vinces your Judgment, but commands your Paffions.

C. I don't take your Meaning exactly yet. When a Hearer is fully convinc'd, what is there more to be done?

A. There is ftill wanting what an Orator wou'd do more than a Metaphyfician, in proving the Exiftence of God. The Metaphyfician wou'd give you a plain Demonftration of it; and ftop at the fpeculative View of that important Truth. But the Orator wou'd further add whatever is proper to excite the most affecting Sentiments in your Mind; and make you love that glorious Being whofe Existence he had proved. And this is what we call Perfwafion.

C. Now I understand you perfectly well.

A. You fee then what Reason CICERO had to fay, that we muft never separate Philofophy from Eloquence. For, the Art of perfwading without Wisdom, and previous Inftruction, must be pernicious: And Wifdem alone, without the Art of Perfwafion, can never have a fufficient Influence on the Minds of Men; nor allure then to the love and practice of Virtue. I thought it proper to obferve this by the by, to fhew you how much those of the laft Age were mistaken in their Notions of this Matter. For, on the one

hand

hand there were fome Men of polite Learning, who valued nothing but the Purity of Languages, and Books elegantly written; but having no folid Principles of Knowledge, with their Politeness and Erudition, they were generally Libertines. On the other hand, there were a Set of dry, formal Scholars, who deliver'd their Inftructions in fuch a perplext, dogmatical, unaffecting manner as difgufted every body. Excufe this Digreffion. I return now to the Point; and must remind you that Perfwafion has this Advantage beyond mere Conviction, or Demonftration; that it not only fets Truth in the fulleft Light, but represents it as amiable; and engages Men to love and purfue it. The whole Art of Eloquence therefore confists in inforcing the cleareft Proofs of any Truth, with fuch powerful Motives as inay affect the Hearers, and employ their Paffions to just and worthy Ends; to raise their Indignation, at Ingratitude; their Horror, against Cruelty: their Compaf

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fion

Omnes animorum motus, quos hominum generi rerum natura tribuit, penitus pernofcendi; quòd omnis vis ratioque dicendi in eorum qui audiunt, mentibus aut fedandis, aut excitandis, exprimenda eft. CIC. de Orat. lib. j. §. 5. Maximaque pars orationis admovenda eft ad animorum motus nonnunquam aut cohortatione, aut commemoratione aliqua, aut in fpem, aut in metum, aut ad cupiditatem, aut ad gloriam concitandos: fæpe etiam a temeritate, iracundia, fpe, injuria, crudelitate revocandos. Ibid. lib. ij. §. 82.

fion, for the Miferable; their Love, of Virtue and to direct every other Paffion to its proper Objects. This is what PLATO calls affecting the Minds of an Audience ; and moving their Bowels. Do you understand me, Sir?

B. Very plainly and I fee too that Eloquence is not a trifling Invention to amufe and dazle People with pompous Language; but that 'tis a very serious Art; and ferviceable to Morality.

A. It is both a serious and a difficult Art. For which Reafon TULLY faid he had heard feveral Perfons declaim in an elegant engaging manner; but that there were but very few compleat Orators, who knew how to feize, and captivate the Heart.

C. I am not furpriz'd at that: For I fee but very few who aim at it: Nay I freely own that CICERO himself who lays down this Rule, feems oftentimes to forget it. What do you think of those Rhetorical Flowers with which he embellifheth his Harangues? They might amuse the Fancy, but cou'd not touch the Heart.

A. We must distinguish, Sir, betwixt TULLY's Orations. Thofe he compos'd in his Youth (when he chiefly aim'd at establishing his Character,) have oft-times the gay Defect you fpeak of. He was then full of Ambition; and far more

con

concern'd for his own Fame, than for the Juftice of his Caufe. And this will always be the Cafe when People employ one to plead for them, who regards their Business no farther than as it gives him an Opportunity of diftinguishing himself, and of thining in his Profeffion. Thus we find that among the Romans their Pleading at the Bar, was oft-times nothing else but a pompous Declamation. After all, we inuft own that TULLY's youthful and

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most

* Nunc caufa perorata, res ipfa & periculi magnitudo, C. Aquilli, cogere videtur, ut te, atque eos, qui tibi in confilio funt, obfecret, obtefteturque P. Quintius per fenectutem ac folitudinem fuam, nihil aliud, nifi ut veftræ naturæ, bonitatique obfequamini: ut, cum veritas hæc faciat, plus hujus inopia poffit ad mifericordiam quam illius opes ad crudelitatem Si quæ pudore ornamenta fibi peperit, Navi, ea poteft contra petulantiam, te defendente, obtinere ; fpes eft & hunc miferum atque infelicem aliquando tandem poffe confiftere. Sin & rit Navius id quod libet ; & ei libebit, quod non licet ; quid agendum eft? Qui Deus appellandus eft? cujus hominis fides imploranda ? ab ipfo [Navio] repudiatus, ab amicis ejus non fublevatus; ab omni magiftratu agitatus atque perterritus, quem præter te appellet, [C.Aquilli] habet neminem: Tibi fe, tibi fuas omnes opes fortunafque commendat: tibi committit existimationem ac fpem reliquæ vite. Multis vexatus contumelijs, plurimis jactatus injurijs non turpis ad te, fed mifer confugit; e fundo ornatiffimo dejectus, ignominijs omnibus appetitus Itaque te hoc obfecrat, C. Aquilli, ut quam exiftimationem, quam honeftatem in judicium tuum, prope acta jam ætate decurfaque attulit, eam liceat ei secum ex hoc loco efferre ; ne is, de cujus officio nemo unquam dubitavit, fexagefimo denique anno, dedecore, macula, turpiffimaque ignominia notetur: ne ornamentis ejus omnibus, Sex. Navius pro fpolijs abutatur: ne per te ferat, quo minus, quæ exiftimatio P. Quintium ufque ad fenectutem perduxit, eadem ufque ad rogum profequatur. Cic. Orat. pro P. Quintio.

moft elaborate Orations fhew a great deal of his moving and perfwafive Art. But to form a juft Notion of it, we must observe the Harangues he made in his more advanc'd Age, for the Neceffities of the Republick. For then, the Experience he had in the weightieft Affairs, the Love of Liberty, and the Fear of thofe Calamities that hung over his Head, made him difplay the utmoft Efforts of his Eloquence. When he endeavour'd to fupport and revive expiring Liberty, and to animate the Commonwealth against ANTONY his Enemy; you do not fee him use Points of Wit and quaint Antithefes: He's then truly eloquent. Every thing feems artlefs, as it ought to be when one is vehement. With a negligent Air he delivers the most natural and affecting Sentiments; and fays every thing that can move and animate the Paflions.

C. You have often spoke of witty Conceits and quaint Turns. Pray, what do you mean by thefe Expreffions? For I can fcarce diftinguifh thofe witty Turns from the other Črnaments of Discourse. In my Opinion, all the Embellishments of Speech flow from Wit, and a vigorous Fancy.

A. But TULLY thinks, there are many Expreffions that owe all their Beauty and Ornament to their Force and Propriety;