It consisteth therefore chiefly in proofs, which are inferences: and all inferences being _syllogisms_, a _logician_, if he would observe the difference between a plain syllogism and an enthymeme, which is a rhetorical syllogism, would make the best _rhetorician_. For all syllogisms and inferences belong properly to logic, whether they infer truth or probability. And because without this art it would often come to pass that evil men, by the advantage of natural abilities, would carry an evil cause against a good; it brings with it at least this profit, that making the pleaders even in skill, it leaves the odds only in the merit of the cause. Besides, ordinarily those that are judges, are neither patient, nor capable of long scientifical proofs drawn from the principles through many syllogisms; and therefore had need to be instructed by the rhetorical and shorter way. Lastly, it were ridiculous to be ashamed of being vanquished in exercises of the body, and not to be ashamed of being inferior in the virtue of well expressing the mind. ========== CHAPTER II THE DEFINITION OF RHETORIC. Rhetoric is that faculty, by which we understand what will serve our turn concerning any subject to win belief in the hearer. Of those things that beget belief, some require not the help of art, as witnesses, evidences, and the like, which we invent not, but make use of; and some require art, and are invented by us. The belief that proceeds from our invention, comes partly from the behaviour of the speaker, partly from the passions of the hearer; but especially from the proofs of what we allege. Proofs are, in rhetoric, either _examples_ or _enthymemes_; as in logic, _inductions_ or _syllogisms_. For an example is a short induction, and an enthymeme a short syllogism; out of which are left, as superfluous, that which is supposed to be necessarily understood by the hearer; to avoid prolixity, and not to consume the time of public business needlessly. ========== CHAPTER III. OF THE SEVERAL KINDS OF ORATIONS: AND OF THE PRINCIPLES OF RHETORIC. In all orations, the hearer does either hear only, or judge also. If he hear only, that is one kind of oration, and is called _demonstrative_. If he judge, he must judge either of that which is to come, or of that which is past. If of that which is to come, there is another kind of oration, and is called _deliberative_. If of that which is past, then it is a third kind of oration, _judicial_. So there are three kinds of orations; _demonstrative_, _judicial_, and _deliberative_. To which belong their proper times. To the demonstrative, the _present_; to the judicial, the _past_; and to the deliberative, the _time to come_.