Alain incidentally defines the character of each of the seven arts, and summarizes its scope. Each has its function—except _rhetorica_. The other members of the Trivium[43] provide the car of Prudentia with essential pole and axle; the Quadrivium supplies essential wheels; but all that _Rhetorica_ has to offer is quite unessential adornment. Though Alain rehearses the traditional parts of her ancient lore,[44] he sums up her actual occupation in two lines of cardinal significance. Supremasque manus apponit, opusque sororum Perficit, atque semel factum perfectius ornat. III. ii. 511 D. In other words, rhetoric is not operative as composition, but only as style after the fact. Her gifts to the soul are only _colores_, _decor_, _clausula_. Adsunt rhetoricæ cultus floresque colorum, Verba quibus stellata nitent; et sermo decorem Induit, et multa splendescit clausula luce. VII. vi. 554 D. Alain’s own use of rhetoric is consistent with this point of view. Each of his allegorical figures is introduced with the conventional descriptive ecphrasis; and his diffuseness arises from the idea that _poetica_ involves decorative dilation by those _colores_ of which Cicero and Vergil are equally patterns. Verbi pauperiem redimit splendore _colorum_ Tullius, et dictis ornatus fulgura donat. Virgilii musa mendacia multa _colorat_, Et facie veri contexit pallia falso. I. iv. 491 C. 2. The _Speculum Doctrinale_ of Vincent of Beauvais The vast _Speculum_ of Vincent of Beauvais[45] is a compend of all knowledge. Its second part, _Speculum doctrinale_, Mirror of Teaching, devotes two books to the Trivium. _Grammatica_,[46] including metric, follows Isidore. The following book[47] devotes ninety-eight chapters to logic (_logica_), ten to rhetoric, twenty-three to poetic. The proportion is significant; and _poetica_, taken from under the ægis of _grammatica_, appears as a separate, coördinate section. For rhetoric Vincent, still following Isidore,[48] repeats the classical definition and division. The following chapters (101-108) deal briefly with the elements of a speech, the ideals of oratory, the types of cases, status, syllogisms, _loci rhetorici_, style. Vincent then goes on to _poetica_,