Idea Transcript
THE METHOD O F TEACHING and STUDYING THE BELLES LETTRES. O R, An Introduction to Languages, Poetry, Rhetoric, History, Moral Philosophy, Physics, &c. WITH Reflections on Taste, and Instructions with regard to the Eloquence of the Pulpit, the Bar, and the Stage. * The whole illuftrated with Passages from the moft famous Poets and Orators, ancient and modern, with critical Remarks on them. Defigned more particularly for Students in the Universities. By Mr. Rollin, late Principal of the Univerfity of Paris, Profejjor of Eloquence in the Royal College, and Member of the Royal Academy of Infcriptions and Belles Lettres. Tranflated from the French. VOL. H. The fifth Edition. EDINBURGH: Printed by R. Fleming. For A. Kincaid and J. Bell, W. Gordon, A. Donaldson, and R. Fleming. Mdcc.lix.
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THE
CONTENTS. BOOK the THIRD. OF
RHETORIC. CHAP.
I.
QF the Precepti of Rhetoric CHAP.
Page I
3 II.
GfCompoJition 7 Of Themes ibid. Article II. An Effay on the method of forming youth for compofing, either by ng 14 Encomium on Cafar's clemency 15 Cafar's Clemency in pardoning Marcellus is much more glorious than all his viftcries ibid. A fubjell in 'writing for a French theme 20 The foregoing fubjed as treated by M. Mafcaron, in the funeral oration of M. Turenne ibid. The fame topic taken from M. Fleshier 22 DESCRIPTIONS. I. The retired life of M. de Lamoignon in the country^ during the vacation 24 II. The madefy of M. Turenne. His private life 25 III. The honourable reception M. Turenne met 'with from the king} upon his return from the campaign: Histnodefy 26 IV. The
The CONTENTS. IV. The queen of England's efcape by fea
Page 28
PARALLELS. I. Parallel between M. Turenne and the cardinal de Bouillon 29 II. Parallel between violent and latiguifhing difeafes 3° HI. Parallel. The queen ferving the poor in the hofpital,andjharing in the king's glory and triumphs ibid. IV. Parallel between a wicked and an ignorant judge 31 Common places ibid. CHAP.
III.
Of the reading and explaining of authors
46
SECTION I. r ■ ' ■ > Of the three different kinds or charafters of eloquence 43 Article I. Oftheftnplekind 45 Article II. Of the fublbne 54 Article III. Of the mediate-kind 64 Article IV. General reflections on the three kinds of eloquence qI SECTION
II.
JVhat muft chiefly be obferved in reading and explaining authors 19 Article I. Of argument and proofs ibid. Explanation of a fpeech in Livy 96 Article II. Of thoughts 91 The combat of the Horatii and the Curiatii 92 Different reflections upon thoughts 98 Of jloining thoughts 109 1. Conference between Demaratus and Xerxes 112 2. Seneca’s reflections upon afaying of Augujlus 116 3. Ana-
The CONTENTS. 3. Another thought of Seneca upon the fear clfy of fncere friends Page 1 r 3 Article III. Of the choice of words 121 Article IV. Of the order and difpofttion of words 12*9 EXAMPLES. A fecond method of order or difpofition Article V. Of figures Figures of words Of ornament 2. Fo heighten low and common thoughts I-To foften harfh exprejfwns The ant it hefis^difir ihution, andfuch-likc figures Figures 0f allufion Figures with regard to thoughts1. To addrefs inanimate things 2. To give fpeech to things inanimate •' ■ IMAGES. 1 Article VI. Of oratorialprecautions Article VII. Of the pafions S E
T I O N
134 137 139 140 144 ibid. ibid. 148 15 3 15 5 160 161 A 164 171 178
III.
Of the eloquence of the bar 1 pi Article I. Of the models of eloquence proper font he bar ipz Ext rails from Demojihenes and TEfchines 195 Ext rails from the firjl Philippic of Demojihenes ibid. Extra ft from the fecond Olynthian 196 Extraft from the harangue concerning the Cherfoner fus 19S From the third Philippic 200 Extrafts of JEfchines's harangue 202 Extrafts of Demojihenes’s harangue for Ciefiphon 206 Thefuccefs of the two orations 213 I. The
The CONTENTS. I. The judgments of the antients on JEfchines and Demojihenes Page 214 II. Of Cicero's eloquence compared with that of Demofhenes 220 Article II. How youth may prepare themfelves for pleading 236 Demojihenes 237 Cicero 240 Rejlettions upon what has been faid cn this fubjecl 249 Article III. Of the lawyers morals 2J4 I. Probity ibid. II. Difinterejlednefs 255 III Delicacy in the choice of caufes 257 IV. Prudence and Moderation in pleading 258 V. Wife emulation remote from mean and low jealoufy 261 SECTION
IV.
Of the eloquence of the pulpit PART
263
FIRST.
Cfthe manner in which a preacher ought to deliver hintfelf ibid. I. Duty of a preacher 264 To infruH, and for that end to fpeak clearly ibid. The necejfity of perfpicuity in catechifs 266 II. Duty of a preacher 270 To pleafe, andfor that end, to fpeak. in a florid and polite manner ibid. FIRST
DEFECT.
Taking too much pains about the ornaments SECOND
274
FAULT.
The being too negligent of the ornaments of fpeech 2 77 III. Duty of a preacher 284 T»
The CONTENTS. To affeft and move the pajfions of his auditors, by the Jirength of his difcourfe Page 284 Extrait from St. Aujlin 286 Ext rail from St. Cyprian 289 Extrafls from St. J. Chryfojlom againji oaths 290 Extraii of St. Chryfojioms difcourfe on Eutropius's difgrace 29a ExtraCl from the firji book of the prieflhotd 294 PART SECOND. The learning requifte in a Chri/Uan orator Of the ftudy of the fcriptures Thejiudy of the fathers SECTION
300 goa go6
V.
Of the eloquence of the facred writings go 9 I. Simplicity of she myferious writings g 12 II. Simplicity and grandeur gig III. The beauty of the fcripture does not arife front the words, but the things gip IV. Defcription g2i V. Figures g26 1. The metaphor andf mile ibid. 2. Repetition g2y 3. Apoftrophe, profopopeia 528 VI. Sublime pajfages ggo VII. Tender and affeding pajfages 334 VIII. Characters ggp The fong of Mofes, after his paffage through the Redfea 344 The fong of Mofes, explained according to the rules of rhetoric 347 Occafson and fubjeCl of the fong 348 Explication of the fong 34^
1
BOOK
III.
Of RHETORIC. THOUGH Ijature and genius are the principal foundations of eloquence, and fometimes fuffice alone for fuccels in it, we cannot however deny, but that precepts and art may be of great fervice to an * orator, whether he ules them as guides to fupply him with certain rules for diftinguhhing the good from the bad, or for improving and bringing to perfection the advantages he has received from nature. b These precepts, founded on the principles of good fenfe and right reafon, are only the judicious obfervations of learned men on the dilcourfes of the belt orators, which were afterwards reduced into form, and united under certain heads; whence it wasfaid, that eloquence was not the offspring of art, but art of eloquence. From hence it is eafy to conceive, that Rhetoric, w ithout the ftudy of good authors, is lifelefs and barren, and that' examples in this, as in all other things, are infinitely more efficacious than precepts ; and indeed the rhetorician feems only to point out the path at a diftance which youth are to follow; whilfl the orator takes them by the hand, and leads them into it. As the end then propofed in the clafs of Rhetoric, Is to teach them to apply the rules, and imitate the models or examples fet before them; all the care of maVoi" IIA fters •Egoin his prsceptijhanc vim & hanc utilitatem efiearbitror, non ut ad reperiendum quid dicamus arte ducamur, fed ut ea qu* natura, qua: ftudio, quae exercitatione confequimur, aut refta effe confidamus, aut prava intelligamus; cum, quo referenda fint, didicerimus. Cic. 2. de orat. n. aqa. b Ego hanc vim intelligo efl'e in praeceptis omnibus, non ut ea fecuti oratores eloquentiae laudem tint adepti; fed, qux fua fponte homines eloquentes facercht, ea quofdam obfervafle, atque id egifle. Sic efle non eloquentiam ex artificio, fed artificium ex eloquentia natum. 1. de orat, nf 146. • In omnibus fere minus valent prjecepta quam experimreta; Qumt. 1. 3. c. f.
fters with regard to eloquence, is reduced to thefe three heads; Precepts, the Studying of Authors, and Compofition. Quintilian tells us, the (econd of thefe article* ■was entirely neglcfted in his time; and that the rhetoricians bellowed all their ftudy on the other two. To fay nothing here of the fpecies of compofition then in vogue, called Declamation, and which was one of the principal caules of the corruption of eloquence ; they entred into a long train of precepts, and into knotty, and very often fiivolous qiieftions; which is the reafon, that even Quintilian’s Rhetoric, though fo excellent in other reipecls, appears vaftly tedious in leveral places : he had too juft a tafte, not to obferve, that the reading of authors is one of the mod ellential parts of Rhetoric, and moft capable of forming the minds of youth. a Yet, however good his inclination might be, it was impoflible for him to ftem the torrent; and he was obliged, in Ipite of all his endeavours, to conform in public, to a cuftom that prevailed univ-erlally ; but followed, in private, that method which he judged the beft. This method is now generally received in the univerfity of Paris, and did not gain ground there but by degrees. I draft dwell chiefly on that part which relates to the ftudy and explanation of authors, after having treated tranfiently of the other two, which it may be laid to include in fome meafure. CHAP.
I.
Of the Precepts