I

CV

Vi ceteræ partes vel fectæ fecundas vnanimiter deferunt, cum fingulæ principatum fibi vindicent melior reliquis videtur. Nam primas quæque ex zelo videtur fumere, fecundas autem ex vero tribuere. 2 Cuius excellentia vel exuperantia melior id toto genere melius.

3 Quod ad veritatem refertur maius eft quàm quod ad opinionem. Modus autem, et probatio eius quod ad opinionem pertinet hæc eft. Quod quis fi clam putaret fore facturus non effet.

4 Quod rem integram feruat bonum quod fine receptu eft malum. Nam fe recipere non poffe impotentiæ genus eft, potentia autem bonum.

5 Quod ex pluribus conftat, et diuifibilius eft maius quàm quod ex paucioribus et magis vnum: nam omnia per partes confiderata maiora videntur; quare et pluralitas partium magnitudinem præ fe fert, fortiùs autem operatur pluralitas partium fi ordo abfit, nam inducit fimilitudinem infiniti, et impedit comprehenfionem.

6 Cuius priuatio bona, malum, cuius priuatio mala bonum.

7 Quod bono, vicinum bonum, quod a bono remotum malum.

8 Quod quis culpa fua contraxit, maius malum, quod ab externis imponitur minus malum.

9 Quod opera, et virtute noftra partum eft, maius bonum, quod ab alieno beneficio, vel ab indulgentia fortunæ delatum eft, minus bonum.

10 Gradus priuationis maior videtur quàm gradus diminutionis, et rurfus gradus inceptionis maior videtur quàm gradus incrementi.

N deliberatiues the point is what is good and what is euill, and of good what is greater, and of euill what is the leffe.

So that the perfwaders labor is to make things appeare good or euill, and that in higher or lower degree, which as it may be perfourmed by true and folide reafons, fo it may be represented also by coulers, popularities and circumstances, which are of such force, as they fway the ordinarie iudgement either of a weake man, or of a wife man, not fully and confiderately attending and pondering the matter. Besides their power to alter the nature of the fubiect in appearance, and so to leade to error, they are of no leffe vse to quicken and strengthen the opinions and perfwasions which are true: for reasons plainely deliuered, and alwaies after one manner especially with fine and fastidious mindes, enter but heauily and dully; whereas if they be varyed and haue more life and vigor put into them by these fourmes and infinuations, they cause a stronger apprehenfion, and many times fuddainely win the minde to a refolution. Lastly, to make a true and fafe iudgement, nothing can be of greater vse and defence to the minde, then the discouering and reprehenfion of these coulers, fhewing in what cases they hold, and in what cafes they deceiue: which as it cannot be done, but out of a very vniuersfall knowledge of the nature of things, so being perfourmed, it so cleareth mans iudgement and election, as it is the leffe apt to flide into any error.

6

A Table of Coulers, or apparances of good and euill, and their degrees as places of perfwafion and diffwafion; and their feuerall fallaxes, and

the elenches of them.

refutations

[1] Cui cetera partes vel fectæ fecundas vnanimiter deferunt, cum fingula principatum fibi vindicent melior reliquis videtur, nam primas quæque ex zelo videtur fumere, fecundas autem ex vero et merito tribuere.

O Cicero went about to proue the Secte of Academiques which fufpended all affeueration, for to be the beft, for fayth he, aske a Stoicke which Philofophie is true, he will preferre his owne: Then aske him which approcheth next the truth, he will confeffe the Academiques. So deale with the Epicure that will scant indure the Stoicke to be in fight of him, as foone as he hath placed himfelfe, he will place the Academiques next him.

So if a Prince tooke diuers competitors to a place, and examined them feuerallie whome next themselues they would ratheft commend, it were like the ableft man fhould haue the moft fecond votes.

The fallax of this couler hapneth oft in refpect

of enuy, for men are accustomed after themselues and their owne faction to incline to them which are softest and are least in their way in despite and derogation of them that hold them hardest to it. So that this couler of melioritie and preheminence is oft a figne of eneruation and weakeneffe.

2 Cuius excellentia vel exuperantia melior, id toto genere melius.

A

Ppertaining to this are the fourmes; Let vs not wander in generalities: Let vs compare particular with particular, etc. This appearance though it seeme of strength aid rather Logicall then Rhetoricall, yet is

very oft a fallax.

Sometimes because fome things are in kinde very cafuall, which if they escape, proue excellent, so that the kinde is inferior, because it is so fubiect to perill, but that which is excellent being proued is fuperior, as the bloffome of March and the blossome of May, whereof the French verfe goeth.

Bourgeon de Mars enfant de Paris,

Si vn efchape, il en vaut dix.

So that the bloffome of May is generally better then the bloffome of March; and yet the best blossome of March is better then the best blossome of May.

Sometimes, because the nature of fome kindes is to be more equall and more indifferent, and not to haue very distant degrees, as hath bene noted in the warmer clymates, the people are generally more wife, but in the Northerne climate the wits of chiefe are greater. So in many Armies, if the matter should be tryed by duell betweene two Champions, the victory should go on one fide, and yet if it be tryed by the grosse, it would go of the other fide; for excellencies go as it were by chance, but kindes go by a more certaine nature, as by discipline in warre.