhetorike_ in moste ample and large maner, dilateth and setteth out small thyn- ges or woordes, in soche sorte, with soche aboundaunce and plentuousnes, bothe of woordes and wittie inuencion, with soche goodlie disposicion, in soche a infinite sorte, with soche pleasauntnes of Oracion, that the moste stonie and hard har- tes, can not but bee incensed, inflamed, and moued thereto. [Sidenote: Logike and Rhetorike absolute in fewe.] These twoo singuler giftes of nature, are absolute and perfect in fewe: for many therebe, whiche are exquisite and profound in argument, by art to reason and discusse, of any question or proposicion propounded, who by nature are disabled, & smal- lie adorned to speake eloquently, in whom neuertheles more aboundaunt knowlege doeth somtymes remaine then in the other, if the cause shalbe in controuersie ioined, and examined to trie a manifeste truthe. But to whom nature hath giuen soche abilitée, and absolute excellencie, as that thei can bothe [Sidenote: The vertue of eloquence.] copiouslie dilate any matter or sentence, by pleasauntnes and swetenes of their wittie and ingenious oracion, to drawe vn- to theim the hartes of a multitude, to plucke doune and extir- pate affeccio[n]s and perturbacions of people, to moue pitee and compassion, to speake before Princes and rulers, and to per- swade theim in good causes and enterprises, to animate and incense them, to godlie affaires and busines, to alter the cou[n]- saill of kynges, by their wisedome and eloquence, to a better state, and also to be exquisite in thother, is a thing of all most [Sidenote: Demosthe- nes. Tisias. Gorgias. Eschines[.] Tullie. Cato.] noble and excellent. The eloquence of Demosthenes, Isocra- tes, Tisias, Gorgias, Eschines, were a great bulwarke and staie to Athens and all Grece, Rome also by the like vertue of Eloquence, in famous and wise orators vpholded: the wise and eloquente Oracions of Tullie againste Catiline. The graue and sentencious oracions of Cato in the Senate, haue [Fol. ij.r] [Sidenote: The Empe- rors of Rome famous in Eloquence.] been onelie the meane to vpholde the mightie state of Rome, in his strength and auncient fame and glorie. Also the Chro- nicles of auncient time doe shewe vnto vs, the state of Rome could by no meanes haue growen so meruailous mightie, but that God had indued the whole line of Cesars, with sin- guler vertues, with aboundaunt knowlege & singuler Elo- quence. Thusidides the famous Historiographer sheweth, [Sidenote: Thusidides.] how moche Eloquence auailed the citees of Grece, fallyng to [Sidenote: Corcurians.] dissencio[n]. How did the Corcurians saue them selues from the [Sidenote: Pelopone- sians.] inuasio[n] and might, of the Poloponesians, their cause pleated before the Athenians, so moche their eloquence in a truthe [Sidenote: Corinthians[.]] preuailed. The Ambassadours of Corinth, wanted not their copious, wittie, and ingenious Oracions, but thei pleated before mightie, wise, and graue Senators, whose cause, ac- cordyng to iudgeme[n]t, truthe, and integritée was ended. The [Sidenote: Lacedemo- nians. Vitulenia[n]s. Athenians.] eloque[n]t Embassages of the Corinthia[n]s, the Lacedemonia[n]s, & the Vituleneans, the Athenians, who so readeth, shall sone sée that of necessitee, a common wealth or kyngdome must be fortefied, with famous, graue, and wise counsailours. How [Sidenote: Demosthe- nes.] often did Demosthenes saue the co[m]mon wealthes of Athens, how moche also did that large dominion prospere and florish [Sidenote: Socrates. Cato. Crassus. Antonius. Catulus. Cesar.] by Isocrates. Tullie also by his Eloque[n]t please, Cato, Cras- sus, Antonius, Catulus Cesar, with many other, did support and vphold the state of that mightie kyngdo[m]. No doubte, but that Demosthenes made a wittie, copious, and ingenious o- racions, when the Athenians were minded to giue and be- [Sidenote: Philippe the kyng of the Macidonia[n]s[.]] take to the handes of Philip kyng of the Macedonians, their pestiferous enemie moste vile and subtell, the Orators of A- thens. This Philip forseyng the discorde of Grece, as he by subtill meanes compassed his enterprices, promised by the faithe of a Prince, to be at league with the Athenians, if so be thei would betake to his handes, the eloquente Oratours of [Sidenote: The saiyng of Philippe.] Athens, for as long saith he, as your Oratours are with you declaryng, so longe your heddes and counsaill are moued to variaunce and dissencion, this voice ones seased emong you, [Fol. ij.v] [Sidenote: Demosthe- nes.] in tranquilitée you shalbee gouerned. Demosthenes beyng eloquente and wise, foresawe the daungers and the mischie- uous intent of him, wherevpon he framed a goodly Oracion vpon a Fable, whereby he altered their counsaile, and repul- sed the enemie. This fable is afterward set forth in an Ora- cion, after the order of these exercises, profitable to _Rhetorike_.
¶ A Fable.
[Sidenote: The ground of al learning[.]]