the orange, fome the lemon or citron, and fome partaking of both forms in one; and what was very remarkable, was, that these mixed fruits never produced any perfect feeds; fometimes there were no feeds at all in them, and fometimes only a few empty ones. ORANGEWIFE. 1. f. [orange and wife. A woman who fells oranges. You wear out a good wholefome forenoon in hearing a caufe between an orange wife and a foflet-feller. Shak. ORANG-OUTANG. See SIMIA and Zooro-, MY. (1.) ORANIENBAUM, a town of Upper Saxony, in Anhalt Deffau, built in 1688; 6 miles SE. of Dellau (2.) ORANIENBAUM, a town of Ruflja, on the Gulf of Finland; with a palace built by prince Menzikoff, and much ufed by Peter III. 20 miles W. of Petersburg. Lon. 47. 12. E. Ferro. Lat. 59. 52. N. ORANIENBURG, a town of Brandenburg, on the Havel, 18 miles N. of Berlin, and 28 NNE. of Potsdam. It was burnt in 1671. ORANMORE, a town of Ireland, in Galway. ORANSA. See ORONSAY. ORARIUM, in old records, an ancient vestment worn by the priests. Afb. ORATAVIA, the capital of the island of Teneriffe; 150 miles W. of the African coaft. Lon. 16. 20. W. Lat. 28. 23. N. (1.) * ORATION. n. f. [oration, Fr. oratio, Lat.] A fpeech made according to the laws of rhetorick a harangue; a declamation.There fhall I try Shak. In my oration, how the people take The cruel ifflue of thefe bloody men. -This gives life and spirit to every thing that is fpoken, and adds a fingular grace and excellency both to the perfon and his oration. Watts. (2.) An ORATION, is a speech delivered in pub. lic. Orations may be reduced to three kinds, viz. the demonftrative, deliberative, and judicial. To the demonftrative kind belong panegyrics, genethliaca, epithalamia, congratulations, &c. To the deliberative kind belong perfuafion, exhorta tion, &c. And to the judicial kind belong accufation, confutation, &c. 4. (3.) ORATION, FUNERAL, See FUNERAL, (1.) ORATOR, n.. among the ancient Romans, differed from a patronus: The latter was allowed only to plead caufes on behalf of his clients; whereas the former might quit the forum and afcend the roftra or tribunal, to harangue the fenate or the people. The orators had rarely a profound knowledge of the law, but they were cloquent, and their ftyle was generally correct and concife. They were employed in caufes of importance, inftead of the common patrons. O. rators, in the violence of elocution, ufed all the warmth of gefture, and even walked backwards and forwards with great heat and emotion. Similar to the Roman orators were the Grecian Rhetores. See RHETORES, (2.) ORATOR, PUBLIC, an office of very confiderable dignity, and of fome emolument in the English univerfities. The public orator is the principal, and in many cafes the only oftenfible, agent for the univerfity in all thofe matters or forms which are merely external. He carries on or fuperintends all correfpondences which are calculated to promote the dignity, or raise the utility, of the feminary. He has little to do, indeed, with the internal government of the body, for which a variety of officers in different departments are appointed; but in all public affairs he is, as it were, the mouth of the whole; putting their deliberations into proper form, and communicating or publishing them, according to the intention of the university. Thus, if the whole univerfity, or a committee appointed by them, by ftatute, or by the will of any particular benefactor, have, after a comparative trial, adjudged a prize to any perfon or perfons, it is the business of the public orator to inform the fuccefsful par ties of the iffue of the trial. Again, if for fingular learning, or for any remarkable good will shown to the univerfity by any person or perfons, the fenate or convocation are pleafed to declare their grateful fenfe of it, either by conferring degrees, or otherwife as they think fit, the public orator is to notify this intention to the perfon or perfons concerned; and fo in other cafes. Another part of the public orator's bufinefs is to prefent young noblemen, or those who take honorary degrees, tanquam nobiles, to the vice-chancellor: this he does in a Latin fpeech, which, according to circumstances, is either short or long; and of which the fubject is generally a defence of that particular statute which allows the fons of noblemen, and fome few others, to proceed to degrees before what is called the fatutable time. In doing this, encomiums, often stronger than juft, are made upon the learning and virtue of the noble, candidate; a view is taken of the dignity of his ancient houfe; the honour is mentioned which has accrued to the univerfity from the acceffion of fuch a member; and the oration concludes with promifing great credit from his future con duct, as well as benefit from the influence of his. rank in the state. Thefe circumftances are deemed fufficient grounds for exempting the fons of noblemen from that tedious, courfe of ftudy through which the fons of commoners must all pafs before they be thought worthy of academical honours. ORATORIANS, an order of priests, so called from the ORATORY, in which they met to pray. * ORATORICAL. adj. [from orator.] Rhe torical; befitting an orator.Where he fpeaks: in an oratorical, affecting, or perfuafive way, let this be explained by other places where he treats of the fame theme in a doctrinal way. Watts. ORATORIO, n. f. in the Italian mufic, a fort of facred drama of dialogues; containing recitativos, duettos, trios, ritornellos, chorufes, &c. The fubjects of thofe pieces are ufually taken from fcripture, or the life of fome faint, &c. The music for the oratorios should be in the fineft tafte and beft chofen ftrains. Oratorios are greatly ufed at Rome in the time of Lent, and of late in England. Meneftrier attributes the origin of oratorios to the crufades, and fays that the pilgrims returning from Jerufalem and the Holy Land, &c. compofed fongs, reciting the life and death of the Son of God, and the mysteries of the the Chriftian faith, and celebrating the achieve ments and conftancy of faints and martyrs. O thers, with more probability, observe, that the oratorio was an avowed imitation of the opera, with only this difference, that the foundation of it was always fome religious or moral fubject. Crefcimbeni afcribes its origin to St Philip Neri, who, in his chapel, after sermons, in order to al DEFINITIONS. lure young people to pious offices, had hymus and pfalms, fung by one or more voices. (See NERI, N° 2.) Among these spiritual fongs were dialogues; and thefe entertainments, improving every year, gave rife in the 17th century to oratorios, fo called from the place of their origin. See Hawkins's Hiftory of Mufic. See alfo Music, § 78. ORATORY. the art, and called the reft orators. And there feems to have been a fufficient reason for this dif 1. ORATORY, is thus defined by Dr John- tinction fince the art was the fame in both, and 2. * ORATORY. n. f. [oratoria ars, Lat.] 1. Eloquence; rhetorical expreffion.-Each pafture ftored with fheep feeding with fober fecurity, while the pretty lambs with bleating oratory craved the dams comfort. Sidney. When a world of men Could not prevail with all their oratory, I bid them that did love their country's good, Sighs now breath'd Unutterable, which the spirit of pray'r Infpir'd, and wing'd for heav'n with speedier flight Than loudeft oratory.” Milt. Par. Loft. -By this kind of oratory, and profefling to decline their own inclinations and wifhes, they prevailed over those who were ftill furprised. Clarendon.-Hammond's fubjects were fuch as had greateft influence on practice, which he preft with moft affectionate tenderness, making tears part of his oratory. Fell. The former laid the greateft weight of his oratory upon the ftrength of his arguments. Swift. Come harmlefs characters, that no one hit, Come Henley's oratory, Ofborn's wit. Pope. 2. Exercife of eloquence.-The Romans had seized upon the fleet of the Antiates, among which there were fix armed with roftra, with which the conful Menenius adorned the public place of oratorg. Arb. 3. Oratoire, French.] Oratory figni. fies a private place, which is deputed and allotted for prayer alone, and not for the general celebration of divine fervice. Ayliffe's Parergon. They began to erect to themselves oratories. Hookgr.-Do not omit thy prayers for want of a good oratory or place to pray in. Taylor's Guide. 3. ORATORY is defined by others, the art of fpeaking well upon any subject, in order to perfuade. 4. The terms RHETORIC and ORATORY, having no other difference but that one is taken from the Greek language, and the other from the Latin, may be used fynonimously, but the cafe is not the fame with refpect to the words RHETORICIAN and ORATOR. For although the Grecians used the former, both to exprefs those who taught the art, and those who practifed it, yet the Romans afterward, when they took that word into their language, confined it to the teachers of might therefore go by either name: but the different province of rhetoricians and orators made it not improper that they should be called by different names. Befides, anciently, before rhetoric was made a separate and diftinct art from philofophy, the fame persons taught both. And then they were called not only rhetoricians but soPHISTS. But because they often employed their art rather to vindicate what was falfe and unjuft, than to support truth and virtue; this difingenuous conduct, by which they frequently impofed upon weak minds, brought a difcredit both upon themselves and their profeffion. And therefore the word fophift, or fophifter, has been more ge nerally used in an ill fenfe, to fignify one fkilled rather in the arts of cavilling, than qualified to fpeak well and accurately upon any subject. HISTORY of ORATORY. 5. THE invention of oratory is by the Egyptians and the fables of the poets afcribed to Mercury. QUINTILIAN fays, refpecting the origin of this art. "The faculty of speech we derive from nature; but the art from obfervation." But no certain account can be given when, or by whom, this art firft began to be cultivated. Ariftotle fuppofes that the first lineaments of it were very rude and imperfect. Paufanias, in his Description of Greece, tells us, that PITTHEUS, the uncle of Thefeus, taught it at Trezene, in Peloponnefus, and wrote a book concerning it, about 1000 years before Paufanias, who flourished under Adrian. And we learn from Homer, that the art was very early in high esteem among the Greeks, as that poet greatly celebrates NESTOR and ULYSSES for their eloquence. 6. QUINTILIAN fays, that afterwards EMPEDOCLES is the firft upon record who attempted any thing concerning it. And he, by Sir Ifaac Newton's account, flourished about 500 years after Troy was taken. Quintilian alfo tells us, that, the oldeft writers upon this art are Corax and Tifias, both of Sicily. After them came Gorgias of Leontium in the fame island, who is said to have been the scholar of Empedocles, and by reason of his great age (for he lived to be 109 years old) had many contemporaries. Thrafymachus of Chalcedon, Prodicus of Cea, Protagoras of Abdera, Hippias of Elis, and Alcidamus of Elea, lived in his time; as also Antiphon, who firft wrote orations as well as a treatise on the art, and is faid to have spoken admirably well in his own defence; and befides there thing now remains upon the fubject of oratory, except fome tracts of Dionyfius, who flourished ins the reign of Auguftus. But fome eminent writers on this fubject have appeared among the Greeks fince the time of Quintilian, particularly HERMOGENES, and LONGINUS, the author of the incomparable treatife Of the Sublime, a book which can fcarce be too much commended, or too often read. thefe, Polycrates, and Theodore of Byzantium.' Corax and Tifias gave rules for methodizing a difcourfe, and adjufting its particular parts. Cicero fays, "Though fome had spoke well before their time, yet none with order and method." But GORGIAS feems to have excelled all the reft in reputation; for a golden ftatue was erected to him at Delphos, an honour conferred upon him only; and he is said to have been so great a master of oratory, that in a public affembly he would un- II. It was long before the Romans cultivated dertake to declaim immediately upon any fubject this art, and not without difficulty at first. The proposed to him. He wrote, as Cicero informs us, reafon was, that for feveral ages they were wholly in the demonftrative or laudatory way; which re- addicted to military affairs. Therefore, fo late as quires moft of the fublime, and makes what Dio A. U. C. 592, when by the industry of fome Gre dorus Siculus fays of him the more probable, that cians, the liberal arts began to flourish in Italy, a "he first introduced the ftrongeft figures, mem- decree paffed the fenate, by which all philofo bers of periods oppofite in fenfe, of an equal length, phers and rhetoricians were ordered to depart or ending with a like found, and other ornaments out of Rome. But in a few years after, when of that nature." And hence thofe figures which Carneades, Critolaus, and Diogenes, who were give the greatest force and luftre to a difcourfe not only philofophers but orators, came ambaffawere anciently called by his name. Cicero tells dors from Athens to Rome, the Roman youth were us further, that Thrafymachus and Gorgias were fo charmed with the eloquence of their barangues, the first who introduced numbers into profe, that they could no longer be ftopt from purfuing which Ifocrates afterwards brought to perfection. the ftudy of oratory. And by a further acquain Quintilian likewife mentions Protagoras, Gorgi- tance with the Greeks, it foon came into fuch ef as, Prodicus, and Thrafymachus, as the first who treated of common places, and showed the ufe of them. 7. Plato wrote an elegant dialogue upon this fubject, which is ftill extant, entitled Gorgias. 8. But ISOCRATES was the most renowned of all Gorgias's fcholars. Cicero extols him with the highest commendations, as the greatest master and teacher of oratory; " whofe fchool, like the Trojan horse, fent forth many great men." Ariftotle was chiefly induced to engage in this province from an emulation of his glory. Quintilian fays they both wrote upon the art, though there is no fystem of the former extant. But that of Ariftotle is efteemed the best and most complete of any in the Greek language. 9. In this age the Grecian eloquence appeared in its highest perfections. DEMOSTHENES was a hearer both of Ifocrates and Plato, as alfo of ISEUS (ten of whofe orations are yet extant); and by his furprising genius and indefatigable induftry, made fuch advantage of their precepts, that he has been always esteemed by the best judges the prince of Grecian orators, His great adversary and rival SCHINES, after his banishment, is faid to have gone to Rhodes, and employed his, time there in teaching rhetoric. Theodectes and Theophraftus, both scholars of Ariftotle, imitated their master in writing upon the art. And from that time the Greek philofophers, efpecially the ftoics and peripatetics, applied themselves to, lay down the rules of oratory; which Socrates bad before separated from the province of a phi lofopher. 10. There is preferved a treatise upon this fubject, which fome afcribe to DEMETRIUS PHALEREUS, though others, more probably, to DIONYSius of Halicarnaffus, Quintilian mentions feveral other famous rhetoricians in the following ages, who were likewife writers; as Hermagoras, Athenæus, Apollonius, Molo, Areus Cæcilius, Dionyfius of Halicarnaffus, Apollonius of Perga mus, and Theodore of Gadara. But of thefe noVOL. XVI. PART II. teem, perfons of the first quality employed their time and pains to acquire it. 12. SENECA tells us, that Lucius Plotius, a Gaul, was the first who taught the art of oratory at Rome in Latin; which, Cicero fays, was while he was a boy; Seneca adds, that this profeflion continued for fome time in the hands of freed men; and that the firft Roman who engaged in it was BLANDUS, of the equeftrian order, who was fuc ceeded by others; fome of whofe lives are extant, written by Suetonius, as many of the Grecians are by Philoftratus and Eunapins. Quintilian likewife gives us the names of thofe Romans who wrote upon the art. The first (lays he), who compofed any thing upon this argument, was M. Cato the cenfor. After him Antony the orator began upon the fubject, which is the only work he has left, and that imperfect. Then fol lowed fome of lefs note. But he who carried eloquence to its highest pitch among us, was CICERO; who has, likewife by his rules, given the best plan both to practice and teach the art. 13. CORNIFICIUS wrote largely upon the fame fubject; STERTINIUS, and GALLIO the father, each of them fomething. But CELSUS and LENAS were more accurate than Gallio: and in our times Virginius, Pliny, and Rutilius.". Time has deprived us of most of the writers mentioned by Quintilian. But we have the lefs reafon to regret this subject. Besides his Two Books of Inven tion, which Quintilian here cals his Looks of Rhetoric, there are extant his Three Books of an Orator; one of famous Orators; and another, entitled The Orator; alfo his Topics, a preface Concerning the best fort of Orators, and a treatise Of the parts of Oratory. Each of thefe treatifes, whether we regard the juftnefs and delicacy of the thoughts, the usefulness of the rules, or the elegance and beauty of the ftyle, deferves to be frequently perufed by all lovers of eloquer cz. But the Four books to Herennius, which are publifhed among Cicero's works, feem with good reafon to be attributed to Cornificius. LII 14. Celfus 14. Celfus is alfo faid to have taught oratory, whom Quintilian places among the beft rhetoricians, and whofe Eight Books of Medicine are yet extant, written in lo beautiful a ftyle as plainly fhows him a mafter of eloquence. But Quintilian himself excelled all who went before him in diligence and accuracy as a writer. His Inftitutions are fo comprehenfive, and written with such exactnefs and judgment, that they are generally allowed to be the most perfect work of the kind. 15. There were fome other orators in the following ages, whofe works are yet extant; but as they contain nothing of moment, it is unneceffary to enumerate them. The Abp. of Cambray gives it as his opinion, that the method of forming the beft fyftem of oratory, is to collect it from the fineft precepts of Ariftotle, Cicero, Quintilian, Longinus, and other celebrated authors of antiquity... 16. The bufinefs of oratory is to teach us to fpeak well; which, as CICERO explains it, is to fpeak july, methodically, floridly, and copiously. 17. To fpeak justly, a man must be able to fay all that is proper, and to avoid whatever is trifling. 18. To fpeak methodically, the orator must arrange all the parts of his discourse in their proper order. 19. To fpeak floridly, is fo peculiar a property of this art, that fome haye wholly confined it to the pomp and ornaments of language. But true eloquence requires not only the beauties and flowers of language, but likewife the beft fenfe and cleareft reafoning. Befides, rhetoric gives rules for the feveral forts of ftyle, and directs the ufe of them agreeably to the nature of the subject. 20. But the force of oratory appears in nothing more than a copioufnefs of expreffion, or a proper manner of enlargement, fuited to the nature of the fubject; which is of great use in perfuafion, and forms the laft property required by Cicero of speaking well. A fhort and concife account of things is often attended with obfcurity, from an omiffion of fume neceffary circumftances relating to them, and is incapable of exciting the attention of the hearer. But where the images of things are drawn in their full proportion, painted in their proper colours, fet in a clear light, and represented in different views, with all the ftrength and beauties of eloquence, they captivate the minds of the audience with the higheft pleafure, engage their attention, and, by an irrefiftible force, bend them to the opinion of the speaker. 21. While the orator employs his art in purfuing only thofe ends for which it was at firft defigned, the perfuading men to good and virtuous actions, and diffuading them from every thing that is ill and vicious; nothing can be more commendable in itfelt, or ufeful to human focieties. But the best things may be abused. DIVISIONS of Oratory. 22. ORATORY Confifis of four parts; invention, difpofition, elocution, sud pronunciation. Every one who aims to peak well and accurately upon any fubject, purfues fuch thoughts as feem moft proper to explain and illuftrate the thing upon which he defigns to difcourfe. And if the nature of it requires that he should bring reasons to confirm what he fays, he not only feeks the ftrongest, and fuch as are like to be best received; but prepares to answer any objection which may be offered to the contrary. This is invention.-After this he confiders how he can beft arrange thofe arguments which have occurred to his mind, that they may appear in the plaineft light, and not lose their force by diforder and confufion. This is difpofition. His next care is to give his thoughts an agreeable drefs; by selecting the most proper words, cleareft expreffions, smooth and harmonious periods, with other ornaments of ftyle, as may beft fuit the nature of his fubject, brighten his difcourfe, and render it most entertaining to his hearers. This is elocution.The laft thing is, to deliver what he has thus compofed with a just and agreeable pronunciation. And daily experience convinces us, how much this contributes both to engage the attention, and imprefs what is fpoken upon the mind of the hearers. PART I. OF INVENTION. SECT. I. Of INVENTION in general; and particu larly of COMMON PLACES, and the STATE of a CAUSE. 23. INVENTION, in general, is the difcovery of fuch things as are proper to perfuade. To attain this end, the orator proposes three things: 1. To prove or illuftrate the fubject upon which he treats; 2. To conciliate the minds of his hearers, and to engage their paffions in his favour; and 3. As thefe require different kinds of arguments or motives, invention furnishes him with a fupply for each of them. 24. An argument, as defined by Cicero, is a reafon which induces us to believe what before we doubted of. And as different kinds of discourfes require different arguments, rhetoricians have confidered them two ways; in general, under certain heads, as a common fund for all subjects; and, in a more particular manner, as they are fuited to demonftrative, deliberative, or judicial difcourfes. 25. Great learning and extenfive knowledge are noble funds for invention. An orator therefore fhould be furnished with a ftock of important truths, folid maxims, and a variety of knowledge, collected both from obfervation and acquaintance with the liberal arts; that he may not only be able to exprefs himself in the moft agreeable manner, but likewife to support what he says with the strongest and cleareft arguments. 26. But as all are not born with a like happy genius, and have not the fame opportunity to cultivate their minds with learning and knowledge; art has prefcribed a method to leffen, in fome measure, thefe difficulties, and help every one to a fupply of arguments upon any subject. And this is done by common places, which CICERO calls the feats or heads of arguments, and, by a name from from the Greek, TOPICS. They are of two forts, internal and external. 27. I. Internal topics arise from the fubject upon which the orator treats; and are therefore diftinguished from external, which he fetches from without, and applies to his purpose. Cicero and Quintilian make them fixteen; of which three comprehend the whole thing they are brought to prove, namely, definition, enumeration, and notation; of the remaining 13, fome contain a part of it, and the reft its various properties and circumftances, with other confiderations relating to it; and these are, genus, fpecies, antecedents, confequents, adjun&s, conjugates, caufe, effect, contraries, oppofites, fimili. tude, diffimilitude, and comparison. 28. Definition explains the nature of the thing defined, and shows what it is. Enumeration takes in all the parts of a thing. And from this we prove, that what agrees to all the parts agrees to the whole. Notation, or etymology, explains the meaning or fignification of a word. Genus contains under it two or more species of things, differing in nature. Species is that which comprehends under it all the individuals of the fame nature. Antecedents are fuch things, as, being once allowed, others neceffarily, or very probably, follow. Confequents are fuch things as, being allowed, neceffarily or very probably infer their antecedents. Adjuncts are feparable properties of things, or circumstances that attend them. These are very numerous, and afford a great variety of arguments. They do not neceffarily infer their fubject; but, if fitly chofen, render a thing credible, and are a good ground for affent. Conjugates are words deduced from the fame origin with that of our fubject. By these the habit is proved from its acts. A caufe is that by the force of which a thing does exift. There are four kinds of caufes, matter, form, efficient, and end, which afford a great variety of arguments. The way of reafoning from them is to infer the effect from the cause. An effect is that which arifes from a caufe, therefore the cause is proved by it. Contraries are things, which, under the fame genus, are at the utmoft diftance from each other; fo that, what we grant to the one we deny the other. Oppofites are things, which, though repugnant to each other, yet are not directly contradictory: as, To love and to injure, to hate and to commend. They differ from contraries in this, that they do not abfolutely exclude one another. Similitude is an agreement of things in quality. Diffimilitude is a difagreement of things in quality. Comparison is made three ways; for either a thing is compared with a greater, with a lefs, or with its equal. This, therefore, differs from fimilitude on this account, that the quality was confidered in that, but here the quantity. 29. From this account of common places, as laid down by the orators of ancient Greece and Rome, it is easy to conceive what a large field of difcourfe they open to the mind upon every fubject. "One who had no other aim (fays Dr BLAIR) but to talk copiously and plaufibly, by confulting them on every fubject, and laying hold of all that they fuggefted, might difcourfe without end; and that too, though he had only the moft fuperficial knowledge of his fubject. But fuch difcourfe could be no other than trivial. What is truly folid and perfuafive must be drawn from a thorough knowledge of the fubject, and profound meditation on it. They who would direct ftudents of oratory to any other fources of argumentation, only delude them; and by attempting to render rhetoric too perfect art, they render it, in truth, a trifling and childish ftudy." 30. II. External topics are all taken from authorities, and have one general name, Teftimonies. 31. All teftimonies may be diftinguished into two forts, divine and human. A divine teftimony, when certainly known to be fuch, is inconteftable, and admits of no debate. Human teftimonies, confidered as furnishing the orator with arguments, may be reduced to three heads; WRITINGS, WITNESSES, and CONTRACTS. (See these articles.) 32. The occafion of dispute respecting written teftimonies, which may afford the orator an opportunity of difplaying his abilities may arife from five circumftances; viz. Ambiguity, Disagreement be tween words and intention, Contrariety, Reasoning, and Interpretation. Of these it would be fuperfluous to give examples. 33. III. Of the STATE of a CONTROVERSY. The ancients, obferving that the principal question or point of difpute in all controverfies might be referred to fome particular head, reduced those heads to a certain number, that both the nature of the question might thus be better known, and the arguments fuited to it be difcovered with greater eafe. And these heads they call Rates. 34. The number of these states, both Cicero and Quintilian reduce to three; and tell us, that three things may be inquired into in all difputes: Whether a thing is? what it is? and how it is? SECT. II. Of ARGUMENTS fuited to DEMONSTRATIVE DISCOURSES. 35. THESE Confift either in praise or dispraise; and, agreeably to the nature of all contraries, one of them will ferve to illuftrate the other. Either perfons or things may be the subjects of praise. 36. I. In praifing or difpraifing perfons, rhetori cians prefcribe two methods: 1. To follow the order in which every thing happened that is mentioned in the discourse: 2. To reduce what is faid under certain general heads, without a strict regard to the order of time. 37. i. In pursuing the former method, the dif courfe may be very conveniently divided into three periods. The firit of which will contain what preceded the perfon's birth; the fecond, the whole courfe of his life; and the third, what followed upon his death. 38. ii. The other method is to reduce the dif courfe to certain general heads, without regarding the order of time. As if any one, in praifing the elder Cato, fhould propose to do it, by showing that he was a moft prudent fenator, an excellent orator, and most valiant general. 39. II. In praising things, all beings inferior to man may be proper subjects for praise or difpraise; whether animate or inanimate; whether ideal or real; as virtues, vices, countries, cities, &c. But what chiefly claim the attention of the orator, as fubjects of praise or difpraife, are the actions of men. LI12 SECT. |