Read Ebook: A booke called the Foundacion of Rhetorike because all other partes of Rhetorike are grounded thereupon euery parte sette forthe in an Oracion vpon questions verie profitable to bee knowen and redde by Rainolde Richard

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? A narracion iudiciall, out of Theusidides, vpon the facte of Themistocles.

THe Athenians brought vnder the thraldome of the Lacedemonians, soughte meanes to growe mightie, and to pull them from the yoke, vnder the Lacedemonians. Lacedemonia was a citee enuironed with walles. Athenes at thesame tyme without walles: whereby their state was more feeble, and power weakened. Themistocles a noble Sage, and a worthie pere of Athens: gaue the Athenias counsaile to wall their cit?e strogly, and so forthwith to be lordes and rulers by them selues, after their owne facion gouerning. In finishing this enterprise, in all poinctes, policie, and wittie conuei- aunce wanted not. The Lacedemonians harde of the pur- pose of the Athenians, & sent Embassadours, to knowe their doynges, and so to hinder them. Themistocles gaue counsaill to the Athenians, to kepe in safe custodie, the Embassadours of Lacedemonia, vntill soche tyme, as he from the Embas- sage was retourned fro Lacedemonia. The Lacedemonians hearyng of the commyng of Themistocles, thought little of the walle buildyng at Athens. Themistocles was long loo- ked for of the, because Themistocles lingered in his Embas- sage, that or the matter were throughly knowen: the walle of Athens should be builded. The slowe commyng of The- mistocles, was blamed of the Lacedemonians: but Themi- stocles excused hymself, partly infirmitie of bodie, lettyng his commyng, and the expectacion of other, accompaignied with hym in this Embassage. The walle ended, necessitie not artificiall workemanship finishing it, with al hast it was ended: then Themistocles entered the Senate of Lacedemo- nia, and saied: the walle whom ye sought to let, is builded at Athens, ye Lacedemonians, that wee maie be more strong. Then the Lacedemonians could saie nothyng to it, though thei enuied the Athenians state, the walle was builded, and leste thei should shewe violence or crueltie on Themistocles, their Embassabours were at Athens in custodie, whereby Themistocles came safe from his Embassage, and the Athe- nians made strong by their walle: this was politikely dooen of Themistocles.

? A narracion Poeticall vpon a Rose.

WHo so doeth maruaile at the beaut?e and good- ly colour of the redde Rose, he must consider the blood, that came out of Uenus the Goddes foot. The Goddes Uenus, as foolishe Poetes dooe feigne, beyng the aucthour of Loue: loued Ado- nis the soonne of Cynara kyng of Cypres. But Mars called the God of battaile, loued Uenus, beyng nothyng loued of Uenus: but Mars loued Uenus as feruently, as Uenus lo- ued Adonis. Mars beyng a God, loued Uenus a goddes, but Uenus onely was inflamed with the loue of Adonis, a mor- tall man. Their loue was feruent, and exremely set on fire in bothe, but their kinde and nature were contrary, wherev- pon Mars beyng in gelousie, sought meanes to destroie, faire amiable, and beautifull Adonis, thinkyng by his death, the loue of Uenus to be slaked: Adonis and Mars fell to fighting Uenus as a louer, ranne to helpe Adonis her louer, and by chaunce she fell into a Rose bushe, and pricked with it her foote, the blood then ran out of her tender foote, did colour the Rose redde: wherevpon the Rose beyng white before, is v- pon that cause chaunged into redde.

The seconde is, conteinyng the facte or deede of the per- sone: As Diogines beyng asked of Alexander the Greate, if he lacked any thyng, that he was able to giue hym, thinkyng his demaude vnder his power, for Diogenes was at thesame tyme warmyng hymself in the beames of the Sunne: Dio- genes aunswered, ye take awaie that, that ye are not able to giue, meanyng that Alexander by his bodie, shadowed hym, and tooke awaie that, whiche was not in his power to giue, Alexander tourned hymself to his men, and saied, if I were not Alexander, I would be Diogenes.

You shall learne to make this exercise, obseruyng these notes.

Firste, you shall praise the aucthour, who wrote the sen- tence, waighing his life, if his life be vnknowen, and not easie to finde his sentence or sentences: for godlie preceptes will minister matter of praise, as if these saiynges bee recited, thei are sufficient of them selues, to praise the aucthour.

Then in the seconde place, expounde the meanyng of the aucthour in that saiyng.

Then shewe the cause, why he spake this sentence.

Then compare the matter, by a contrary.

Then frame a similitude of thesame.

Shewe the like example of some, that spake the like, or did the like.

Then gather the testimonies of more writers of thesame

Then knit the conclusion.

? An Oracion.

ISocrates did saie, that the roote of learnyng is was bit- ter, but the fruictes were pleasaunt.

? The praise.

? The exposicion.

IN that he saieth, the roote of learnyng is bitter, and the fruictes pleasaunt: he signifieth no excellent qua- litie or gift, vertue, arte or science can bee attained, except paine, labour, diligence, doe plant and sette thesame: but when that noble gift, either learnyng, or any excellente qualitee, is lodged and reposed in vs, then we gather by pain- full labours, greate profite, comforte, delectable pleasures, wealth, glorie, riches, whiche be the fruictes of it.

? The cause.

Emong the godlie lawes of Lycurgus, Lycurgus omit- ted not to ordaine Lawes, for the educacion of youthe: in the whiche he cutte of all pamperyng of them, because in tender yeres, in whose bodies pleasure harboreth, their vertue, sci- ence, cunnyng rooteth not: labour, diligence, and industrie onelie rooteth vertue, and excellencie. Uices as vnprofitable weedes, without labour, diligence and industrie growe vp, and thereby infecteth the minde and bodie, poisoneth all the mocions, incensed to vertue and singularitie. Who euer at- tained cunnyng, in any excellent arte or science, where idle- nes or pleasure helde the swaie. Philosophie sheweth, plea- sure to b?e vnmete for any man of singularitie, for pleasure, idlenes, and ignoraunce, are so linked together, that the pos- session of the one, induceth the other. So many godlie monu- metes of learning, had not remained to this posteritie of ours and of all ages: if famous men in those ages and tymes, had huted after immoderate pleasure. Thindustrie of soche, who left to the posteritie of all ages, the knowlege of Astronomie is knowen: the monumentes of all learnyng of lawes, and of all other woorkes of antiquitie, by vertue, noble, by indu- strie, labour, and moderacion of life in studie, not by plea- sure and wantones, was celebraied to all ages. The migh- tie volumes of Philosophers, bothe in morall preceptes, and in naturall causes, knewe not the delicate and dissolute life of these our daies. Palingenius enueighyng against the pa- pered, and lasciuious life of man, vttereth a singulare sentece

Thusidides comparyng the Lacedemonians, and the A- thenians together, shewed a rare moderacion, and tempera- ture of life, to be in the Athenians: wherupon thei are moste commended, and celebrated to the posteritie.

? The contrarie.

EUen as idlenes and a sluggishe life, is moste pleasant to all soche, as neglecte vertuous exercises, and god- lie life. So paine, labour, and studie, bestowed and emploied, in the sekyng out of vertue, arte, or science is moste pleasaunt to well affected mindes: for no godlie thyng can be attained to, without diligence and labour.

? The similitude.

EUen as housbandmen, with labour and trauaile, dooe labour in plantyng and tillyng the grounde, before thei receiue any fruicte of thesame. Euen so no vertue, arte, or science, or any other thyng of ex- cellencie is attained, without diligence and labour bestowed thereto.

? The example.

LEt Demosthenes, the famous Oratour of Athenes, bee an example of diligence to vs, who to auoide all let from studie, vsed a meanes to kepe hymself ther- to: preuentyng also the industrie of artificers. Thesame De- mosthenes, wrote seuen tymes out the storie of Thusidides, to learne thereby his eloquence and wisedome.

? The testimonie.

PLinie, Plato, and Aristotle, with many other mo, are like examples for diligence to vs: who wrote vpon vertue and learnyng like sentences.

? The conclusion.

THerefore, Isocrates dooeth pronounce worthelie, the roote of learning and vertue to be bitter, and the fru- tes pleasaunte.

? A Sentence.

Any vertue maie be praised, as wisedome, rightuousnes fortitude, magnanimit?e, temperaunce, liberalit?e, with all other.

These are to be celebrated with praise.

The persone, as Iulius Cesar, Octauius Augustus, Hieremie, Tullie, Cato, Demosthenes.

Thynges, as rightuousnes, temperaunce.

Tymes, as the Spryng tyme of the yere, Sommer, Har- uest, Winter.

Places, as Hauens, Orchardes, Gardeins, Toures, Castles, Temples, Islandes.

Beastes wantyng reason, as Horse, Shepe, Oxen Pla- ntes, as Uines, Oliues.

In the praise of vertue, this maie be saied.

THe excellencies of it, the antiquitee and originalle be- ginnyng thereof, the profite that riseth to any region by it, as no kyngdome can consiste without vertue, and to extoll the same, in makyng a comparison, with other giftes of nature, or with other giftes of fortune, more infe- riour or base.

Or a generalle and vniuersalle praise, as the praise of all the Britaines: or of all the citezeins of London.

? The order to make this Oracion, is thus declared.

After that you shall declare, his educacion: the educacion is conteined in thr?e poinctes.

Then put there to that, whiche is the chief grounde of al praise: his actes doen, whiche doe procede out of the giftes, and excellencies of the minde, as the fortitude of the mynde, wisedome, and magnanimit?e.

Of the bodie, as a beautifull face, amiable countenaunce swiftnesse, the might and strength of thesame.

The excellencies of fortune, as his dignit?e, power, au- cthoritee, riches, substaunce, frendes.

In the fifte place vse a comparison, wherein that whiche you praise, maie be aduaunced to the vttermoste.

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