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PREFACE.

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OTH the Antients and the Moderns have treated of Eloquence, with different Views, and in different Ways; as Logicians, as Grammarians, and as Criticks: but we ftill wanted an Author who shou'd handle this delicate Subject as a Philofopher, and a Chriftian: and this the late Archbishop of CAMBRAY has done in the following Dialogues.

In the antient Writers we find many folid Precepts of Rhetorick, and very juft Rules laid down with great Exactness: but they are oftimes too numerous, too dry; and in fine, rather

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curious than useful. Our judicious Author reduces the effential Rules of this wonderful Art, to these three Points; proving, painting, and moving the Paffions.

To qualify his Orator for proving, or eftablishing any Truth, He wou'd have him a Philofopher; who knows how to enlighten the Understanding, while he moves the Paffions and to act at once upon all the Powers of the Mind; not only by placing the Truth in fo clear a Light as to gain Attention and Affent; but likewife by moving all the fecret Springs of the Soul, to make it love that Truth it is convinc'd of. In one word, Our Author wou'd have his Orator's Mind fill'd with bright, useful Truths, and the most noble exalted Views.

That he may be able to paint, or defcribe well, he shou'd have a Poetick kind of Enthufiafm; and know how to employ beautiful Figures, lively Images, and bold Touches, when the Subject requires them. But this Art ought to be entirely conceal'd: or, if it must appear; it fhou'd feem to be a just Copy of Nature. Wherefore our ingenious Author reject's all fuch falfe Ornaments

Ornaments as ferve only to please the Ear, with harmonious Sounds ; and the Imagination, with Ideas that are more gay and sparkling, than just and folid.

To move the Paffions our eloquent Author wou'd have an Orator fet every Truth in its proper Place; and fo connect them that the Firft may make way for the Second; and the next fupport the former: So that the Discourse shall gradually advance in Strength and Clearness, till the Hearers perceive the whole Weight and Force of the Truth. And then he ought to difplay it in the livelyeft Images; and both in his Words and Gesture ufe all those affecting Movements that are proper to express the Paffions he wou'd excite.

It is by reading the Antients that we must form our Tafte, and learn the Art of Eloquence in all its Extent. But feeing that fome of the Antients them felves have their Defects, we must read them with Caution and Judgment. Our Learned Author diftinguishes the genuine Beauties of the pureft Antiquity, from the falfe Ornaments us'd in After-Ages; he points out what is excellent, and what is faulty, both in

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Sacred and Profane Authors; and fhews us that the Eloquence of the Holy Scripture, in many Places, furpasses that of the Greeks and Romans, in native Simplicity, Livelynefs, Grandeur, and in every thing that can recommend Truth to our Affent and Admiration.

Nothing can be more proper than thefe Dialogues, to guard us against the vitiated Taste of falfe Wit; which ferves only for Amusement and Oftentation. Such Eloquence as is founded on Vanity and Self-love, delights in gaudy Ornaments; and neglects the genuine Graces of a noble Simplicity. For, the glittering Fancy and quaint Turns, and forc'd Antithefes, the smooth Periods, and other artificial Ornaments of falfe Oratory, make a little Genius lofe the Relifh of thofe fuperiour and folid Beauties that force their way to the Mind, and at once enlighten, and cap tivate it.

They who value nothing but Wit, will probably dislike the Plainness of thefe Dialogues: but they wou'd form another Fudgment of them if they confider'd that there are different Stiles of Dialogue of which Antiquity furnishes us with two celebrated Patterns;

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the Dialogues of PLATO; and thofe of LUCIAN. Plato like a true Philofopher, fudy'd chiefly to give Force and Light to his Arguments; and chofe no other Stile than what is us'd in Converfation: fo that his Language is artless, eafy, and familiar. On the contrary Lucian is every-where witty and Sparkling. All the Perfons he introduces have a sprightly delicate Fancy; fo that in reading him, we forget the feign'd Characters of Gods and Men who speak in his Dialogues; and cannot but fee the ingenious Author in every thing they fay. We must own however that he is an Original, who has fucceeded wonderfully in this way of writing. He ridicul'd Men in the moft facetious pleafing Manner: While Plato inftructed them with Gravity and Wifdom. The Archbishop of Cambray has imitated them both, on different Subjects. In his Dialogues of the Dead (which he compos'd for the Inftruction of a young Prince that was his Pupil) we find the various Wit and agreeable Humour of Lucian. And in the following Sheets, where he lays down the Rules of fuch a grave Eloquence as is proper to move and perfwade Men; he imitates Plato: every thing is natural, and inftructive and instead of Wit

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