So that PLATO meant to fhew us, that none but a Philofopher can be a true Orator. And 'tis in this Senfe we must understand all he says in his GORGIAS, against the Rhetoricians; I mean, that Set of Men who made Profeffion of talking finely, and perfwading others: without endeavouring to know, from folid Philofophy, what one ought to teach them. In fhort, according to PLATO, the true Art of Oratory confifts in understanding thofe ufeful Truths of which we ought to convince People; and the Art of moving their Paffions, in order to Perfwafion. *CICERO fays almoft the very fame things. He seems, at firft, to think that an Orator fhou'd know every thing; because that he may have occafion to fpeak on all forts of Subjects; and (as SOCRATES obferv'd before him) † a Man can never talk well on a Point of which he is not intirely E 4 Master.

* As mea quidem fententia nemo poterit effe omni laude cumulatus Orator, nifi erit omnium rerum magnarum, atque artium fcientiam confecutus. De Orat. lib. i. §. 6. Oratorem plenum atque perfectum effe eum dicam, qui de omnibus rebus poffit variè copioféque di cere. Ibid. §. 13. Verum enim oratori quæ funt in hominum vita, quandoquidem in ea verfetur orator, atque ea eft ei fubjecta materies, OMNIA quæfita, audita, lecta, difputata, tractata, agitata effe debent. Lib. iij. §. 14.

Etenim ex rerum cognitione efflorefcat, & redundet oportet Oratio: quæ, nifi fubeft res ab Oratore percepta, & cognita, inanem quandam habet elocutionem, & penè puerilem. De Orat. lib. j. §. 6.

Mafter. But afterwards, because of the preffing Neceffities and Shortnefs of Life, TULLY infifts only upon those Parts of Knowledge that he thinks the most neceffary for an Orator. He wou'd have him at leaft well inftructed in all that Part of Philofophy which relates to the Conduct and Affairs of focial Life. But above all Things he wou'd have an Orator know the Frame of Man, both with regard to his Soul, and Body, and the natural Tendency and Force of his Paffions; because the great End of Eloquence is to move the fecret Springs of them. He reckons the Knowledge of the Laws,

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and

nec verò

*Pofitum fit igitur in primis fine Philofophia non poffe effici, quem quærimus Eloquentem fine Philofophorum difciplina, genus, & fpeciem cujusque rei cernere, neque eam definiendo explicare, nec tribuere in partes poffumus: nec judicare quæ vera, quæ falfa fint; neque cernere confequentia, repugnantia videre, ambigua diftinguere. Quid dicam de natura rerum cujus cognitio magnam orationis fuppeditat copiam ? De Vita, de Officiis, de Virtute, de Moribus? Orat. S. 4. Omnes animorum motus quos hominum generi, rẻrum natura tribuit, penitus pernofcendi. De Orat. lib. j. §. 5. Num admoveri poffit oratio ad fenfus animorum, atque motus vel inflammandos, vel etiam extinguendos (quod unum in oratore dominatur,) fine diligentiffima perveftigatione earum omnium rationum quæ de naturis humani generis, ac moribus, a Philofophis explicatur -- De Orat. lib. j. §. 14. Quare hic locus de VITA & MORIBUS, totus eft oratori perdifcendus. - Ibid. §. 15.

Bibliothecas mehercule omnium Philofophorum 'unus mihi videtur duodecim Tabularum libellus, fi quis Legum

and Conftitution, to be the Foundation of allpublick Difcourfes: but he does not think a thorough Insight into all the particular Cafes and Questions in Law to be neceffary; because, upon occafion, one may have recourfe to experienc'd Lawyers, whofe peculiar Profeffion it is to understand and disentangle such intricate Points. He thinks, with PLATO, that an Orator fhou'd be a * Master of Reasoning, and know how to define, and argue, and unravel the moft fpecious Sophifms. He fays we destroy Eloquence, if we shou'd feparate it from Philofophy: For then, inftead of wife Orators, we fhou'd have only trifling injudicious Declaimers. He further requires not only an exact Knowledge of all the Principles of Ethicks; but likewife that theOrator be fully acquainted with

Legum fontes, & capita viderit, & auctoritatis pondere & utilitatis ubertate fuperare. Ac fi nos, id quod maxime debet, noftra PATRIA delectat, Cujus primum nobis Mens, mos, difciplina nota effe debet: vel quia eft patria, parens omnium noftrum, vel quia tanta fapientia fuiffe in jure conftituendo putanda eft, quanta fuit in his tantis operibus Imperii comparandis. De Orat. lib. j. §. 44.

* Nec vero Dialecticis modo fit inftructus, fed habeat omnes PHILOSOPHIE notos, & tractatos locos. Nihil enim de Religione, nihil de morte, nihil de pietate, nihil de caritate patriæ; nihil de bonis rebus, aut malis; nihil de virtutibus, aut vitijs nihil, inquam, fine ea fcientia, quam dixi, graviter, ample, copiosè dici, & explicari poteft. Orat. §. 33.

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with Antiquity. He recommends the careful Perufal of the antient Greek Writers, especially the Hiftorians; both for their Stile, and for the Hiftorical Facts they relate. He particularly enjoins the the Study of the Poets: because of the great Refemblance there is betwixt the Figures of Poetry, and thofe of Eloquence. In fine, he often declares that an Orator ought to furnish his Mind with a clear comprehenfive View of Things, before he attempt to speak in publick. I fancy I cou'd almoft repeat fome of his Words on this Subject; fo often have I read them; and fo ftrong an Impreffion did they make on my Thoughts. You will be furpriz'd to fee

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† Cognofcat etiam rerum geftarum & memoriæ veteris ordinem, maximè fcilicet noftræ Civitatis; fed & imperioforum Populorum & Regum illuftrium nefcire enim quid antea, quàm natus fis, acciderit, id eft femper effe puerum. Commemoratio autem Antiquitatis, exemplorumque prolatio fumma cum delectatione, & auctoritatem orationi affert, & fidem. Orat. §. 34.

Apud Gracos autem eloquentiffimi homines remoti a caufis forenfibus, cum ad cæteras res illuftres, tum ad fcribendam hiftoriam maximè fe applicaverunt. Namque & HERODOTUS & poft illum THUCYDIDES omnes dicendi artificio mea fententia facile vicit --- Denique etiam a Philofophia profectus princeps XENOPHON De Orat, lib. ij. §. 13, 14..

Legendi etiam poetæ, cognofcenda Hiftoria, omnium bonarum artium fcriptores. De Orat. lib. j. §. 34. - Eft enim finitimus oratori poeta, numeris adftrictior paulò, verborum autem licentia liberior; multis verò ornandi generibus focius ac penè par; in hoc quidem certè propè idem, nullis ut terminis circumfcribat aut definiat jus fuum, quo minus ei liceat eadem illa facul tate, & copia vagari qua velit. Ibid. §. 16.

fee how much Knowledge, and how many* Qualities he requires. "An Ora"tor, fays he, ought to have the Acutenefs of Logicians, the Knowledge of

Philofophers, the Stile almoft of the "Poets; the Elocution and Gesture of "the fineft Actors," Confider now how much Application must be neceffary to attain all this.

C. I have obferv'd indeed, on feveral Occafions, that fome Orators, tho' they have good natural Parts, want a Fund of folid Knowledge. Their Heads feem unfurnish't: and one cannot but perceive they labour hard for Matter to fill up their Difcourfes. They do not feem to speak from the Abundance of their Hearts, as if they were full of ufeful Truths: but they talk as if they were at a lofs for the very next Thing they are to say.

A. CICERO takes notice of these kind of People; who live always,as it were,from Hand to Mouth, without laying up any Stock

* Non quæritur mobilitas linguæ, non celeritas verborum, non denique ea quæ nobis non poffumus fingete, facies, vultus, fonus. In oratore autem acumen Dialecticorum, fententiae Philofophorum, verba prope Poetarum, memoria Juris confultorum, vox Tragoedorum, geftus penè fummorum Actorum, eft requirendus. Quamobrem nihil in hominum genere rarius perfecto oratore inveniri poteft: quæ enim fingularum rerum artifices, fingula fi mediocriter adepti funt, probantur, ea hifi omnia fumma funt in oratore, probari non poffant, De Orat. lib. j. §. 28.