content with these qualifications, and those which you wished to be specified by me, yoa reduce the orator from a spacious and immense field of action into a very narrow compasa: but if you are desirous to emulate Pericles, or Demo- Bthenes, who is more familiar to us from liia numerous writings; and if you are captivated with this noble and illustrious idea and excellence of a perfect orator, you. must include in your minds all the powers of Cameades, or thoee of Aristotle. For, as I observed before, the ancients, till the time of Soomtes, united all knowledge and science ia all things, whether they appertained to morality, to the duties of life, to virtue, or to civil government, witii the iaculty of speaking; but afterwards, the eloquent being separated by Socrates from the learned, (as I have already explained,) and this distinction being continued by all the followers of Socrates, the philosophers disregarded eloquence, and the orators philosophy; nor did they at all encroach upon each other's provinces, except that the orators borrowed from the philosophers, and the philosophers from the orators, such things as they would have taken from the commou stock iE they had been inclined to remain in their pristine union. But as the old pontiffii, on account of the multitude of rehgioua ceremonies, appointed three officers called Epulones,^ thou^ they themselves were instituted by Numa to perform the epulare scwj-yJcium at the games; so the followera of Socrates excluded the pleaders of causes from their own body, and from the common title of philosophers, though the ancients were of opinion that there was a miraculous harmony between speaking and understanding.
JtX. " Such being the case, I shall crave some little indul- gence for myself, and beg you to consider that whatever I say, I say not of myself, but of the complete orator. For I am a person, who, having beeu educated in my boyhood, wit^ great care on the part of my father, and having brought iatm the forum such a portion of talent as I am conscious of posE ing, and not so much as I may perhaps appear to you to b: caanot aver that I learned what I now comprehend, exa as I shall say that it ought to be learned; since I engaged in public business most early of all men, and at one-and-twenty years of age brought to trial a man of the highest rank, and I OF THE ORATOR.
the greatest eloqacncc;^ and the forum hna beea my Echool, and practice, with the lawa and institutions of the Roman people, and the customs of our anceatora, my inBtructors. I got a small taste of those sciences of which I am speaking, feeling some thirst for them, Tvhile I was quffistor in Asia, having procured a rhetorician about my own ago from the Academy, that Metrodorus, of whose memory Antonitis has made honourahle mention; and, on my departure from Atiijt, at Athens, where I should have stayed longer, hod I not been displeased with tho Athenians, who would not repeat their myHteries, for which I came two days too late. The &ct, therefore, that I comprise within my scheme so much science, and attribute so much influence to learning, makes not only not in my favour, but rather against me, (for I am not con- sidering what I, but what a perfect orator can do,) and against nil those who put forth treatises on the art of rhetoric, and who are indeed obnoiioua to estrome ridicule; for they write merely about the several kinds of suits, about esordln, and statements of facta; but the real power of eloquence is such, that it embraces the origin, the influence, tho changes of all things in tbe world, aU virtues, duties, and all nature, so far as it afiects the manners, minds, and Uves of mankind. It can give an account of customs, laws, and rights, can govern a state, and speak on everything relating to any sub- joet whatsoever with elegance and force. In this pursuit I employ my talents as well aa I can, as fiir as I am enabled by natural capacity, moderate learning, and constant practice; nor do I conceive myself much inferior in disputation to those who have as it were pitched their tent for life in phi- losophy alone.
XXI. " For what can my friend Cains Velleius ^ allege, to show why pleasure is the chief good, which I cannot either it^intain more fully, if I wore so inclined, or refute, with the aid of those common-places which Autonius has set forth, and that habit of speakiug.in which Velleius himself is unexercised, but every ono of ua experienced! What is there that either Seitus Pompeius, or the two Balbi,' or my acquaintance ' Carbo. See note oq i. 10.
* The aamo tliat speaka, in the dialogue De Naiurd Ikormn, on the tenets of tho Epicureans. ."->.. - -^ jji^g 2)^ 2i,'ai, Df^rum, on the dQclcni!».
I I MaroUB Vigelliua, who lived with PanietiuB, all men of the Stoio sect, can maintain couueriiing virtue, in Buch a manner that either I, or any one of you, should give place to them in debate? For philosophy ib not like other arts or sciences; ■»Bce what can he do in geometry, or in musio, who haa never learned 1 He must be silent, or be thought a madman; but Uie principles of philosophy are discovered by such minds as liave acuteneas and penetration enough to extract what ia most probable concerning any subject, and are elegantly expressed with the aid of eiercise in speaking. On sudi topioB, a speaker of ordinary abilities, if he has no great learning, but has had practice in deolaimiug, will, by virtue of Buch practice, common to others as well as to him, beat our &iends the philosophers, and not suffer himeelf to be deftpised and held in contempt; but if ever a person shtll arise who shall have abOities to deliver opinions on both Bides of a question on all subjecta, after the manner of Aristotle, and, from a knowledge of the precepts of that phi- losopher, to deliver two contradictory orations on every con- ceivable topic, or shaU be able, after the manner of Arcesilas or Cameadea, to disputa against every proposition that can be laid down, and shall unite with those powers rhetorical akill, and practice and eiercise in speaking, be will be the true, the perfect, the only orator. For neither without the nervous eloquence of the forum, can an orgtor have sufBoient weight, dignity, and force; nor, without variety of learning, sufficient elegance and judgment. Let hb suffer that old Coras of yours/ therefore, to hatch his young birds in the nest, that they may fly out disagreeable and troublesome hawlers; and let ua allow Pamphilus, whoever he was,'' to depict a science of such of the Stoits. The other, Bays Ellendt, a aupposed to be the lawyer who it mentioned by Cicaro, Brut. c. 42, and who was the master ot Sarviua Sulpicius. Of VigoUiua nothing is known.
' Sea L 20. He jokes on the nama of Com, which Higoifies a crow.
' PamphUum nuno guon. Soma suppose Tiim to be the painter that IS meutioDed as the iuatruotor of Apellea bj Flin;, H. N. xxsr. 3S. B. He eeem^ whoever he w^ to have given some foJicifLil map-like view of the rules of rfaetoric. Bat it is not intimated by Pliny that IKa FamphiluB of whom he speaks wnd, though a learned painter, onytluDg more than a painter. A Famphilua is meotioDed by Qiiintilian, iii. 6. W; lii. 10. 6; and by Aristotle, Rhet. ii. 23. By iitfidic in the teit, wMcb I have rendered " flags," Ellendt Buppoaeg that something aimilar our printed cotton handkerchiafs, or Hags hung out at booths at a. XIll.] ON THE CHABACTEK OP TEE OHATOE. 355 consequence upon flags, as if for an amusement for. children; while we ourselves describe the nhiile business of an orator, in BO short & dieputatiuu us that of yesterday and to- day; admitting, however, that it m of Buch extent as to be ^read through all the books of the philosophers, into which none of those rhetoricians'- has ever dipped."
XXII. Catulua then said, " It is, indeed, by no means astoniahing, Crassus, that there should appear in you aithw SQoh energy, or such ogreeablenesa, or such copiousnesB of lan- guid; though I previously suppoaed that it was merely from the force of natural genius that yon spoke in such a way as to seem to me not only the greatest of orators, bat the wisest of meu; but I now underhand that you have always given precedence to matters relating to philosophy, and your copious stream of eloquence has fiowed ft-om that source; and yet, when I recollect the difierent stages of your life, and wKen I consider your manner of living and pursuits, I can neither conceive at what time you acquired that learning, nor oaa I imagiuo you to he strongly addicted to those studies, or men, or writings; nor can I determine at which of these two things I ought most to feel surprised, that you could obtain a thorough knowledge of those matters which you persuade me are of the utmost assistance to oratory, amid such important occupations as yours, or that, if you could not do BO, you can speak with auch effect." Here Crassus rejoined, " I would have you first of all, Catuius, perauade yourself of this, that, wheu I speak of an orator, I speak not much otherwise than I should do if I had to speak of an actor; for I should say that ho could not possibly give satis- ^tion in his gesture unless he bad learned the exercises of the pakestra, and danoiug; nor would it be necessary that, whea I said this, I should be myself a player, though it per- haps would be necessary that I should be a not unskilful critic in another man's profession, ia like manner I am now, at your request, speaking of the orator, that is, the perfect orator; for, about whatever art or faculty inquiry is made, it always relates to it in its state oC absolute perfection; and i^ fairs, is roeimt. Talarna tbinltB that the tabloa of rules miglit bare been called infiUa ia ridicule, troin thair shape.
' Such " (iisagreeable and troublesome bawlera," sa those from Qte st of Corax jtut mentioned. Enusti, 1 therefore, jou now allow me to be a speaker, if even a pret^ good one, or b. positively good one, I will not contradict yon; (for why should I, at my time of life, he so foolish) I know that I am esteemed auch;) but, if it be ao, I am certainly not perfect. For there is not among mankind any pursuit of greater difficulty or effort, or that requires more aids from learning; but, since I have to speak of the orator, I must of necessity speak of the perfect orator; for tmless the powers and nature of a thing be set before the eyes in their utmost perfection, its character and magnitude camiot be nnderstood. Yet I confess, CatuliKi, that I do not at present live in any great fiuniharity with the writings or the pro- fessors of philosophy, and tbat, as you have rightly observed, I never had much leisure to set apart for the acquiGitioa of such learning, and that I have only given to study such portions of time as my leisure when I was a youth, and vaca- tions from the business of the fomm, have allawed me.
XXIII. " But if, Catulus, you inquire my sentiments on that learning, I am of opinion that so much time need not be spent on it by a roan of ability, and one who studies with a view to the forum, to the senate, to causes, to civil administra- tion, as those have chosen to give to it whom life has &iled while they were learning. For all arts are handled iii oae manner by those who apply them to practice; in another by those who, taking delight in treating of the arts thcmaelvra, never intend to do anything else during the whole course of their lives. The master of the gladiators ' is now in the ex- tremity of age, yet daily meditates upon the improvement of his science, for he has no other care; but Quintua Velocius* had learned that esorcise in his youth, and, as he was na- turally formed for it, and had thoroughly acquired it, he wa^ as it is said in Lucihus, Thongli ne n gloduitDr in the school 'Well Bkill'd, oniUwlil caougli to match with aii;f, yet resolved to devote more attention to the duties of the forum, and of friendship, and to bis domestic concerns. Valerius^ sung every day; for he was oa the stage; what else was he • Thia name waa introduced on the conjecture ofVicto: TJoualy the pasBOgs woa unintflUigiblD. ' Of ValeriuB and Furiua nolluns ia known. EUindt.
OS THE CHARACTER ( to do? But o\vr friend Numerius Furiua sings only Trlien it is agreeable to tiai; for he is the head of a family, and of equestrian dignity; he learned when a boy as muoh as it waa necQBsary for him to learn. The case is similar with regard to sciences of the greatest importance; we have seen Quintua Tttbero/ a man of eminent virtue and prudence, engaged in the study of philosophy night and day, but his uncle Africa- mia 2 you could scarcely ever perceive paying any attention to it, though he paid a great deal. Such knowledge is easily gained, if you only get as mucli of it as ia necessary, and have a faithful and able instructor, and know how to leam . yourself. But if you are inclined to do nothing else all your life, your very studies and inquiries daily give rise to some- thii^foryou to investigate as an amusement at your leisure; thus it happens, that the investigation of particular points is endless, though general knowledge is easy, if practice establish learning onco acquired, moderate exercise be devoted to it, and memory and inclination continue. But it is pleasant to be constantly learning, if we wisL to be thoroughly masters, of anything; as if I, for instance, had a desire to play excel- lently at backgammon, or Lad a strong attachment to tenni% though perhaps I should not attain perfection in those games; but others, because they excel in any performance, take a more vehement delight in it than tiie object requires, as TitiuB ^ in tennis, Brulla in backgammon. There ia no reason, therefore, why any one should dread the extent of the sciences because he perceives old men still learning them; for either they were old men when they first applied to them, or have been detained in the study of them till they became old; or are of more than ordinary stupidity. And the truth in my opinion is, that a man can never loam thoroughly that which he has 3iot been abb to leam quickly."
XXIV. " Now, now," exclaimed Catnlus, " I understand, Crassus, what you say, and readily assent to it; I see that there has been time enough for you, a man of vigour and ability to leam, to apquire a knowledge of what you mention." " Do you Btill persist," rejoined Craasus, " to think that I say what I say of myself and not of my subject! But, if it be agreeable to.
I ' Cio. TuBo. Qmeet iv. I ' TitiuB JB meationed ii 32. Of Erullii notlibg ia known. EUendl.
DB OKATOKE; OB, you, let UB now return to our stated buaiBese," " To me," said Catulua, " it ia Tcry agreeable."
" To what enil, then," continued Craasu% " does this dia- oourae, drawn out to so great r, length, and brought from such deep sources, tend! The two parts which remain for me, that of adorning language, and contemplating eloquence Bi general in its highest perfection, — one of which requires that we should speak gracefuUy, the other aptly,— have this influence, that eJoquenoe ia rendered by their means pro- ductive of the utmost delight, niade to penetrate effectoally into the inmost hearts of the audience, and furnished with all posfdble variety of matter. But the speech which we use in the forum, adapted for contest, full of acrimony, formed to suit the taste of the vulgar, is poor indeed and beggarly; and, on-the other hand, even thut which they teach who pro- fess themselves masters of the art of speaking, is not of much more dignity than the common style of the forum. Wo have need of greater pomp,^ of ohoice matter collected, imported, and brought together from all parts; such a provision as must be made by you, Csesar, for the nest year,^ with such ptuna as I took in my tediloshtp, because I did not suppose that I could satisfy such a people as ours with ordinary mat- ters, or those of their own aouatry.
" As for choosing and arranging words, and forming them into proper periods, the art is easy, or, I may say, the mere practice without any art at alJ. Of matter, the quantity and ■noiety are infinite; and as the Greeks^ were not properly fiimiahed with it, and our youth in consequence almost grew ignorant while they were learning, even Latin teaohers of rhetoric, please the goda, have arisen within the last two years; a class of persons whom I had suppressed by my edict,* when I was censor, not because I was unwilling {as ' Apparatu. In allusion, soya Potavjus, to He ahowH given by the " Ad oiiaim. That of Ma sediloaTiip. Eraati.
' The Oroek rhetorioiana. Pearce.
* Quiatilian refers to this paseagB, U. 4. 42 The edict tit the Oensocs CrBSBOS and AheDobaibos, which waa marked by all the ■lunmit HiTBrity, ia preaerv«d in Aul. OelL xv. 11; and Sitetontus, De Clar. RhoL protom. Craesua mtiroates that thai elaaa of men sprung ap sgain aft«r hia edict; for the ceiuors had not such power thai theit mere prohibitiooH could continue in foroe after ilieir term of offioe was (■pired. Ellmdl.
C. XXT.] OK THE CHAHACTER OV THE ORATOB. 359 some, I know not who, naserted.) that the abilities of our youth should be improved, but because I did not wish that their understandings should be weakened and their impudence Btrengthened. For among the Greeks, whatever waa their character, I perceived that there wils, besides eiereise of the tongue, some degree of learning, as well oa politeness suited to liberal knowledge; but I knew that these new masters could teach youth nothing but effrontery, which, even whan joined witli good qualities, is to bo avoided, and, in itself, especially ho; and as this, therefore, was the only thing that was taught by the Latins, their school being indeed a school of impudence, I thought it became the censor to take care that the evil should not spread further. I do not, however, determine and decree on the point, as if I despaired that the subjects which we are discussing can bo delivered, and treated with elegance, in Latin; for both our language and the nature of things allows the ancient and exceUeut soience of Greece to be adapted to our customs and manners; but for such a work are required men of learning, such as none of our country- men have been in this department; hut if ever such arise, tiiey will be preferable to the Greeks themselves.
XXV. " A speech, then, is to be made becoming in its kind, with a sort of complexion and sutetance of its own; for that it be ■weighty, agreeable, savouring of erudition and liberal knowledge, worthy of admiration, polished, having feeling and passion in it, as far as is required, are qualities not confined to particular members, but are apparent in the whole body; but that it be, as it were, strewed with flowers of language and thought, is n property which ought not to be equally diffused throughout the whole speech, but at such intervals, that, as in ^e arrangement of ornaments,^ there may be certain remarkable and luminous objects disposed here and there. Such a kind of eloquence, therefore, is to bo diosen, as is most adapted to interest the audience, such as may not only delight, but deligbt without satiety; (for I do not imagine it to be expected of mo, that I should admonish. yon to beware that your language be not poor, or nide, or vulgar, or obsolete; both your i^ and your geniuses en- oour^e me to something of a highor nature;) for it is difficult ' In ornatu. The ammganient of such ornaments as were displayed at gcuaes and festivale.
I DE ORATOEB; OR, [b, III, to tell what tte causa is why, from those objects which most strongly Btrike our senses with pleasure, and occasion the moat Tioient emotions at their first appearance, we should EOonest turn away with a certain loathing aud satiety. How much more florid, in the gaiety and variety of the colouring, are most objects in modem pictures thaa in ancient ones; which, however, though they captivate us at firat sight, do not afford any lasting pleasure; whereas we are strongly attracted by rough and faded colouring in the paintings ot antiquity. How much softer and more dehcate are fanciful* modulations and notes in music, than those which are strict and grave; and yet if the former are often repeated, not only persons of an auat«re character, but even the multitude, raise an outcry against them, We may perceive, too, iu r^ard to the other senses, that we take a less permanent delight in perfumes composed of the sweetest and most powerful odours, than in those of a. more moderate scent; that that is more commended which appears to smell like wax, than that which is as strong as saffron; and that, in the sense of feeling itself there is a limit required both to softness and smoothaeas. How sooa does even the taste, which of all our senses is the most desirous of gratification, and is delighted with sweetness beyond the others, nauseate and reject that which is too luscious I Who can take sweet drinks and meats long together? while, in both kinds of nutriment, such things as affect the sense with but a slight pleasure are the furthest removed from that satiating quality; and so, ia all other things, loathing stiU borders upon the most exquisite delighta; and therefore wo should the less wonder at this effect ta lan- guage, in which wo may form a judgment, either from the ppeta or the orators, that a style elegant, ornate, embellished, and sparkling, without intermission, without restraint, with- out variety, whether it be prose or poetry, though painted with the brightest colours, canaot possibly give loal ' "~ pleasm-e. And we tha sooner take offence at the fUaa It and paint of the orator or poet, for this cause, that the bqii when affected with too much pleasure, are satiated, not fi reason, but constitutionally; in writings and in speei nishes are even mora readily noticed, i Fitlta. Fraotio et molliorea. Ernatu pN TOE CHARACTER OF THE OBATOB.
only from the judgment of the ear, but from that of the understanding.
XXVI. " Though Buoh eipreaaiona of applause, therefore, as ' very well,' ' excellent,' may be often repeated to me, 1 would not have 'beautifully,' 'pleasantly,' come too often; yet I would have the exclamation, ' Nothing can bo better,' very frequent. But this high esoellenco and merit in speaking should be attended with some portions of shade and obscurity, that the part on which a stronger light is thrown may seem to stand out, and become more prominent. BoBcius never delivers this passage with all the spirit that he can, Tho wiflo man seakB for honour, not for spoil, As the reward of virtue; ' but rather in an abject manner, that into the nest speech, ? tho Btoel-girt Boldier holda Tho!
^radBs he may throw his whole powers, may gaze, may express wonder and astonishment. How does the other great actor^ utter Wlub aid ehdl I solicit?
How gently, how sedately, how calmly! For he proceeds with 0 father I 0 my country! House of Priam ', in which bo much action could not be exerted if it had been consumed and esLauated by any preceding emotion. Nor did the actors discover this before the poets themselves, or, indeed, before even those who composed the music, by both of whom their tone is sometimes lowered, sometimes heightened, sometimes jnade slender, sometimes ftdl, with variation and distinction. Let our orator, then, be thus graceful and de- lightfiil (nor can he indeed be so otherwise); let him have a severe and solid grace, not a luscious and delicious sweetness; for the precepts relative to the ornament of eloquence, which are conanonly given, are of such a nature that even the worst speaker ean observe them. It is first of all necessary, there- fore, aa I said before, that a stock of matter and thoughts bo got togetber; a point on which Antoniua baa already spoken; these are to be interwoven into the very thread and essence of the oration, embellished by words, and diversified by iJlastrations.
DB ORATOBE J OH, " But the greatest glory of eloquence is to exaggerate a subject by ombelliahment; 'which has efl'ect not only in am- plifymg and extolling anything in a speech to an extra- 'ordinary degree, but also in extenuating it, and making it appear contemptible. XXVII. This is required on all thoee points which Antonius said must be obeerved in order to gain credit to our Btatements, when we explain anything, or when we oonciliate the feelings, or when we excite the pos- aona of our audience; but in the particular which I men- tioned iast, aroplificatipn is of the greatest effect; and excel- lence in it the peculiar and appropriate praise of the orator. Even that exercise is of more than ordinary importance which Antoniua illustrated^ in the latter pait of his disser- tation, (in the beginning^ he set it aaide,) I meau that d panegyric and satire; for nothing is o, better preparative for exaggeration and amplification in a speech than the talent of performing both these parts in a most effective manner. Consequently, even those topica are of use which, though they ought to be proper to causes, and to he inherent in their very vitals, yet, as they are commonly applied to ge- neral subjents, have been by the ancients denominated coittmofii places; of which mme consist in bitter accusations and oomplaintB against vices and crimes, with a certain amplifica- tion, (in oppoBition to which, nothing is usually said, of can be said,) as against an embezzler of the public money, or a traitor, or a parricide; remarks wliich we ought to intro- duce when the charges have been proved, for otherwise they are j^une and trifling; olktn consist in entreaty or com- miseration; oiherB relate to contested points of argument, whence you may be enabled to speak, fully on either side of any general question, an exercise which is now imagined to he peculiar to those two sects of philosophy ^ of which I spoke before; among those of remote antiquity it belonged to Uiose from whom all the art and power of speaking in forensic pleadings was derived;' for concerning virtue, duty, justice and equity, dignity, utility, honour, ignominy, rewards and punishments, and similar subjects, we ought to possesH t q>irit, and talent, and address, to speak on either side of ti ^ THE ORATOE. 363 question. But since, being driven from our own posseBsionB, ■we arc left in a. poor little ferm, and even that the subject of litigation, and since, though the patrons of others, we hove not been able to preserve iind protect our own property. Jet us borrow what is requisite for us (which ia a notable dis- grace) from those ' who have made this irruption into our patrimony.
XXVIII. "Those, then, who take their name from a very BmaU portion ^ of Athens and its neighbourhood, and are denominated Peripatetic or Academic philosophers, but who formeriy, on account of their eminent knowledge in important afeira, were by the Greets caUed political philosophers, being distinguished by a name relating to all public administration. Bay that every speech on civil afiaira is employed on one or other of these two ktiids of questions, either that of a de- finite controversy limited to certain times and parties; as, ' Whether is it proper that our captives be recovered from the Carthaginians by the restitution of theirs J' or on an indefinite question, inquiring about a subject generally; as, 'What should be determined or considered concerning captives in general!' Of these, they term the former kind a cause or coutroveray, and limit it to three things, law-suits, delibera- tions, and panegyric; but the other kind of question, or pro- position as it were, the indefinita, is denominated a consulta- tion.^ So fep they instruct us. The rhetoricians, however, use this division in their iDstnietioDS, but not so that thc^ seem to recover a lost possession by right, by a decision in their favour, or by force, but appear, according to the practice of the civil law, to assert their claim to the premises by breaking off a branch;' for they keep possession of that former kind which is restricted to certain times, places, and parties, and that as it were by the hem of the garment;^ for at this present time, under Philo," who flourishes, I hear, as