_Cato_ vnderstanding that the Senate had appointed three citizens of Rome for embassadours to the king of _Bithinia_, whereof one had the Gowte, another the Meigrim, the third very little courage or discretion to be employd in any such businesse, said by way of skoffe in this figure. _Must not (trowe ye) this message be well sped, That hath neither heart, nor heeles, nor hed?_ And as a great Princesse aunswered her seruitour, who distrusting in her fauours toward him, praised his owne constancie in these verses. _No fortune base or frayle can alter me:_ To whome she in this figure repeting his words: _No fortune base or frayle can alter thee. And can so blind a witch so conquere mee?_ [Sidenote: _Ecphonisis_, or the Outcry.] The figure of exclamation, I call him [_the outcrie_] because it vtters our minde by all such words as do shew any extreme passion, whether it be by way of exclamation or crying out, admiration or wondering, imprecation or cursing, obtestation or taking God and the world to witnes, or any such like as declare an impotent affection, as _Chaucer_ of the _Lady Cresseida_ by exclamation. _O soppe of sorrow soonken into care, O caytife Cresseid, for now and evermare_. Or as _Gascoine_ wrote very passionatly and well to purpose: _Ay me the dayes that I in dole consume, Alas the nights which witnesse well mine woe: O wrongfull world which makest my fancie faine Fie fickle fortune, fie, fie thou art my foe: Out and alas so froward is my chance, No nights nor daies, nor worldes can me auance._ _Petrarche_ in a sonet which Sir _Thomas Wiat_ Englished excellently well, said in this figure by way of imprecation and obtestation: thus, _Perdie I said it not, Nor neuer thought to doo: Aswell as I ye wot, I haue no power thereto: "And if I did the lot That first did me enchaine, May neuer shake the knot But straite it to my paine. "And if I did each thing, That may do harme or woe: Continually may wring, My harte where so I goe. "Report may alwaies ring: Of shame on me for aye, If in my hart did spring, The wordes that you doo say. "And if I did each starre, That is in heauen aboue._ And so forth, &c. [Sidenote: _Brachiologa_, or the Cutted comma] We vse sometimes to proceede all by single words, without any close or coupling, sauing that a little pause or comma is geuen to euery word. This figure for pleasure may be called in our vulgar the cutted comma, for that there cannot be a shorter diuision then at euery words end. The Greekes in their language call it short language, as thus. _Enuy, malice, flattery, disdaine, Auarice, deceit, falsned, filthy gaine._ If this loose language be vsed, not in single words, but in long clauses, it is called _Asindeton_, and in both cases we vtter in that fashion, when either we be earnest, or would seeme to make hast.