insomuch as contrarie to that, which both your yeares, your estate,
your liuing and present occasions doe require, you forciblie are
endeuoured to make so vndiscreete and setled a resistance: Whie La. doe
you thinke it profiteth at all, the deceased ghost of him that loued
you (a young Gentlewoman as you are, scarce exceeding twentie yeares)
to liue thus solitarie? Hangeth the censuring of your modestie, and
acceptaunce of that which your best friendes doe wish for, and the
wisest doe allowe of, on the tatling humours of common supposes? if it
bee deemed once fit for you to marry againe, and that vpon the warie
and circumspect choyse thereof dependeth a manner of necessitie, and
that nowe, before anie one of yours almost suspected it, the plenty of
that might bee charily wished for, is layde alreadie into your bosome,
behooueth the respect of a little time, which (beeing sooner or later,
so it bee perfourmed with modestie and aunswered with discretion)
mattereth not at all to detaine you so much, as thereby you are not
able to see into your owne profite? Is it not, I pray you, a purpose
honest that is tendered? Is it not a matter lawfull to bee accepted?
Is it a thing vnmeete for your present yeares at this instant to
be reputed? Nay, is it not all in all whatsoeuer, that in the best
sort as the case now standeth, may vnto you be offered? Why then
abstaine you the entertainment of your owne good? Why drawe you thus
backeward from your owne aduauncement? Why cease you to accept that,
whereunto in the ende you must by meere force bee compelled? If you
will beleeue mee in any thing, or doe suppose the waight of my credite
to be auaylable vnto you in ought, I would aduise you in other sort,
considering that by declyning from a selfe-opinion of that whereunto
without anie manifest reason you are induced, you shall doe most good
vnto your selfe, and giue occasion to them that loue you, to thinke
that by so doing, their good counselles haue happely preuailed with you
and wrought such aduauncemente vnto you, I haue thought with my selfe
many times sithence the death of your husbād, howe much imported the
vnsetled reach of your liuing to be renued in match with one of good
calling: see nowe God and Fortune more fauouring your hap, then your
selfe, your owne wel doing, haue sente you such a one, as of whome you
might vaunt, and iustly in all thinges be occasioned to accompt of. It
now appertaineth that either by fond self-wil, or too much vnkindnes,
you shake not off from you the foremost occasion of your succeeding
happines. I reck not what of the cōmon sort (more of ignorance then
wit) may insuppose of the hastie conclusion be in secret alleadged,
their errours like their fancies, are as incertaine as peeuish. Be you
onely herein perswaded, to what most of all beseemeth you, and think
that both in the waightines, and regard attributed to his and your
own worthines, you can for the present frame your selfe to nothing,
that to your estate may returne so cōmodious, whereunto though no
other matter at all enioyned you, it were sufficient that so forced
a necessitie constraineth you, to which the regard of your selfe and
your owne good fortune willeth to obey. Longer coulde I debate vnto you
the greate liking of many, conceiued of the partie, to the deliuerie
whereof by the report of your neerest kinsmen, I doe solie refer you,
onelie studying in this, and whatsoeuer els I may, by all indeuours
to pleasure you, whereof praying you to be most assured, I doe in all
curtesie leaue to detaine you. At B. this of, &c.
_Another Example of an Epistle Swasorie perswading
the carefull acceptance and regard
of one brother to
another._
[Sidenote: _Exordium_, by insinuation.]
The sounde and entire familiaritie wherewith your parents in their
life time sometimes entertained me, and the neerenes of neighbourhoode
twixte both our friendes and long education wherein iointly we haue
conuersed together, mooueth mee at this instant somewhat to write vnto
you in respect of the reputation credit, and accompt that in the worlde
you nowe beare, and also the rather to win you to the regarde of that,
which to the estate of your presente being, and worthinesse of your
parents, might be found meetest and conuenient.
[Sidenote: _Narratiō._]
It is giuen me to vnderstand of a younger brother you haue here in
London, who at the time of your fathers death beeing committed to your
charge, is for the defaulte of maintenaunce, badly inured, woorse
trained, and most perillously by all kinde of likelihood (through such
sufferaunce) in the loosnesse of his liuing alreadie hazarded.
[Sidenote: _Liptote._]
[Sidenote: _Prosonomasia._]
[Sidenote: _Merismus._]
[Sidenote: _Parabola._]
[Sidenote: _Allegoria._]
I woondered not a little when I hearde it, and so much the more was
the matter troublesome vnto mee, in that respecting it was not tolde
in secrete, it seemed by the lookes and gestures of the whole companie
that heard it, your good demeanor thereby was very hardly censured,
for that standing in such case of credite as you doe, your wealth so
aboundant, and your parentes so well accompted of, you woulde in this
sort, and in that place of all others suffer him to wander carelesse,
whome you ought to the contrarie to haue constrained, by any possible
carefulnes. How ill beseeming it is both to you & yours, that it
shoulde so fall out, you may by supposes coniecture. For my parte,
it grieued mee when I heard it, and I was not quiet till I found
conuenient time to aduertise you of it. And if my opinion may at all
preuaile with you, you shoulde quickly call him home from hence, and
see him more better to be prouided for, and more worthily trained.
Consider I pray you, the life hee taketh in hand, befitteth not such
a one, whose originall was so honest, is ill beseeming the younger
brother of your selfe, vnwoorthie his birth or name of a Gentleman, and
altogether repugnant to the qualitie of your behauior or the greatnesse
of your liuing. You are to remember that hee is yet verie greene, nowe
pliable to whatsoeuer may bee impressed in him, as chafed waxe apte
to receiue anie figure, like vnto a newe vessell to bee seasoned with
whatsoeuer liquor, what hee now taketh taste and sauour of, that hee
holdeth, what habite you nowe cast vpon him, the same shadow he lightly
beareth. Great cause haue you therfore now to be warie how and in what
sort he liueth.
[Sidenote: _Congeries._]
[Sidenote: _Emphasis._]
[Sidenote: _Peroratiō._]
Your industrie, your brotherlie care, your loue, your especiall regarde
and kindnesse it is, that must bee ayding in this, you and none but
you are the man on whome hee relieth, you are to prouide for him,
and it is your selfe that must answere for him. Think that _nature_,
_loue_, _dutie_ yea verie _piety_ bindeth you vnto him, who hath none
other left to depend on, but such as by possibilitie your self may
become vnto him. In the consideration of which let (I pray you) my
wordes become thus much regarded vnto you, that herein as in all other
things you performe that beseemeth you. Longer could I occupie my selfe
to trauell in this action with you, but that I deem it (more then
impertinent) any further therein to require you. Greeting your selfe
manie times in my name, I bid you therefore farewell. From my house in
B. this of, &c.
_Of Epistles Dehortatorie, and Disswasorie. Chap. 12._
=Vnnecessary were it to wade further in either of these titles
|hortatorie| or |Swasorie|, the examples alreadie laide downe being
for them sufficient, wherfore we will now passe vnto the contraries
of these, being |Dehortatorie| and |disswasorie|. The partes and
places |exhorting| or |perswading| hauing as you sée bene drawne from
the qualities of praise, fortified in diuers sortes, as well by the
_person_, by the _action_, as by the _thing_ it selfe, where vnder was
comprehended what might be called _honest_ or good: So these on the
contrarie parte pulling backe or disswading, shall by the vnhonestie
of the action or thing as before hath bin said, and by the indignitie,
vniustnes, wickednes, insufferablenes, hate, mislike, contempt, or
hazard of danger, reputation or good name that thereof ensueth, be
euermore measured.=
=In the handling whereof it is tolerable, by all sortes of arguments,
to infer and obiect any thinge to the diminution or defacing of that
which we go about to impugne. Yea, if need be, to inuert the good
also that in such a person may be supposed vnto a worser sence. As if
in dehorting or disswading a man from infidelity towards his country
I might first touching the action tender vnto him, how |vnnatural|
the cause is he taketh in hand, being against his natiue soile: how
|vnhonest|, by laying out the quality of the offence, how |vniust|, in
respect that it is against his allegiance to his Prince, how |impious|,
in that it retaineth no piety, turneth to the disturbance of a quiet
state, & bréedeth the subuersion of al peaceable gouernment, how
|insufferable|, by reason that good and wholesome lawes are thereby
infringed, all sortes of honest and good men wronged, and consequently
the common wealth by such meanes topsie turuie turned.=
=For the |Person| if he were at any time of worth I might shewe then
the |indignitie|, or ill beséeming of such a thinge vnto him, for that
actions of such kinde are alwaies vnto the noble and best endued mindes
vtterly repugning. And so thereupon if in him there was euer reputed
any wisdome, I might diuert it now vnto follie, his |Fortitude|, I
might challenge to be |Temeritie|, his |moderation| crueltie, his
|stoutnes arrogancie|, his |haughtines pride|, his |Freedome loosnes|,
and consequently, for euerie other |vertue| induce or lay downe vnto
him a contrarie |vice|, respecting that by committing of actions so
|vile & contemptible|, all properties whatsoeuer of former esteemed
worthines doe vtterly loose the partes they haue of |good|, and
immideately are disturned there withall vnto euill.=
=And as in Epistles |Exhorting| or |Perswading|, the intended vertue of
goodnesse of euerie thing is more amplie set foorth by the |opposite
euil|: So in these of |withdrawing| or |disswading| the intended
|euil| by the |opposite good|, is euer made more |hatefull|. Besides,
as there bee some thinges that are expresly good in themselues or
expresly euil, so are there some thinges that for themselues are helde
indifferent. In these, to perswade or withdrawe, there is a prettie
skill to be vsed, in which the discretion of the writer may not passe
vncommended, wherof (for so much as to a learner they may happely passe
vnregarded) I entende in this chapter to affoorde some application. For
in thinges alwaies knowne to be of themselues either good or euill,
there is no great cunning to make a shew of them as they are: but of
things which either by times, by liking, by place, by allowance, by
conuersation may be deemed good or bad, to be commended or disalowed,
in the setting foorth thereof appeareth both skill and discretion.=
=For example, that mariage is a thinge much to be preferred, and to
the increase of man of so greate necessitie, as without which there
could bée no orderlie estate or societie, no man I am sure will denie
mée. And to a man vnwilling to enter thereinto, I might (with intent to
drawe him to a liking thereof) besides a number of necessarie causes
to be alleadged, as the decay of his house, the continuance of a
solitary, loose or bad kind of liuing, the end of his wealth and name
together hauing no issue to succéede him, infer also as much pertinent
to such a perswasion the sacred solemnization thereof in Paradise,
first by the |eternall Wisdome| himselfe thought méet and appointed,
then his pleasure to inioine the same to the worlds increase, then
the care that naturally we haue of issue to succéed vs, the indignity
for a man of value not to haue respect therof, the loue likewise &
mutuall societie betwixt man & wife, being of such mightie efficacie,
as wherunto no liking is to be compared, the swéet pleasures, cares &
delights, interchangeably passing betwéene them, each dearly affying?
them selues in the others contentment, solace or pleasing, the ioy of
procreation, when there shall be a childe produced, whose infancie
tatling with a pleasant lisping sound, shall become an incredible
delight to the parents hearing, with sundrie other like inforcements
and suggestions, all which might certainlie shewe and declare the same
to be as it is a matter of much woorth, and sufficientlie set forth
vnto the partie why it ought to be embraced.=
=Now, as the same is out of all doubt not onelie tollerable, as I
said before, but by the necessitie thereof among many thinges held to
be praise worthy: so in another place, & to another person might I
againe find as much occasion for matter, why the selfe same marriage
should be alike dispraised, as (not reckoning the age of man or woman,
which many times more of dotage then discretion pursueth the same)
there might be opposed thereagainst the swéetnes of libertie, the vse
wherof (nothing more) conduceth principally vnto the estate & life of
man, who naturally coueteth vnrestrained & without controlment to do
that him liketh, the benefit wherof enioying, he may ride, go, walke,
rest, eat, drinke, studie, recreate, solace, and whersoeuer, and in
whatsoeuer companie pleaseth him best, vse the conceit thereof to his
owne appetite.=
=Now, hauing a wife (suppose she haue all the perfections you will
giue her) yet is the delicacie hereof bereft a man: for being once
married, hee thenceforth is no more vnto himselfe, but vnto her, for
her pleasure, to her choyce, at her liking, with her contentment, must
he then order his humours, his houres, his gestures, his companies, his
iourneys, his recreations, and what els he before time might fréelie
haue vsed, his owne liking is quenched, his libertie restrained, and
yet the losse hereof a heauen to that which followeth, if by great
good fortune he bee not the better matched, For imagin the woman
chosen, do prooue a scolde, wayward, self-willed, malicious, frowning,
or suspitious, what a hell is hee then driuen into, whose serpentine
and more then Adderlike disposition shall be such as would terrifie a
thousande Diuelles. If she bee wanton, dissolute, lewde, or loose in
liuing, howe on the other side shall he then be turmoyled: what is it
that she will not presume vpon, & dare to hazarde? how infamous shall
her life then become to his liuing? how little will shee esteeme of
him, in respect of the large account she holdeth of many others? If
she be proude, then may she be vnsupportable: if her wit be more then
his, then arrogant: if she be foolish, then a mocking stocke: if she be
faire, then a spectacle to gaze on: if foule, then a simpring puppet
to wonder on: if shee be rich, presumptuous: if poore, then happilie
odious. But being what shee may bee, or touching her owne person the
best she can bee, what intollerable charge bringeth shee with her, what
cost of apparel, what care of diet, what houshold of seruants, what
expence for attendance, what prouision for children; what furniture for
house, what daily, continual & neuer ceasing cark & toile for her &
hers: in conclusion, what one discommoditie may be reckoned, that with
her or for her is not in short space a thousande times hazarded?=
=Thus doe you see how out of one selfe thing both praise and dispraise
by admittance may be gathered. A like thereunto may be added in the
vsage of wine. To a crazed man of weak disposition, or such a one
whose constitution of bodie for Phisicks sake should require it, I
might, to perswade him to the vse thereof, vrge the necessarie meane,
the goodnesse, propertie, vertue and wholesomnesse of the same, the
operation, howe it recreateth, driueth away heauinesse from the minde,
prouoketh appetite, comforteth, and many wayes (moderatelie taken)
helpeth and relieueth. But now to disswade againe the intermedling
therewith, what might bee imagined that coulde not bee rehearsed: by
manifesting the hurt and manifold inconueniences thereby ensuing, as
that it causeth drunkennes, dulleth the wits, making ill digestion,
ingendreth superfluities, weakneth the spirits, hurteth the braine,
driueth a man to forget himselfe, enforceth to commit that which
many times is filthie and often vnbeseeming, of a reasonable
creature frameth a beast, discouereth counsels, causeth slaughters,
and consequentlie ladeth both the bodie and minde with a thousand
mischiefes, impediments and diseases.=
=As of these twain, so might I stand vpon many others the like, which
for breuitie I omit, holding these applications sufficient for the
present intendment: adding herewithall, that the exhorter, perswader
or withdrawer from any thing, ought touching things indifferent,
specially to haue before his eyes the reputation of the partie to whome
he writeth, considering that some things are lesse meete in one person
then in another, and that which well fitteth and agreeth with the state
or condition of some one, is altogether vnmeet and disagréeing in the
behauiour of another. To consider in like sort this old adage, _ne quid
nimis_, whereby in reprouing the vse of any thing he may prefer the
_moderation_, and inueigh against the _nimium_. Finally, to respect,
that of sundry indifferent occasions not the vse, but the abuse is it
which ought to bee reprehended. These beeing admitted, wee will come to
the |Examples| of both kindes aswell |Dehortatorie| as |Disswasorie|,
and see what therein may be tendred.=
_An example of an Epistle dehortatorie, wherein a noble Gentleman
is withdrawne from infidelitie or rebellion._
[Sidenote: _Exordium._]
[Sidenote: By insinuation.]
[Sidenote: _Metaphora._]
[Sidenote: _Allegoria._]
My good G. my faithfull louing Countriman, and dearest of account
(whilome all and either of these vnto me, so bee it the frowning
heauens and dispiteful wicked fate had not harboured the contrarie)
what shall I write vnto thee, or by what tearmes may I now salute thee?
Erst woonted were my letters to pursue thee, carelesse in any cost,
and familiarly and boldly to regard thee, now blushing at thy vncouth
hap, and carefull of they carelesse vsage, they cannot without griefe
approch thee, nor once without sorrowe intentiuely behold thee.
[Sidenote: _Ecphonesis._]
Alas, my G. what furie hath ledde thee, what madnes hath bewitched
thee, what hatefull destinie hath pursued thee, that beeing such as
thou wert, on whome Nature and the heauens as it seemed, had powred all
their giftes moste plentifullie, thou wouldest yet be ledde to deface
so many partes of excellencie, with one hatefull, ignominious and
shamefull blott, of wicked, and most heynous treacherie.
[Sidenote: _Erotema._]
[Sidenote: _Auxesis._]
[Sidenote: _Ecphonesis._]
[Sidenote: _Sinathrismus._]
Diddest thou for this cause take vppon thee the profession of Armes, to
become iniurious to thy Countrey, to bereaue men of their patrimonie,
to bee a destroyer of vnitie, a patterne of infidelitie, the dishonour
of thy familie, and consequently to thy selfe and dearest soile, a
professed and open enemie? Ah happie in all other things, but in this
sole enterprize, in the broaching whereof thou wast put forwarde to bee
made the onelie vnhappie, behooueth with such ingratitude to rewarde
the first Authour of thy familie? Was this the ende of thy birth, thy
parents, education, thy estate, thy wealth, thy possibilitie, to become
a Traytour to thy Prince, and rebell to thy Countrey? No, no, my G.
vilde and too ill beseeming is the drift that hath so ouertaken thee,
and ignorant was he of that became thee, that first thereunto perswaded
thee.
[Sidenote: _Dialogismus._]
When thou liest armed in the fields and (mustering thy ranks in the day
time) beholdest and lookest around about thy Countrey, thinkest thou
not then with thy selfe, in this soyle was I borne, within this land
lieth my patrimonie, heere had I first sucke, and sithence haue the
fruits thereof nourished me, and could I then become so ingratefull
and vnkinde, as for all these benefits to destroy thee? Not so, nor in
such maner haue the vertuous in field beene accounted so woorthie, not
for this cause in such actions, haue men beene said to beare themselues
honourably. _Coriolanus_, thou wast conuinced by the view of the Citie
and mothers intreatie, and shall I vnhappie man for all this, persist
in this crueltie?
[Sidenote: _Anthypophora._]
[Sidenote: _Epanodus._]
[Sidenote: _Paradigma._]
[Sidenote: _Antithesis._]
[Sidenote: _Auxesis._]
[Sidenote: _Paradigma._]
[Sidenote: _Etiologia._]
Iustlie and by great occasion credit me, mightest thou thus complaine
of so great an iniurie, and all this being so true, as nothing more
true; can it be said in prosecuting the same, thou maist be freed frō
infamie? What I pray thee hath made men famous, and canonized their
memorie, was it not their munificence and valiant demerits in and for
the good of their country? For in what one thing are we more likened
vnto God himselfe, then in the worthines of our minds, the resolutions
whereof, ought in no wise to be stained with such hatefull obloquie?
The Asse runneth through fire for the safegard of her issue and shall
the valiant man then become negligent to the ayde of his Countrey? Howe
farre more waightilie shall hee bee accused, who not onelie giueth no
ayde at all to his Countrey, but also is therunto an inconsiderate and
most cruell enemie? Howe carelesse are such men of their fame, and howe
vnlike of all others to those memorable woorthies, the precious regard
whereof, vnto them hath beene such, as then goods, possessions, riches,
kingdomes, yea life it selfe hath beene helde most dearest. Peruse but
the auncient hystories of _Rome_, and looke there of _Mutius Scæuola_,
the most inuincible Romane, with what confidence hee went solie into
the Tent of _Prosenna_, his and their Countryes capitall enemie, in
minde onelie to destroie him. The good _Furius Camillus_, who after
manie high and honourable seruices by him done to the Common-wealth of
Rome, was by his owne Citizens vniustlie banished: howe farre off was
hee thinke you, from this your opinion? For the Galles whom before he
had expulsed, hauing in the time of this his banishment assieged the
Citie of Rome, and beeing then verie likely to haue distressed the
same, insomuch as they had alreadie forraged, burnt and destroyed the
whole Countrey round about, hee more sorrowfull at the likely ruine
of his Citie, then grieued at his owne banishment, (mooued thereunto
of verie pietie to his natiue soyle and Countrey) entred counsell
with the _Ardeats_, and by his wisedome, policie, and great manhood,
so perswaded those people, that in feare of their mishap, they were
content to leuie a mightie armie vnder his conduct, wherewith hee not
onely put backe the enemie, but therewith so mightilie pursued them,
as by such meanes he vtterly freed and set at libertie his Citie and
Conntrey.
[Sidenote: _Transitiō._]
[Sidenote: _Parison._]
[Sidenote: _Emphasis._]
[Sidenote: _Periphrasis._]
[Sidenote: _Auxesis._]
[Sidenote: _Dialogismus._]
[Sidenote: _Epizeuxis._]
[Sidenote: _Antithesis._]
[Sidenote: _Ecphonesis._]
[Sidenote: _Aporia._]
[Sidenote: _Auxesis._]
[Sidenote: _Erotema._]
[Sidenote: _Prosopopœia._]