l e m e . l i b r a r y . u t o r o n t o . c a

s t c 2 2 4 2 9

v e r . 1 . 0  ( 2 0 1 9 )




A Treatise of the Figures of Grammer and Rhetorike,
profitable for al that be studious of Eloquence, and in especiall for suche as
in Grammer scho­ les doe reade moste elo­ quente Poetes and
Oratours:

Whereunto is ioygned the oration 
which Cicero made to Cesar, ge­
uing thankes vnto him for 
pardonyng, and restoring 
again of that nobleman 
Marcus Marcellus, 
sette foorth by Ri­
charde Sherrye 
Londonar.

Londini in ædibus Ri­
cardi Totteli.

Cum priuilegio ad impri­
mendum solum.











HONORATISSIMO DOMINO 
Guilielmo Pagetto, nobilissimi ordinis Gar­
terit equiti aurato, domino de Beudesert, 
& illustrissi. nostræ reginæ Maria con­
siliario, Ricardus Sherryus sa­
lutem optat perpetuam.

QVando ex omnibus dei
opt, Max creaturis nul­
lum animal homine pre­
stantius esse constat, Ho­
noratissime domine, eius 
tamen quanta sit digni­
tas, cum ex aliis multis, 
tum velhinc potissimum 
colligimus, quod cum caiera fere corporis omnia 
cum brutis habeamus communia, non tamen vt illa, 
(que natura prona, atque ventri obedientia finx­
it) obtutu in terram desixo, incurui deuoluimur, 
sed erecta ad cœlum facie, amplissimum huius 
mundi the atrum, & quid quid est cius ornatus sy­
derei, id totum oculis perlustrantes, non sine magna 
quadam animi iucunditate, diligentissime per­
discimus, & lubentissime contemplamur, Verum 
enimuero cum intellectus noster id sibi quasi pecu­ 
liare videatur habere, rerum causas perquirendo, 
meditando, cogitando, complecti: sua ipsius subli­




mitate contenta, seque, suisque bonis, suauissimis qui­
dem illis, apud se tantummodo perfruitur. Atqui 
id ne semper fieret, sed maiorem stirps humana vt 
caperet vtilitatem, τονλογον, id est, sermonem 
illi attexuit diuina benignitas, vt motus suos illos
inter nos, sua sibi mentis æterna agitatione fabri­
catos, in communem hominis vsum, diserta oris, atque 
linguæ interpretatione, postea proferret, &, in quam 
plurimos latissime diffuderet: adeo vt mihi rectis­
sime iudicasse videantur, qui hanc hominis diffe­
rentiam, quasique peculiarem notam esse existimaue­
runt,   τονλογικονειναι id est, fandi conpotem esse. 
Ceterum cum id a nonnullis simplicius fiat, atque 
rudius, nihil vt propemodum a mutis, ac brutis, 
differre videantur, certe in quibus vis illa diuina, 
atque dicendi facultas, vires suas abundantius, 
ac fortius exeruit, hos, certe tanto ceteris prestare 
iudicamus, quanto illa rationis enargia, atque ser­
monis magnificentia, reliquis antecedunt, & plu­
res in sui admirationem adducunt. Huius gene­
ris, & si pauci extiterunt (si ad multitudinem re­
spicias) extiterunt tamen vbique fere gentium non 
nulli, maxime vere Græci, atque Latini, quorum 
fama nunc in illustri posita, æditis ad posteros cla­
rissimis monumentis, æternitatem sine dubio est 
consequuta: Hi, & apud suos, & in republica sum­
mo semper cum honore versati, id velin primis v­




tile atque adeo necessarium existimauerunt, Elo­
quentiam excolere: cuius beneficia tanta, non mo­
do tot retro seculis (ab immanitate videlicet ad hu­
manitatem deducto iam humano genere opti­
me intelligebant homines nimirum prudentissimi, 
sed in posterum quoque tantas eius commoditates 
exorituras, vt in longissimum, atque adeo in eternum 
sint duraturæ. Quod vt fieret, neue vt vlla tempo­
ris iniuria, aut edaci annorum serie aboleantur, 
cum a compluribus sedulo sit curatum, tum ab 
his certe haud leue momentum allatum esse vide­ 
tur, qui relictis posteritati luculentissimis preceptis 
Eloquentie laudem, atque memoriam, orbi commem 
datissimam esse, voluerunt. Quorum aliquot scripta 
cum nuper legerem, atque ex his, quedam non te­
mere annotata, excerperem, que, cum aliis multis, 
tum in ludo literario versantibus, in primis prosu­ 
tura existimo: ea quisquis iuuandi studio in me­
dium protulerit, etiam si laudem nullam fuerit conse­
quutus, procul tamem a sicophantarum morsibus esse
debet. Et certe si verum fateri volumus, absque Tropo­ 
rum, & Schematum perfecta cognitione, imperfecta 
plane omnis poetarum, simul & oratorum est pre­
lectio. Quia vero de figurarum generibus, atque vo­
bulis inter artis scriptores non satis conuenit, aliis 
confusius, nonnullis conscise nimis de illis tractan­
tibus, haud indignum opere laborem me suscep­




turum putabam, si paulo acutius inspectis earum 
descriptionibus, ordine quam fieri potuit lucidissi­
mo, non quidem vniuersas, sed maxime scitu dig­
nas comprehenderem, & studiose iuuentuti, quasi
in tabella spectandas, proponerem. Cæterum vt ca­
lumiatorum plena sunt omnia, ita non defuturos 
puto, qui hunc meum laborem vt leuiculum, con­
temnent, atque etiam vel hoc nomine irridebunt 
etiam, quod Anglice de Rhetoricis scribam. Inua­
luit enim nescio quo modo, ac sepissime auditur 
stultissima ista quorundam, sibi quidem vt viden­
tur criticorum, opimo, negantium fieri posse, vt que 
aliena in lingua diserte scribuntur, maxime si dis­
ciplinas attingunt, ea, cum venustate aliqua 
in nostrum sermonem posse transfundi. Horum 
ineptias, & si non sit difficile multis, eisque 
fortissimus argumentis refellere, vt tamen il­
lis ora obstruantur, non quidem meis vllis rationi­
bus, sed illius viri testimonis, cuius autoritate com­
pressi, postea ne hiscere quidem contra, nisi impu­
dentissime audebunt, placuit in medium profer­
re, que super hac re, eximius ilie Rodulphus Agri­
cola, & prudentissime iudicauit, & disertissime
in hec verba conscripsit Quicquid apud emendatos 
autores leges, vtilissimum fuerit, idipsum 
quam maxime propriis, & idem significantibus 
verbis reddere vernaculo sermone. Hac enim ex




ercitatione assequeris, vt quoties dicendum tibi
aliquid, scribendumue fuerit, quando concipiendis 
verbis apud animum tuum sese quo natura 
fert vernaculus sermo protulerit, statim quoque la 
tina verba iam pridem illic hoc vsu accommodata, 
sequantur. Ad hec quoque si quid scribere voles, 
optimum erit idipsum, quam plenissime, rectissi­ 
meque, patrio sermone intra animum tuum for­
mare, deinde latinis, pure, proprieque id signifi­ 
cantibus, explicare. Sic fiet, vt omnia aperte, & 
quam maxime plene, dicantur. Omnes enim si quid 
in dicendo est vitri, facillime in eo perspicimus 
sermone, ad quem sumus nati, &, si quid vel dilu­ 
cide parum, vel breuius quam conueniat, vel con­ 
torte nimium, nec satis cum re proposita coherens 
dictum fuerit, in eo sermone expeditius annotabit 
quisque, quem notissimum habebit. Hactenus 
Rodulphus. Ex quibus plane conuincitur, non 
modo ex aliena lingua nostras versiones esse pro­ 
bandas, sed quanta quoque eius rei sit vtilitas, 
luculentissime ostenditur, Sed ad te reuertor Ho­ 
noratiss domine. Equidem munusculum hoc longe infra 
dignitatem tuam esse confiteor, qui pro tua sapien­ 
tia, & ante complures annos, & nunc ab illustris­ 
sima nostra regina Maria in consilium ascitus, in 
hoc munere longe honorificentissimo, summo cum




citer administrandis, pari cum fide, & integrita­ 
te, versaris. Vt tamen islud qualecunque est Do­ 
minationi tuæ offerrem, audaciam mihi fecit, sin­ 
gularis ille ammi tui candor, quo semper in stu­
diosos omnes, tum in me priuatim benignissime 
vsus, vt de tuo in me animo, ac propensa voluntate 
felicissima queque mihi promitterem, ac etiam op­
time sperarem, effecisti Atque vt in his colligen­
dis haud omnino nullus fuit labor, ita carte mul­
tis, que ad suscepti operis expolitionem pertinebant, 
hoc tempore dificientibus, non vt volui, sed vt po­
tui, opusculum hoc, & quasi syluam vberioris ope­
ris futuri, in publicum emisi: ampliaturus, si mo­
do vita, ociumque literis dignum contigerint, In­
terim hunc meum qualemcunque laborem, 
si æquis lectoribus, maxime vero tuæ prestan­
tiæ, non ingratum sore intellexero, certe, & 
scriptionis huius abunde mihi magnum 
pretium cepisse videor, & hac vestra 
facilitate, ad maiora in posterum sus­
cipienda, animabor, Dominati­
onem tuam deus. Opt: Max. 
quam diutissime? seruet 
incolumen.





DE ELOQVVTIONE.
	

ELoquutio, quam  Φζασιν 
Græci dicunt, vnde & 
Eloquentiæ nomen or­
tum esse putant, omni­
um partium vt pulcher­
rima, ita quoque vtilis­ 
sima, atque difficilima 
est, in qua oratoris vis 
illa diuina cernitur, quam cum Cicerone optimo 
doctore, in partitionibus, copiose loquendi sapien­
tiam definio, Nam et ea profusæ & immensæ re­
rum omnium inuentioni varietatem, plenitudi­
nemque addit: & certis dicendi luminibus, res 
in orationibus explicat, atque exornat: & flumen 
grauissimis, sententiis, et optimis verbis, propriis, ap­
te translatis, sonantibus, ad dicendi gænus addu­
cit. Nec solum ex flumine isto eloquutionis eligere 
verba oportet, sed etiam collocare. Vis enim & fa­
cultas orationis in simplicibus verbis, & coniun­
ctis versatur, quarum illa inuemenda sunt, hæc 
collocanda. Est enim quidam ornatus, qui ex sin­
gulis verbis est: alius qui ex coniunctis constat. E­
ligere autem & suo queque loco collocare, de sen­
tentia Ciceronis, in oratore, & Fabij Quintiliani 
libro institutionum oratorium octauo, nequa­




quam facile est. Sic. M. Antonius dicere sole­
bat disertos se vidisse multos, eloquentem adhuc 
nominim. Et M. Fullius (vt ait Fabius) inuen­
tionem quidem & dispositionem prudentis ho­
minis putauit, eloquentiam vero oratoris. Ratio 
enim inueniendi, & collocandi, communis omnium 
esse potest, qui vel antiquitatis clarissima monu­
menta in codicillos referunt, atque historias lite­
ris memoriæque mandant, vel, qui de aliqua 
re loquuntur eloqui apte, destincte, ornateque di­
cere, admodum paucis concessum est. Sed quoniam 
bipartita nobis eloquutionis est preceptio, pri­
mum dicemus quas res omnis oratoria elocutio 
habere debet, que pars in sermone Latino atque 
perspicuo, & compositione, & dignitate posita 
est: deinde quibus in dicendi generibus versa­
tur. Eloquutio igitur commoda & perfecta, 
tres res in se habere debet: Sermonem Latinum, 
& perspicuum, compositionem, dignitatem.

De Latino & perspicuo 
sermone.

DE his autem que in Eloquutione posuimus, 
hec sit prima cura, vt Latine & perspi­
cue ad rerum dignitatem atque naturam lo­




quamur, & verba efferamus ea, que, (vt 
ait Cicero de oratore) nemo iure reprehendat. 
Latinus autem sermo & prespicuus ex Gram­
maticis discitur, qui orationem puram & ab 
omni vitio intermissam conseruat, & facit vt v­
numquodque pure, & aperte, & dilucide di­
ci videatur. Constat autem Latinus sermo 
vsitatis verbis, quæ in vsu quotidiani ser­
monis versantur, & proprijs, quæ eius rei 
sunt, de qua loquetur. Nec vero proprieta­
tes ad nomen duntaxat, sed multo etiam ma­
gis ad vim significationis referri, ac potestatem 
oportet: nec auditu, sed intellectu perpendi. 
Ita translatio quoque, in qua fere maximus 
est Elocutionis vsus, verba non suis rebus ac­
commodat. Sed tamen aliquando habet eti­
am in oratione inusitatum aliquod verbum, aut 
poeticum, dignitatem, quibus, loco positis (vt Ci­
ceronis verbis vtar) grandior, atque antiquior ora­
tio sepe, videri solet. Poetas enim omnino quasi 
alia quadam lingua loqui, nemo est qui ignoret. Vi­ 
tia denique in sermone, quo minus is Latinus sit, 
duo enumerantur, Barbarismus, & Solœcismus, 
quorum ille, cum verbum aliquod vitiose effertur, 
hic, cum verbis pluribus consequens verbum su­
periori non accomodatur, committi solet.






	
A briefe note of Eloquution the 
thirde parte of Rhethorike.


Eloquution 
which the Greekes call 
Phrase, wherof also the name of Elo­
quence doth ryse: as of all partes it is 
the goodliest, so is it also the profitablest 
& hardest, in whiche is seen that diuine 
might and vertue of an oratour, which 
as Cicero in his oratorie partitions de­
fineth, is nothing els but wisedom spea­  
king eloquently. For vnto the maruay­
lous great inuention of al thinges, both 
it addeth fulnes and varietie: it setteth 
out & garnisheth with certaine lightes 
of endighting the thinges that be spoken 
of, and also with very graue sentences, 
choyse wordes, proper, aptly translated 
and wel sounding, it bringeth that great 
floud of eloquence, vnto a certain kynd 
of stile. And out of this great streame of 
Eloquution, not onely must we choose 
apt & mete woordes, but also take hede 
of placyng and setting them in order. 
For the might & power of Eloquution, 
consisteth in wordes, considered by them­
selues, & when thei be ioyned together.




Apt wordes by searchyng must be found 
out, and after by diligence, conueniently 
coupled. For there is a garnishyng, euen 
when they bee pure and fine by them­
selues, and an other when thei be ioy­
ned together. To chose them out fyne­
ly, and handsomely to bestowe them in 
their places, after the minde of Cicero 
and Quintilian, is no easye thing. So 
Marcus Antonius was wont to saye, 
that he had knowen many well spoken 
men, but none eloquent. Tully & Quin­  
tilian thought that inuention and dis­
position, wer the partes of a witty and 
prudent man: but eloquence of an ora­
tour. For how to fynde out matter and 
set it in order, may be common to al men, 
whiche either make abridgementes of 
the excellent workes of auncient wry­
ters and put histories in remembrance, 
or that speake of any matter themselues: 
but to vtter the minde aptly, distinctly, 
and ornatelye, is a gift geuen to verye 
few. And because we haue diuided Elo­
quution into two partes, that is, wordes 
simple, or considered by themselfes, and 




compound, or ioyned together in speach, 
according to this we say, that euery elo­  
quent oration must haue in it. iii. pointes 
euidence, which belongeth to the fyrste 
part of eloquution, composition, & dig­
nitie, which belongeth to the other.




Of Euidence and plaines.

Of these thinges that we put in elo­
quution, let this be the first care, to speake 
euidently after the dignitie and nature 
of the matter: & to vtter suche wordes, 
whiche as Cicero sayth in his oratour, 
no man may iustly reprehend. The plain 
& euident speache is learned of Gram­
marians, and it kepeth the oration pure, 
and without al fault: and maketh that 
euery thyng may seme to be spoken, pure­  
ly, apertly, & clerely. Euery speach stan­
deth by vsual wordes, that be in vse of 
daily talke, and proper wordes that be­
long to the thing, of whiche we shall 
speake. Neither bee properties to be re­
ferred only to the name of the thyng, 
but much more to the strength & power 
of the signification: and must be consi­
dred not by hearing, but by vnderstan­




ding. So translation in the which commonly 
is the greatest vse of eloquution, appli­
eth woordes, not to the selfe proper 
thynges. But yet an vnused woorde, or 
poeticall, hath also sometyme in the o­
ration his dignitie & being put in place, 
(as Cicero sayth) often times may seme 
greater, & of more antiquitie. For that 
Poetes doe speake in maner as it were 
in an other tongue, it is right sone per­
ceiued. 
Finally two fautes are commit­
ted in euery language, wherby it is not 
pure, Barbarisme and Solecisme. Of 
the which that one is committed, when 
any worde is fautily spoken or written, 
that other, when in many wordes ioyned 
together, the woorde that foloweth is 
not well applied to that that goeth be­
fore.

"Barbarism" antedates the earliest OED citation (1578), and "Solecism" antedates the earliest OED citation (1577).





	
De vitiis orationis.
OMnis oratio bona & diserta, tres habere de­
bet præcipuas virtutes. Vt sit pura, dilucida, 
& ornata. His totidem opponuntur vitia. Barba­
rum, obscurum, inornatum. Horum trium vitio­
sorum generum certæ quædam species sunt collec­




tæ, quarum exempla subijciemus.
De Barbaro.

Barbarum vitium est, quando Barbaries que­
dam in orationem inducitur. Eius tres sunt 
species.

    Barbarismus.
    Barbaralexis.
    Solœcismus.

Barbarismus primum Eloquutionis vitium, est 
error in Orthographia, & prosodia.

In Orthographia peccatur, quando in dictione 
aliqua, litera, vel Syllaba, adijcitur detrahitur, 
immutatur, aut transponitur. Exemplum, cum de 
figuris Grammaticis agemus, post oftendetur.

Error in prosodia est, cum contra rectam vocum 
pronuntiationem, eam syllabam que erat eleuan­
da deprimimus, vel contra, quæ deprimenda erat, 
eleuamus. Id ne fiat, diligenter a Grammaticis 
est prospectum: qui vnicuique syllabæ suum tonum 
quo vel eleuatur, vel deprimitur, vel circumfle­
ctitur assignarunt: primum acutum, secundum 
grauem, tertium circumflexum appellantes.

Barbaralexis est, quum barbara, & peregrinæ 
singuæ vox Romano sermone inseritur.

Solœcismus. Hoc vitium ad figuras constructi­
onis pertinet, & antea in initio est definitum.
 




Barbaro opponitur Latinitas, quæ constat regula, 
authoritate, & consuetudine. Latine loqui lex non 
est, sed obseruatio quedam excellentium virorum, 
cuius iudicium pro ratione stat.



Faultes of an Oration.

Euery good and eloquent oration must 
haue three principall vertues: that it be 
pure, playn, and garnished. To these are 
there as many contrary vices. Barba­
rous, dark, and vngarnished. Of which 
three generall vices, there bee gathered 
certayne kyndes, whereof exaumples 
shall folow.

Of Barbarous.


Barbarous is a fault, when a certein 
vnpurenes is brought into the speche, 
and it hath three kindes.
Barbarisme.
Barbaralexis,
Solecisme.

"Barbaralexis" not found in OED.


    

Barbarisme the fyrste fault of Elo­
quution, is an errour in true writyng, 
and true accenting.
We misse in true writing, when in 
any word a letter or sillable is put too, 
taken away, chaunged, or transposed. 




Examples we will shewe afterwardes 
when we speake of the figures of Grammer.
The fault in accenting is, when con­
trarye to the ryght pronunciation of 
woordes, we put downe that syllable 
which should be lift vp: or contrary lift 
vp, which should be put down. And that 
we should not so do, the Grammarians 
haue made good prouision, which to e­
uery syllable haue assigned their accent, 
wherby it is eyther lift vp, put downe, 
or strayned: calling the first an accente 
acute, the seconde graue, the thyrde cir­
cumflecte.

Barbaralexis, when a rude worde or 
of a straunge tong is brought into the 
Romain tonge. In the English speache 
there be so many, that some thinke we 
speake litle English or none at al.

Solecisme, this fault pertayneth to the 
figures of construccion and is defined 
afore in the begynnyng.


Contrary to barbarous is pure la­
tin, which standeth by rule, authoritie, & 
custome. For to speake latin is no lawe, 
but an obseruacion of excellent menne, 




whose iudgement standeth for reason.




De obscuro.

OBscurum est cum vel verborum, vel structu­
ræ vitio, obscuritas quædem iuducitur. Eius 
species sunt.

Improprietas, Cum dictio minimæ propriæ si­
gnificationis, orationi ceu nubes, inducitur. 
Terentius. Nam quod tu speras propulsabo faci­
le, speras, pro times, dixit.

Ambiguitas verbi, aut orationis, vt: Aio te 
Eacida Romanos vincere posse. Hic vitio composi­
tionis in ambiguo posita sententia. Nam vtri vi­
ctoria promittatur incertum.

Hyperbaton, Perplexa, & impedita constructio 
vol iusto longior, Qualis plerunque fit ab ineptis 
affectatoribus Periodorum.

Eclipsis, Quum necessaria dictio sententiæ deest, 
ita vt perfectum sensum non referat. Vt in epi­
stolis ad Atticum permulta sunt.

Brachylogia, Quum de re graui nimis breuiter 
& anguste loquimur, quæ & longiorem, & aptiorem 
requirebat sermonem Est & orationis virtus, quum 
plura paucis complectimur.

Atque hæ sunt ferme species obscuritatis, cui op­ 
ponitur secunda virtus orationis, perspicuitas, constans




proprietate, sensu, & compositione, Vt docet Fa­
bius in octauo libro. Cap. ij.
 


Of obscuritie.

Obscuritie is, when through the 
fault of wordes, or of settyng them toge­ 
ther, a certayn darkenes is brought in, 
and hath these kyndes.

Impropertie, when a worde is brought 
into the talke hauing nothyng at al his 
owne proper signification: as when we 
say, you shall haue sixe stripes whiche 
you long for: when thei long for them not 
one whit.

Ambiguitie, is of one word or of moe, 
as, I say the Eacida the Romains may 
ouercome. Here through the faulte of 
composicion, it is in doubt to whom the 
victorie is promised.
An intricate construction, or lenger 
than should bee. Suche as oftentymes 
happeth to them that fondly labour to 
tell a good rounde tale.

Eclipsis is, when there lacketh a ne­
cessary word in the sentence, so that it is 
not ful and perfecte. Many of these are 
in Ciceros Epistles written to Atticus.




Brachylogia, when of a graue matter 
we speake too briefly, and that it requi­
red a larger, & more mete treatise. It is 
also a vertue in speache, when we com­
prehend many thynges in fewe wordes.

"Brachylogia" antedates the earliest OED citation (1589).




Contrary to obscuritie, is playnesse, 
standyng in proprietie, sense, and compo­ 
sition, as Fabius dooeth shewe in hys 
eyght booke.


De Inornato.


INornatum est quum vel ordo, vel dignitas ver­ 
bis deest. Species sunt hæ.

Pleonasmus, Hoc est, adiectio verbi superuacui 
ad plenam significationem. Vt sic ore loquuta est. 
Nonnunquam tamen asseuerationis gratia ad­
hibetur. Vt apud Terent. Hisce oculis egomet vidi, 
ne nega.

Perittologia, verborum adiectio superuacua, si­
ne vlla vi rerum. Est autem Pleonasmo vitium 
affine, nisi quod hæc in sensu, Pleonasmus in ver­
bis spectatur. Seneca, Habet inquit, hoc Monta­
nus vitium. Sententias suas repetendo corrum­
pu, dum non est contentus vnam rem semel bene 
dicere efficit ne bene dixerit.

ταντολογια Inutilis eiusdem verbi, aut con­
structionis iteratio, cum quid magno fastidio sepius




quod ingeminatur, id quod inexercitatis fere accidit, 
vt eandem semper cantilenam canant.

Periergia, Quum in re tenui multum ver­
borum, & superuacaneam operam consumimus, ac 
nimium immoramur. Id quod copiam male affe­
ctantibus accidit. Fabius superuacuam operosi­
tatem vocat. Huic opponitur expolitio, qua iam 
virtus est, quum videlicet versamur sepe diuersis 
modis eadem, & in vna re, atque in eadem sen­
tentia diutius commeramur.

Macrologia, quum aut tota oratio, aut ali­
qua sententia fit iusto longior, vt audientem fa­
tiget. Alii orationem esse dicunt, res non necessa­ 
rias complectentem. Fabius hoc exemplum eo 
Liuio ponit, libro octauo. Legati non impetrata pace 
retro domum vnde venerant, reuerterunt. Teren­
tius. Mea est sic ratio, & sic animum induco me­
um. Sunt qui Macrologiam orationem esse ve­
lint nimis cultam, aut longa descriptione pro­
ductam sententiam. Mihi non absimile vitium 
esse periergiæ videtur. Huic vicina Periphrasis, 
virtus habetur.


ταωπεινοσισ, Cum rei magnitudo, vel 
dignitas, verbi humilitate deprimitur.

μειωσισ Cognatum superiori vitio, nisi 
quod pluribus verbis fit, vbi de re magna, & ar­




dua iusto tenuior, & simplicior oratio, quam 
res ea ferat.


Bομφιολια Miosi contraria, quum 
res tenues ac leuiculæ, quadam efferuntur ni­
mis tumida, & magnifica oratione. Qualem 
comici pro decoro personæ militibus gloriosis, & 
parasitis tribuunt.

Asiatismus, hoc est Asianum genus orationis, 
immodicum, ac redundans verbis et figuris, sed 
rebus inane.


Aισχρολορια Quum vitio compositi­
onis inuerecunda est oratio.

Cacemphaton, id est absurditas, vel absonum 
quum duriter & deformiter inter se coherent li­
tere vel syllabæ. Vt, iuuat ire & dorica castra. Et 
ceca caligine soles. Tale est, O tite, tute tati. Fa­
bius Cacephaton esse ait, cum aut mala consue­
tudine in obscœnum intellectum est sermo detor­
tus, aut iunctura deformiter sonat.

Cακοζκια. Hoc est praua & peruersæ 
affectatio, vt si quis eam orationem affectet, cui 
non sit par. Breuiter quoties ingenium iuditio 
caret, & specie boni fallitur. Vt recte quidam 
Cacozeliam esse dixerunt, per affectationem 
decoris corruptam sententiam, quum eo ipso




dedecoretur oratio, quo illam voluit autor ornare 
Hec fit aut nimio tumore, aut nimio cultu.


αισχκματον Quum oratio omni ornatu ver­ 
borum, et figurarum caret, vel contra, cum est inept 
figurata. Nam in vitium ducit culpe fuga si ca­ 
ret arte.

ὁμιὁκογια Vbi nihil est in oratione varie­ 
tatis, aut suauitatis. hoc est, quum est vnifor­ 
mis, et vbique sui similis oratio, & que nulla va­ 
rietate leuet tædium. Estque hoc vitium, & supe­ 
riori finitimum, & sequenti contrarium.

Γοικιλια Vbi nihil est in oratione rectum 
aut proprium, sed omnia immodice figurata, et nimi 
picturata Qualis est ferme sermo Apulaianus

 σωζαισμοσ Commistio inepta sermonis 
variis linguis & idiomatibus consuta.

Item, si quis poeticas figuras orationi solutæ ad­
misciat.

ἁζιθμον Tractum genus dicendi, & ora­
tio prorsus carens numeris, & compositione tole­
rabili.

κακοσυνφετ Incompositum, seu male collo­
catum, hoc est, vbi verba male congeruntur, pe­
nisque coherent, alioqui bona si in loco poneren­
tur, vel Cacosyntheton est indecens structura ver­
borum, et compositio vitiosa.




ἁνοικονοομκτον Male dispositum, & in­
distinctum, affine superiori vitium, quum nulla 
est in oratione œconomia, sed omnia confusa sursum 
deorsumque miscentur. Atque hæc sunt breuiter 
descripta orationis vitia.



Of vngarnished.


Vngarnished is, when eyther there 
lacketh order, or beautifying in the 
wordes. The kindes be these.

Pleonasmus, the putting too of a su­
perfluous worde, to a ful significacion: 
as, So she spake with her mouth. Som­
tyme it is vsed for asseueracion, as, I 
sawe it with these eyes of myne: denye 
it not.

Perittologia, a superfluous addyng 
of woordes, without any pythe of mat­
ter. It is like faulte to Pleonasmus, 
saue that the one standeth in sense, the 
other is seen in wordes. Seneca. Mon­
tanus hath this fault, that he marreth 
all by to much repetyng of sentences, & 
while he is not content to haue spoken 
a thing once, he maketh all nought.

Tautologia, an vnprofitable rehear­
sall of all one woorde, or construccion 




when with great yrcksomnes we dou­
ble the matter, whiche commonly they 
are wont to doe that bee not exercised, 
but therefore sing all one song.

Periergia, when in a small matter 
we spend many wordes, & labour much 
in vain, and tarry to long in it. Which 
thing happeth to them that lewdly seke for 
copie. Fabius calleth it, vayne curiosi­
tie. Contrary to this, is Expolicion, 
which is a vertue, when in dede we stand 
in one thing and sentence, turnyng the 
same diuers waies.

"Expolition" antedates the earliest OED citation (1589).



Macrologia, when eyther the whole 
oration, or some sentence thereof, is 
lenger then it should be, and weryeth 
the hearer, Fabius taketh this example 
out of Liuie, in the eyght booke. The 
Legates (peace not beyng obtayned) did 
returne home agayne from whence thei 
came. Terence. This is my reason, and 
thus I thinke in my minde. There bee 
that call it Macrologia, when the 
oration is to trimme, & set out at length 
with some godly description. Me thinks 
it is much like Periergia. Periphrasis.




which draweth nye to this, is counted 
a vertue.

Tapinosis, when a weightie & high 
matter is brought downe by basenes of 
a worde: as if you would say to a king, 
And it please your Mastership.

"tapinosis" antedates the earliest OED citation (1589).



Bomphiologia, contrary to Miosis, is 
when lighte and tryfling matters, are 
set out with gaye and blasing wordes. 
Suche as in Commedies are wont to 
be spoken, of crakyng souldiers, & smell 
feastes.

"Miosis" antedates the earliest OED citation (1807; a different sense).



Asiatismus, a kynde of endighting v­
sed of the Asians, full of figures, and 
wordes, lackyng matter.

"Asiatismus" is not found in the OED.



Aischrologia, when through the fault 
of ioynyng wordes together, some vn­
cleanly meaning may be gathered.

Cacemphaton, when letters & sylla­
bles hang euil fauouredly together: as 
if there be to many of this letter, r, or of 
t, which causeth a roughnes, or stamme­ 
ring.

"Cacemphaton" antedates the earliest OED citation (1589).



Cacozelia, a peuishe desyre to folowe 
suche a kynde of wrytyng as thou 
rte not mete for: defacyng the thyng 




which thou wouldest faynest beautifie.

"Cacozelia" antedates the earliest OED citation (1579).



Aschematon, when in the oration there 
is no varietie, nor pleasauntnes, but it 
is all alike, and by no varietie taketh a­
way tediousnes, a fault lyke to that that 
goeth before, and contrary to thys that 
foloweth.

Pοικιλορια When in the oration ther 
is nothing rightly and properly spoken, 
but all is to muche befigured and be­
gayed. Such is the writing of Apuleius

Sωραισμὁσ A foolishe mingling to­
gether of wordes out of diuers langua­ 
ges. Also if a man in prose would vse fi­
gures poeticall.

ἁριθμον A kind of endighting drawen 
out a long, vtterlye voyde of all swete 
and rounde composicion.

Cacosyntheton, when the wordes be 
euil heaped together, and be worse ioy­
ned: beyng good if thei wer set in place.

"Cacosyntheton" is not found in the OED.



άνοικονομκτὁν A faulte somewhat 
lyke the other: when there is no good 
disposicion of the woordes, but all are 
confused vp and down, and set without 
order.






De figuris Grammaticis
Orthographicis.

APud Grammaticos, figurarum duo sunt ge­
nera: alterum singulorum verborum, alterum con­
structorum. Priores figuræa Grecis  μετα­
ωλασμοι nominantur, quia verba, transfor­
mant. In prosa, his vti non licet, si barbarismi re­
prehensionem volumus effugere. A poetis metre 
causa vsurpantur. In oratione soluta nihil impe­
dit quo minus verba, ac syllabas integre pro­
nunciemus, & scribamus: quod quia versibus non 
fit, orthographicæ etiam vocantur, quasi orthogra­
phiam vitiantes. Et si autem Latinis, sed Grecis 
maxime in componendis versibus celebrantur, ta­
men nostris quoque poetis non sunt infrequentes 
si quis eorum poemata cum ratione perlegerit. Sed
nunc ad figuras.

Defiguris orthographicis.

FIgura Orthographica est, cum a vulgari rati­
one scribendi, aut loquendi, metri causa de­
flectimus. Eius species sunt.

Prosthesis. Cum dictionis initio, litera, syllaba­
ue additur. vt. Virg. Oscula libauit gnatæ de­
hinc talia fatur gnatæ pro natæ. Terentius. Pol 
hoc si scissem: num quam huc tetulissem pedem, pro, 
tulissem.

Epenthesis cum medio.




Iuuenal. Rara auis in terris nigroque similli­ 
ma cigno pro, similima. Virgil. Romanus Gra­
iusque & Barbarus induperator. pro, imperator

Paragoge, cum aliquid fini additur.

Persius. At pulchrum est digito monstrari, eo 
dicier hic est. pro dici.

His totidem contraria sunt, 
vbi aliquid deest.

Apheresis. Cum principio dictionis aliquid 
adimitur. Virgil. Babit ille ruinas.

Arboribus, stragemque satis: ruet omnia la­ 
te ruet, pro cruet. Horat. Et cetera ludicra pono 
pro depono.

Sincope, cum aliquid in medio deest. Virgil 
Sustulit, exutas vinclis ad sydera palmas. pro vin­
culis, Idem. Cingite fronde comas, & pocula por­ 
gite dextris pro, porrigite.

Apocope, Cum a fine aliquid adimitur. O­ 
uid. Adfuit & certis tempora vinctus Hymes 
pro Hymeneus.

Metathesis, transpositio quædam literarum 
Virg. Nam tibi timbre caput Euandrius abstu­
lit ensis. pro timber.

Antisthecon. Literæ pro litera positio. Virgilium 
Olli subridens hominum sator atque deorum. 
Olli, pro, illi.




Εχκματα Γροσωδικα

Sequuntur schemata prosodica, que in versuum 
dimensione adhiberi solent.

Diæresis, vnius syllabæ, hoc est, diphthongi in 
duas syllabas diductio. Virg. Diues equum, 
diues, pictai vestis & auri.

Syneresis. Duarum syllabarum in vnam con­
prehensio. Ouid. Notus amor Phædra, nota est 
iniuria Thesei. Vbi. E. i. sonandum tanquam. i.

Hæ due figuræ in versuum scantione adhiberi 
solent.

Diastole, Syllabæ breuis, aut ancipitis pro­
ductio. Virg. Exercet Diana choros. Diana pri­
ma producta dixit, quum sit alioqui breuis.

Systole, Cum longam syllabam corripimus. 
Virg. Connubio iungam stabili propriamque di­
cabo. Hic. nu. corripitur, quum tamen sit longæ. 
Et hæ due figuræ ad syllabarum quantitatem 
pertinent.



THe like vnto these figures gen­ 
tel reader, vndoubtedly be found 
in oure Poetes, where for the 
Metre sake, they oftentymes 
bee fayne, to adde, to chaunge, to 
dyminyshe Letters, and Syllables, 




from the true writyng and reading of the 
woorde: as Chaucer sometyme calleth 
hym Nerown, whose name in dede is 
Nero: and that to make the Meter a­
gree with the staffe that went before, & 
so addeth a syllable in the latter end of 
the woorde, as dooe the Latines, whan 
they saye Dicier for dici. And as here is 
added somewhat to the ende: so in thys 
verse, In wintars iuste returne whan 
Boreas gan his raygne: is taken awaye 
a syllable from the begynnyng, (gan) 
beyng put for began: but so yf he should 
haue sayde, than had the verse been to 
long by a syllable, although in deede 
the worde shoulde so haue been truelye 
written. Nowe because I am not well 
seen in Englishe Meters my self, ther­
fore I coulde not, I confesse, wel exem­
plifye in Englishe all these foresayde fi­
gures in Latin. Virgil sayde well. Non 
omnia possumus omnes. Whoso can do it, is 
worthy prayse, and worthy more praise 
yf he wyll doe it. But to say somewhat 
of these figures: whosoeuer thynketh 
them lyghtly to be passed ouer, iudgeth 




ouer lightly. For truly it is not inough 
in expounding Latin Poetes, to say, here 
      figure: except he tell him also it is 
a faulte. But because of the Metre, in 
stede of fault it is called a figure. And 
the like is not to be vsed in prose, whan 
there is no necessitie why we shoulde 
not bothe write out the worde at length 
and also pronounce it as it is wrytten. 
Who will saye, and say truely, porge dex­
tram, for, porrige dexteram: and yet so sayeth 
Virgill before alleged, in the figure Sin­
cope. And so of the reste. Thus muche I 
thinke sufficient to haue noted touching 
this matter.



	
De figuris constructionis.

FIgurarum Grammaticarum partem alteram 
in verbis coniunctis positam esse diximus, quæ
Syntaxis Grecis dicitur. Ea est ratio coniungen­
dorum verborum, secundum artis regulas, vt per­
fecta inde conficiatur oratio. De eo, Grammatici 
plurima dederunt precepta. Aduersus quæ, viti­
um qui committit, in Solœcismum incidit. Ve­
rum quia non temere, sed certis de causis, ex­
imij authores, a regulis illis declinant, pro­




vitio figura est appellata.

Figura constructionis quid.

Est itaque figura Constructionis, cum a com­
muni ratione loquendi, breuitatis, aut alicu­
ius commoditatis gratia, non nihil deflectimus. 
Eius species sunt.

Eclypsis, cum ad legitimam constructionem, 
dictio necessaria deest, quæ tamen vel consuetu­
dine authorum subaudiri solet, vel quia ex cete­
ris verbis precedentibus est certa, vt.

Post quam ventum est ad Pauli.

Cur non recta introijsti.

Datæ primo Ianuarij.

Tendebat in valle.

Laborat morbo quartane.

Nemini bonus est preterquam suis.

Ex eo non cessauit insidias struere fratri.

Sunt qui te cursu antevortant.

De his satis.

In his omnibus verba in margine posita sunt 
intelligenda.

Aposiopesis, cum aliquid sermonis integritati 
deest, vel affectu aliquo, vel transitus causa ad aliud

Affectu sic. Sepius te huius errati admonui ve­ 
rum nisi caues. Hic per iram abscinditur sententia.




Noui quando, & quo in loco, tu. Hic pudore 
impeditur sermo. Transitu sic, Quos ego Sed motos 
restat componere fluctus.

Zeugma est, quum in similibus clausulis com­
mune aliquid in vna positum, in aliis non mu­
tatum, desideratur, Fitque multis modis.

Quod detrahitur, aut ipsum est verbum, aut a­
liquid quod verbum vel precedit, vel sequitur. Et 
verbum quidem sic.

Non locus virum honestat, sed vir locum. In se­
cunda clausula omittitur (honestat.)

Quod verbum precedit sic.

Probus non solum presentes amicos colit, sed eti­
am absentes amicos obserant. Iterum supplendam 
(Probus.)

Quod verbum sequitur sic.

Vt probus absentes amicos tuetur, ita improbue 
distituit. Subaudi amicos.

Variatur Zeugma & a loco vbi illud commu­
ne ponitur. Nam si in priore clausula sit, vocatur 
Prozeugma. Si in media. Mesozeugma. Si in vl­
tima, vocatur Hypozeugma. Hoc modo.

Vicit pudorem libido, timorem audacia, ratio­
nem amentia.

Forma & etate deflorescit, & morbo.

Forma, morbo, dolore, atque ætate deflorescit.




Diazeugma, cum vnaquæque clausula suum
habet verbum, sic, Auaritia corpus ledit, animi 
corrumpit.

Prolepsis, quum generale præcedens, diuiditur 
in partes, in quibus subauditur coniunctio, vel 
copulatiua, vel discretiua. Vt, Aquilæ volant, hæc 
ab oriente, illa ab occidente, pro, & hec volat ab o­
riente et illa ab occidente. Cepere captiuos, partim 
integros, partim saucios: pro, & partim cepere 
integros, & partim cepere saucios. Mire faciunt 
be duæ figure ad breuitatem, tum loquendo, tum 
scribendo.

Appositio, duorum aut plurium substantiuorum 
ad eandem rem spectantium, quorum alterum 
declarat alterum, immediate facta coniunctio 
vt Fluuius Tamesis in mare, influit.


Apposition is an immediate ioyning 
together of two nownes substantiues 
or moe, the one declaring the other. As, 
The floude Temmes floweth into the 
Sea.



Diuersum ab his genus est, quod excessu con­
stat. Pleonasmus generatim appellari solet. Acci­
dit autem cum vna plures ve dictiones ad legiti­
mam constructionem non necessariæ, in oratione re­
dundant, sic.




Meis egomet oculis vidi.

Sic ore loquutus est.

Vbinam gentium illum inueniam nescio.

Huc spectat Epanalepsis, qua, post aliquam 
multa interposita resumimus quod in principio 
collocauimus, cum alioqui sine eo, constructio suos
numeros haberet. Resumimus autem, vel verbis 
usdem, vel diuersis, aut potestate paribus, vel ma­
is generalibus, Eisdem sic. Caue existimes Bru­ 
te (quanquam non est necesse illud ad te scribere) 
iaue putes probitate, constantia, cura Reip, quic­
quam illi esse simile. Potestate paribus sic. Confir­
mato illo, de quo, si verum dicit Philosophus, du­ 
bitare non possumus: hoc inquam stabilito, & fixo 
illud excutiendum, quid sit dolore carere. Magis 
generalibus sic. Verum animum vincere, irra­
cundiam cohibere, victoriam temperare: Hæc qui 
faciat, non ego eum summis viris compato, sed si­ 
milimum deo iudico.

Restant configurationes, quæ non verborum vt 
superiores, sed ordinis Grammatici, quasi pertur­
bationem habent, cumque  ὐπερβαίνουσι hoc 
est, transeunt. Quo sit, vt apud Grecos generale no­ 
men & tanquam caput ad quod ipsæ referuntur, ha­ 
beant Hyperbaton: quia ordo legitimus dictionum, 
clausularumue immutatur. Eius species sunt hæ.




Anastrophe, verborum ordo præposterus.

Mare fluit insulam omnem circum.

Diu cum pugnatum esset.

Histerologia, cum prepositio non casui cui seruit 
sed verbo, quasi cum eo compositum sit, tungitur
Vt Tyriam qui adueneris vrbem Et, atque roti 
summas leuibus, perlabitur vndas.

Hysteron proteron, hoc differt a precedente  
quod illic, vocabulorum & eorum tractationis 
hic autem rerum ipsarum est transpositio. Cum 
videlicet, quod secundo loco fit, priorem in orati­  
onis ordine locum possidet, Virg.

Postera Phæbea lustrabat lampade terras.

Humentemque aurora polo dimouerat vm­
bram.

Tmesis. Cum composita voce diuisa, dicti 
aliqua eius partibus interponitur. Terentius 
Qæu meo cunque animo libitum est facere, feco 
Cicero: Quam rem procul inquit dubio dixisset

Interposito, Sensus quispiam sermom, an­ 
tequam absoluatur interiectus: qui quanquam 
eius viribus aliquid confert, tamen sublatus 
legitimum sermonem relinquit. Horat. Cetera de 
genere hoc (adeo sunt multa) loquacem delassare 
valent Fabium.



Of Grammatical figures we sayde 




the other to be put in wordes, whan they 
are ioyned together, which in Greke is 
called construction. That is, a maner 
and way to set them together after the 
rules of the Arte, that of them maye be 
made a perfecte and full oration. Of 
whiche the Grammarians haue geuen 
many preceptes. The faulte thereof in 
a generall woorde is called Incongruite. 
But because this is openlye vsed of 
excellent authours, not at al aduentures, 
but for certayn causes, in stede of fault 
it is called a figure.

Of the figure of Con­
struction.


So then the figure of Construction  
is, when we somewhat turne away from 
the common and vulgare maner of 
speaking, because of briefnes or some com­ 
moditie. The kindes be these.

Eclypsis, when to the iuste Con­
struction a necessarye woorde lacketh, 
whiche yet is wont to be vnderstande 
eyther by the custome of authours, or 
because it is certayne by other wordes 
that go before: as.




After we wer come to Paules.
Why went you not straighte in?
Dated the fyrst of Ianuary,
He pitched in the valley.
He is sicke of a quartane.
He is good to none but to his owne.
Since that, he ceased not to lye in wait 
for his brother.
There be that wyll ouerrunne you.
Inough of this

In all whiche must be vnderstand 
the wordes put in the margent.

The words in the margin are:
Churche.
Waye.
Letters.
His tent.
Feuer.
Frendes or seruantes.
Tyme.
Menne.
Is spoken.



Aposiopesis is, when any thing lac­
keth to the perfectnes of speache, ey­
ther for some affection, or for passing to 
an other thing, that standeth vs more vpon.
For affeccion thus. Often haue I war­ 
ned thee of this faulte, but except thou 
beware. Here the sentence is cut of for 
anger.
I know whan, and in what place thou,
here is a stoppe, through shame. And 
thou also, if thou remember. But I say 
no more. Here for passing to an other 
matter, we breake of the tale.

"Aposiopesis" antedates the earliest OED citation (1578).



Zeugma is, when in like clauses, some 




common woorde or thyng, putte in one 
clawse, and not chaunged in the other, 
is yet left out, and vnderstand, and that 
many wayes.
That that is taken away, eyther is the 
verbe it selfe, or somewhat that goeth 
before the verbe, or somewhat that fo­
loweth. The verbe thus.
Not the place honesteth the manne, 
but the manne the place. In the seconde 
clawse is left out (honesteth.) That go­
eth before the verbe thus.
A good man loueth not only his frendes 
presente, but maketh muche also of hys 
frendes absent. Here must be supplyed 
this worde (good man.) That foloweth 
the verbe thus,
As a good man defendeth frendes ab­
sent, so an euill man forsaketh: vnder­
stande (frendes.)
Zeugma is varyed also by the place, 
where that common woorde is putte.
For if it be set in the foreclawse, it is 
called. Prozeugma. If in the myddle, 
Mesozeugma. In the last. Hipozeugma 
in this wyse.




Lechery ouercame chastitie, boldnes, 
feare, madnes, reason.
Beauty, by age decayeth, & by sicknes
Beautie by sickenes, by sorowe, or by 
age decayeth.
Diazeugma, when of those thinges of 
which we speake, either both, or ech one 
of them is concluded, with their certain 
verbe, thus: The people of Rome de­ 
stroyed Numance, ouerthrew Carthage 
cast down Corinthe, and raced Fregels 
Also, couetousnes hurteth the bodye, & 
corrupteth the mind.

"Zeugma" antedates the earliest OED citation (1589). "Prozeugma" and 
"hipozeugma" are not found in the OED.



Prolepsis, when the generall worde 
going before, is diuided into partes 
where must be vnderstande a coniunc­ 
tion copulatiue, as.
Aegles flee, one from the East, another 
from the west: for, & the one flieth from 
the East, and the other from the West
Thei toke prisoners, partly hole, part­ 
ly wounded: for, and partlye they took 
hole, and partlye they tooke wounded..
Merueylouslye serue these figures to 
breuitie both in speakyng and writyng
Contrary to these, is that kynd that




standeth in excesse, called generallye, 

Pleonasmos, That happeth, whan 
one, or many wordes, not necessarye to 
the iust and lawfull construccion, dooe 
abounde thus.
I saw it with myne eyes.
He spake it with his mouth.
I wote not in the world wher to fynd him.


Epanalepsis, when after some thinges 
put betwene, we repete agayne that we 
set in the beginning, the construccion ne­
uerthelesse beyng perfecte without it. 
And we repete it again either with the 
same wordes, or other that be of like value 
or els more general. With the same thus
Thinke not Brutus, how be it I haue 
no nede to write these thinges vnto the, 
that thou knowest wel ynough I think 
not, I say, any man like vnto him, in ver­ 
tue, constaunce and diligence. With o­
ther wordes that be of like value thus.
This thing confyrmed, of whiche if 
the Philosophers saye true, we cannot 
doubt, when in death there is no suche 
vtter vndoing, that not the lest suspicion of 
sense maye remayne: this then I saye 




well assured, we must discusse this, what 
it is to lack sorow. with more general thus

But to ouercome thy mynde, to re­
strayne thyne anger, to temper the vic­
torie. Him that doth these thynges, I 
doe not compare to the noblest menne, 
but iudge most like vnto god.

"Epanalepsis" antedates the earliest OED citation (1584).



De Hyperbato.

Nowe remayne those figures, which 
trouble the Grammaticall order: & ther­ 
fore as to the chiefe are vnder this Greke 
worde, Hyperbaton, which is as muche 
to saye, of woordes and construction a 
troubled order. His kindes be these.

"Hyperbaton" antedates the earliest OED citation (1579).



Anastrophe, a preposterous orderyng 
or setting of woordes, as: The sea flo­
weth all Englande about. Long when 
they had fought.

"Anastrophe" antedates the earliest OED citation (1577).



Hysterologia when the preposicion is 
not put vnto the nowne whereunto it 
serueth, but to the verbe, as though it 
were compound with it, thus.
He slyd by with his wheles the vp­
permost of the water: wher by is ioined 
to the verbe that properly belonges to 
the nowne, thus: He slydde with hys 




wheles by the ouer part of the water.

Hysteron proteron differs from the 
figure before, because there is but trans­ 
posicion of the wordes: & here is a trans­
posicion of thinges: that is, when that 
in the order of speaking is set in the fyrst 
place, that was not firste done, but se­
cond. Virgil. Phebus lyghtned the 
earth with his golden Lampe, and draue 
away the moyst shadow from the Pole.
Here is set in the seconde place, that 
whiche was fyrste done. For night was 
drieuen awaye before the Sunne gaue 
lyght vpon the earth.

The "figure before" refers to "Hysterologia". "Hysteron proteron" antedates the earliest OED citation (1565).



Tmesis is, when a compound word be­
ing diuided, some other word is put be­
twene the partes, thus. What thinges soe­ 
uer pleased him to do, he did. Here (thin­ 
ges) diuideth this one word. whatsoeuer

"Tmesis" antedates the earliest OED citation (1592).



Interpositio, a sense cast betwixte 
the speache, before the talke be al ended: 
which though it geue some strength, yet 
when it is taken away, it leaueth the sen­
tence perfect inough. Other that be of 
this sort (thei be so many) are able to 
wery babling Fabius.







	
De Tropis.

Antonomasia, quum pro nomine proprio cogno­
men quoddam extraneum studij, artis, officij, aut 
dignitatis ponitur. vt.

Philosophus. pro Aristotele.
Poeta. pro Virgilio.
Seruator. pro Iesu.
Apostolus. pro Paulo.

Aut contra, nomina propria pro appellatiuis, vt
Socrates pro sapiente.
Thraso pro iactabundo.
Item nomina  gentis, pro his quæ genti attribuuntur. vt,
Cretensis, pro mendaci.
Scytha, pro inhumano.

Periphrasis est, cum quod vno vocabulo dici 
potest, pluribus verbis explicatur, vel decoris, vel 
necessitatis gratia, idque tripliciter, Nominis ex­
plicatione. Vt cum pro philosopho studiosum sapi­
entiæ dicimus.

Rei definitione, cum pro dialectica, disserendi 
rationem ponimus.

Notatione, hoc est, cum notis ac signis quibus­
dam rem aliquam describimus. vt, Bilis efferues­
cit, pallet vultus: ardeni oculi: tremor membra 
occupat, pro trato. liem cum pro nomine proprio 
patriam, sectam, aut facinus ponimus, Vt pro vir­




gilio, Mantuanum vatem, pro Aristotele peri­  
pateticæ, scholæ principem, pro Scipione, Carthagi­ 
nis & Numantiæ euerserem. Fit periphrasis 
tegendi, quæ sordida sunt gratia, Sallustius, ad 
requisita nature. Et ornandi quæ pulebra sunt 
caussa, vt breuitatem splendide producat. Exem­ 
plum habes. Erasmi periphrases in Euangelia, 
Differt ab Antonomasia, quod in ea simplex ver­ 
bum simplici proprie commutatur, hic vnum plu­
ribus explicatur.

De Tropis orationis.


TRopus orationis est, quum non vnius tantum 
verbi, sed omnium in constructione vocum 
significatio mutatur, Eius species sunt.

Allegoria, quæ est oratio aliud verbis, aliud 
sensu demonstrans. Vt. Horat.
O nauis referent in mare te noui
Fluctus, í quid agis, fortiter occupa portum.
Quo in loco (vt ait Fabius) nauim pro republicæ.
Fluctum pro bellis ciuilibus, portum pro pace & 
concordia voluit poeta intelligi subijciuntur al­
ligoriæ.

Aenigma, quæ est oratio é qua propter obscu­
ritatem nihil certi colligitur: vt, Mater me genuit, 
eadem mox gignitur ex me. De glacie ex aqua 
concreta, & rursus in eandem resoluta.




Parœmia celebre dictum scita quapiam noue­ 
tate insigne. vt Auribus lupum teneo.

Ironia que non è verbis æque ac pronuntiatio­ 
ne, reiue natura intelligitur. Est autem quum 
aliud verba, aliud sensus continent. Eius forma 
sunt.

Sarcasmus, hostilis irrisio, & amara insultatio 
En agros, & quam bello Troiane petisti, Hesperi­ 
am metire iacens.

Astysmus, quum quid faceta vrbanitate ex­ 
politur. Virg.

Qui Bauium non odit, amet tua carmine Meuim

Atque idem iungat vulpes, & mulgeat hircos
Mictyrismus, Simulatus risus, non tamen la­ 
tens. Persius.

Non ego curo.

Esse quod Arcesilas.

Charientismus, quum duriora gratiosis verbis 
molhuntur. Terent, Bona verba queso, quum 
pistrinum deprecaretur Dauus.

De Tropis.

QVoniam Troporum cognitio pueris pernecessa­ 
ria est, & cum his figuris de quibus hactenus
disseruimus, coniunctam tractionem habet, ide­
circo eos explanando, ac diuidando, paucis perse­




quemur. Ab eis enim quasi ingressus ad ratio­
nem dicendi patefit studiosis eloquentie. Vt Gram­
maticus hic suam artem absoluere, Rhetor incho­
ere, ac tanquam fundamenta sua ponere videa­
tur. Est igitur Tropus verbi, aut sermonis a pro­
pria significatione in aliam deflectio. Et est duplex dictionis, & orationis.

De Tropo dictionis.

TRopus dictionis, est figura transferens dicti­
onem a propria & vulgata significatione e­
ius, ad non propriam, decoris, aut necessitatis cau­
sa. Huius species sunt.

Metaphora, quum verbum ex eo loco in quo pro­ 
prium est, in eum, in quo aut proprium deest, aut 
translatum proprio melius est, ac significantius, (quiæ 
propter similitudinem recte videtur posse fieri,) trans­ 
fertur, Idque multis modis. Primum a sensibus 
corporis ad animum. Vt.

A visu. Terent. Respice etiam tuam. pro curam 
age.

Ab auditu. Idem. Herumne relinquam an  
auscultem seni. pro obtemperem.

Ab olfactu. Num quid patri subolet? pro. patri 
aborta suspitio. 

A gustu. Cicero, Paucorum dierum molestiam 




deuorate. pro, citra sensum perferte.
A bruto ad hominem. vt Cato Scipionem ab­ 
trare solebat. pro, conuitiari.

Ab animali ad non animal, nunc omnis agen 
nunc omnis parturit arbos.

Ab animali ad animal, vt si quis dicat simi­ 
am equo inequitare.

Ab inanimato ad animatum. Cicero floret elo­
quentia.

Aliquando in simplici nomine est Metaphore 
vt, si quis hominem ventri deditum pecudem ap­
pellet.

Interdum in epitheto, Vt si quis dicat, vndax
esse vitream.

Interdum in verbo. vt, auolat ætas.

Catachresis est necessaria nominis alieni vsurpa­
tio pro proprio, vt quum paricidam appellamus, qua 
vxorem occidit quum proprie sit qui occidit patrem. Ad 
Metaphor a differt, quod abusio est vbi nomen des­ 
fuit, translatio vbi aliud fuit.

Metonomya est quum rerum valde cognatarum 
nomina nominibus permutantur. sic.

Inuentor pro re inuenta. Teren. Sine Cerere & 
Baccho friget Venus. Cererem pro cibo, Bacchum 
pro vino. Venerem pro libidine dixit.

Possessor pro re possessa, Terent. Hunc tibi co­




medendum propino pro huius bona.

ator pro opere. Cicero semper in manibus habendus 

lux pro exercitu. Hannibal ad Cannas sexagin  
millia hominum occidit.

Faciës pro facto. Hic melior remis. pro velocita­
m quæ fit per remos.

Continens pro contento. Armis Italia non po­
s vinci, nec Grecia disciplinis.

Signum pro signato. Cedant arma togæ, conce­
it laurea linguæ.

Differt a Metaphora quod ille proprium cum
seno. hec ornandi caussa proprium proprio com­
mutat nec tralatum verbum habens, nec factum, 
vel sumptum ex vicino.
Metalepsis, cum nomen quod caussæ debetur, 
attribuitur effecto. Virg. Post aliquot mea regna 
videns mirabor aristas. Vbi estates intelliguntur 
quæ faciunt aristas.

Synecdoche, cum aliud ex alio intelligimus. Vi.

Ex vno plures. Penus fuit Hispanis auxilio, 
ò. Peni.

Ex parte totum. Ridiculum caput.

Ex specie genus. Iracundior Adria.

Ex materie res confecta. Ferro eum confecit. 
Pro gladio, ex ferro facto.

Ex antecedentibus consequentia, Virgineam soluit




zonam pro, deuirginauit.

Ex consequentibus antecedentia. Vt, in sudo 
vultus tui vesceris pane, pro, in labore.



	
Of Tropes.

Because the knowledge of Tropes 
is very necessary for chyldren, and the 
teachyng of them ioyned with those fi­ 
gures, of whiche hytherto we haue tal­ 
ked: therefore we wyll brieflye shewe, 
expounde, and diuide them. For an 
entraunce to Rhethorike, by them is 
made open to such as be studious of E­ 
loquence. So that the Grammarian 
here semeth to end his art, and Rheto­ 
rician to begin, and as it wer to lay his 
foundacion. A trope then is a bowing of 
a worde or speache from his owne sig­ 
nification into another. And is in two 
sortes, of a worde, and of oration.

The Trope of a worde.

The trope of a worde is a figure be­ 
ryng the woorde from his proper and 
vulgar signification, to an other that 
is not proper, eyther for pleasantnes or 
necessitie. Whose kyndes be these.

Metaphora, when a word is translated  




out of his proper place into another, wher­ 
in either there lacketh a proper worde, 
& the worde translated is better, and of 
more signification, & may well be so done 
or a similitude. And that many wayes.
Fyrst from the senses of the bodye to
the minde: as, from the sight. Terence.
Loke vpon your old age, for haue regard 
From the hearing. Terence. Whe­
ther I should leaue my mayster, or her­
ken to the olde man, for obey.
From smelling, doth my father smel 
but any thing? for suspect any thyng.
From tasting. Cicero. Swallow vp 
the payne of a fewe daies, for thinke ye 
fele it not.
From the reasonable to the vnreaso­
nable, as. When we applye the dede, or 
affeccion of man to any beast: and ma­
ny suche be in virgil in Georgikes tou­
ching Bees.
From the vnreasonable to the reaso­
nable, as. Cato, was wont to barke at 
Scipio, for, to chide with him.
From the liuyng, to the lyuing: as if 
you wyll saie, that an Ape rydeth on 




horsebacke.
From the lyuyng to the not lyuyng
as nowe all the fieldes laughe.
From the not liuing to the liuyng.
Sometime in a verbe there is trans­
lacion. as, time flyeth away.

Catachresis is a necessarye abuse of 
like wordes, for the proper: as, when we 
cal hym a manqueller, whiche hath kyl­ 
led any person, man or woman, mother or 
wife. This figure differeth from Metapho­ 
ra, because abusion is wher ther lacked a 
word: translation where an other was.

"catachresis" antedates the earliest OED citation (1589).



Metonymia, when in thynges that 
be syb together, one name is chaunged 
for an other, as.
The finder for the thing that is found 
Terence. Without Ceres and Bac­
chus Venus is colde: where Ceres is 
put for meate, Bacchus for wyne, and 
Venus for Lechery.
The possessor for the thing that is possessed: 
as, haue here this man to bee eaten vp 
for hys goodes.
The authour for the worke: Cicero, 
must alwaies be had in out handes: for, 




the workes of Cicero.
The captain for the host. Hannibal at 
Cannas killed. lx. thousand men: for, the 
hoost of Hanniball.
The conteiner for that that is conteined, 
Italie cannot be ouercome by warre, nor 
Grece by learnyng: for, the menne that 
dwell there.
The signe for that that is signified. as 
Let weapons geue place to the gowne, 
and the Lawrel to the tongue.
This trope differeth from Metaphora: 
because Metaphora chaungeth a word of 
her own with another, though the thinges 
be very diuers: but here as the thinges must 
be very nigh, so must the wordes also be

Metalepsis, when a word that is dew 
to the cause is ascribed to the effect.

Synecdoche, when one thing is vnder­
stande by an other, or we vnderstande 
more then we speake, as.
Of one many. The Carthaginian holp 
the spanyardes. for, the Carthaginians.
By the part the whole. O thou folish 
head, for foolishe man.
By the kinde the generall. as, If thou 




see thine enemies Asse, fall vnder hyr 
burthen, for cattell.
By the mater, the thing that is made of it 
as fleshe and bloude did not shewe thee 
this. Fleshe and bloude, is put for man 
made of fleshe and bloude.
By that that goeth before, the thyng 
that foloweth. As he vnlosed her vir­
gins gyrdle. For he had her virginitie.
By that that foloweth the thing that 
goeth before: as, in the swet of thy face, 
thou shalt eate thy bread. For with la­
bour.

Antonomasia, whan for the proper 
name, some other external is put, either 
of study, art, office, or dignitie, as.
Phylosopher. for Aristotle.
Poet. for Virgil.
Sauiour. for Jesus.
Apostle. for Paule.
Or contrary, proper names, for appel­
latiues, as.
Socrates. for Wiseman.
Thraso. for Boaster.
Also the name of nacion for the pro­
perties attributed to the nacion, as.




A Cretian. for Lyer.
A Scithian. for Cruel.
A Sybaritie. for Riotous,
A carthaginian. for League breaker.
    
Periphrasis is, when that, that may 
be spoken with one woorde, is declared 
in many, and that three maner wayes.
By explicacion of the name: as when 
for this word Philosopher, we saye: a 
man studious of wisedom.
By diffinicion of the thyng, as for 
Logike, the art of reasoning.
By notacion, that is, when by cer­
tain markes, and signes we do describe 
any thing: as, if a man vnderstandyng 
anger, wil saye it is the boylyng of the 
minde, which bringeth palenes vnto the 
countenaunce, burning to the iyes, trem­
bling to the partes of the body.
Also, when for the proper name we 
put the countrey, the sect, or some great 
act: as.
For Virgil, the Poet of Mantua.
For Aristotle, the prince of peripateti­
tall schole.
For Scipio, the destroyer of Carthage 




and Numance.

Periphrasis is to hide thinges that 
be foule: as when we saye, I wyl goe to 
the priuie, for.
I will make water, for
And to garnish thinges that be goodly 
and to make that that is shorte, goodly 
and long, as dothe Erasmus vpon the 
gospels and pistles.
It differeth from Antonomasia, be­ 
cause there, but one worde is chaunged 
with another, here one worde is decla­ 
red with many.


Tropes of Oration.

Trope of Oration is, when the syg­ 
nification, not of one word only, but of 
al that be in the construction be chaun­ 
ged. The kyndes be these.

Allegoria, which is an oration, shew­ 
ing one thing in wordes, and another in 
sense. Horace. O ship, shal new floude
carye thee agayn into the sea?
O what dost thou? take the hauen lustily
Where ship is put for the common welth 
floudes for ciuil battell: hauen for peace 
and concorde. He hath these kindes.




Enigma, whiche is an oracion, out of 
whiche for the darkenes, there can be no 
certaintie gathered: as. My mother be­
gat me, & of me anon is begotten again: 
ment of yce frozen of water, and resolued 
agayne into the same. Also the halfe is 
more then the whole. By which is com­
mended mediocritie.

Paroemia, a saying much vsed, & no­
table for some noueltye: as. I holde 
the woulfe by the eares. Also the woulf 
is in our tale.

Ironia, dissimulacion, not so muche 
perceiued by the woordes, as either by 
pronunciation, or by the behauior of the 
person, or nature of the thing. His kinds 
be these.

Sarcasmus, a scorne of our enemye, 
and a nipping taunt. As the Iewes said 
to Christ: now let him come down from 
the crosse, and saue hymselfe, that saued 
other.

"saracasmus" antedates the earliest OED citation (1579).



Astysmus, whan a thyng is po­
lished with some mery conceit, as Vir­
gil speaking of twoo foolishe Poetes, 
Mauius and Bauius sayde: He that 




hateth not Bauius, lette hym loue thy 
verses, O Meui, ioyne foxes, and mylke 
he goates.

Myctirismus, a counterfayted laugh­ 
ter, but yet suche one as may be percey­
ued. Persius. I care not, to be as Arce­
silas is.

Charientismus, when thinges that be 
hardely spoken, be mollifyed with plea­
saunte woordes. Terence. Sir I praye 
you be good master to me, quod Dauus
when yet he desired Simo, that he might 
not bee thrust into the bakehouse.




	
De Schematibus sex Figuris.
	

FIguræ siue Schema, est arte aliqua nouata di­
cendi forma, vt inquit Fabius. vel, con
formatio qui­
dam orationis, remota a communi, & primum 
se offerente dicendi ratione.
Figura duplex est, aut sententiarum, aut ver­
borum. Sæpe coeunt hæ figuræ, velut in illo Cice­ 
ronis: Iam iam Dolabella neque tui me, neque 
tuorum liberum, & quæ sequuntur. Nam 
oratio a iudice auersa in sententia, iam iam, & 
liberum, in verbis sunt Schemata, hoc est, Apos­




tropha, sententiæ figura. in, iam iam, Epizeuxis, 
in liberum, Syncopa, verborum figuræ sunt. Est 
autem hoc inter figuras discrimen, quod ver­
borum Schema tollitur, si verba mutaris, senten­
tiarum permanet, quibuscunque verbis vti ve­
s.

De figuris verborum.

FIgura verborum est duplex, aut enim verbi 
significatio mutatur, & dicitur Tropus, de 
duo superius a nobis dictum. aut verbi signifi­
catio manet, idque vel in singulis vocibus, de 
duo ipso quoque dictum est: aut in coniunctis, 
quam orationem dicimus, de hac figura iam age 
nus. Est igitur hoc loco figura verborum, quum
ordo situsque verborum, figuratur, & mutatur, ac 
onnibil a vulgata constructione variat. Huius
spspecies sunt.




	
Of Schemes or figures.


Figure or Scheme, is a facion of in­
dighting made newe, by some crafte, as 
sayeth Fabius. Or a facioning of many 
wordes remoued from the common ma­
ner of speaking, as it commeth out at 
the fyrst.
Ther be two sortes of figures: of senten­
ces, & wordes. These often cum together 




As in this saying of Cicero, Now not 
Dolebella, neyther doe I force of thee 
nor thy children. For the oration turned 
from the iudge, is in sentence, now now 
and liberum, be Schemes in woordes: In 
iam iam is Epizeuxis, in liberum, Syncopa. And 
thei be figures of wordes. And this is the 
difference betwene these figures, that 
the Schemes of wordes be taken away 
if thou chaunge the wordes: but thei of 
sentences remain vse what wordes thou 
wilte.
.

Of the figures of woordes.


The figure of wordes is of. ii. sortes 
For ether the significacion of the word is 
chaunged, & is called a trope, of the which 
we haue spoken afore: Or the signi­ 
ficacion of the word remayneth, & that 
in eche word alone, of the which also we 
haue spoken: or in wordes ioygned to­ 
gether, which we cal talke, or Oration
Of this figure we wyll nowe speake 
So in thys place the figure of woordes 
is, when the order and settyng of
woordes is chaunged, and varieth some­ 
what from the common setting of them




together. And hereof these bee the 
kyndes.

Repetitio est, cum continenter ab vno atque eo­
dem verbo primcipia sumimus, hoc pacto. Tibi 
istud attribuitur: Tibi habendæ gratiæ: I ibi ista 
es erit honori. Venusta & acris figura.

Repeticion is, when we take our be­
ginnynges styll at one, and the selfe 
same woorde, thus. To thee this thing 
is ascribed: To thee thankes are to be 
geuen: To thee it shall bee great ho­
noure. This is a pleasaunt and sharpe 
figure.

Conuersio, quæ non ab vno atque eodem verbo 
principia sumit, sed eodem modo continenter o­
rationem claudit: estque superiori contraria: vt, 
Ex quo tempore concordia de ciuitate sublata est, 
ides sublata est, amicitia sublata est.

Conuersion is, which taketh not his 
beginning at one, & the selfsame word, 
but with all one worde styll closeth vp 
the sentence, and it is contrarye to that 
other before: as. Since the time that con­
corde was taken away from the cytye, 




libertye was taken away, fidelitie was 
taken away, frendship was taken away.

Complexio vtramque complectitur exornatio 
nem: & hanc, & quam ante exposuimus: vt & 
repetatur idem verbum sæpius, & crebro ad idem 
postremum reuertamur: vt, Qui sunt qui fæder
sepe ruperunt? Carthaginenses. Qui sunt qui cru­ 
dele bellum in Italia gesserunt? Carthaginenses 
Qui sunt qui Italiam deformauerunt? Carthage­ 
nenses.

Complexion, compriseth both two exorna­
cions, bothe this, and that we declared 
before, that bothe one fyrste woorde
shoulde bee often repeted, and that we 
should turne often to al one last word: as 
who were they that often brake theyr 
Leagues? The Carthaginians. Who 
made cruel warre in Italie? The Car­ 
thaginians. Who defaced all Italie? 
The Carthaginians.

Anadiplosis, est finis versus, in principio alte­
rius, repetitio, vel quum prioris sententiæ verbum  
vltimum, ac insequentis primum est idem, vt, sequi­ 
tur pulcherimus Astur, Astux equo fidens, Se




& oratores quoque hac figura vtuntur, Cic. Hic ta­ 
men viuit, viuit? imo etiam in senatum venit.

Anadiplosis is, when the last woorde 
of a verse is repeted in the begynnyng 
of the next verse, as in this verse of Vir­ 
gil. Then folowed fayre Astur, Astur 
bolde on horsebacke. The oratours also 
vse this figure. Cicero. And yet he li­
ueth. Liueth? yea commeth into the coun­ 
sell house.

"Anadiplosis" antedates the earliest OED citation (1589).



Conduplicatio est, cum ratione amplificatio­
nis, aut commiserationis, vnius, aut plurium ver­
borum iteratio, vt, Teren. Negat Phanium esse hanc 
sibi cognatam Demipho? Hanc Demipho negat sibi 
cognatam?

Reduplicacion is a rehearsyng again 
of one worde or moe, for the more vehe­
mence or some pitie, as. Terence. Thys 
Phanium to be his cowsin, dothe De­
mipho denye? Doth Demipho deny this 
Phanium to be his cowsin.

Nec multum ab hac figura distat Interpreta­
tio hoc tantum differens, quod in hac eadem ite­
ratur sententia, verbis per figuram aliquam, aut 
pariandi rationem commutatis. Cicero. Hic




tu qua letitia perfruere? quibus gaudiis exultabis
quanta in voluptate Bacchabere? Fit & singulis 
verbis. Nobiscum iam versari diutius non potes, 
non feram, non patiar, non sinam,

Interpretacion differeth not muche 
from this figure: herein onelye, that in 
this al one thing & sent ence is rehersed, the 
woorde by variacion beyng chaunged. 
Cicero. What gladnes shalt thou fele? 
with what ioyes shalt thou leape? in 
how great rage of pleasure shalte thou 
be? It is also in seueral woordes, thus: 
Thou canst nowe be no longar in oure 
company. I wyl not beare it, I wil not 
abide it, I wil not suffer it.

"This figure" refers to "Reduplicacion".



Epanalepsis, quum eadem dictio & in princi­
pio & in fine versus ponitur, vt. Multa super pri­ 
amo, rogitans super Hectore multa. Sulpitius vi­
ctor Epanalepsim esse ait, eorundem verborum, 
& eiusdem sententiæ, post multa interiecta repe­
titionem. Numeratur etiam inter figuras constructionis

Epanalepsis, when al one word is put 
in the beginning & in the end of a verse: 
as. Many thinges thei axed of Priamus 
and of Hector many thinges. This fy­
gure is spoken of hereafter among the 




figures of construction.

"Epanalepsis" antedates the earliest OED citation (1584).



Epizeuxis, eiusdem dictionis sine medio conge­
minatio, cum impetu pronuntiationis Cicero. Tu, tu 
Antoni, Cesari omnia permiscere cupienti, caussam 
belli ciuilis dedisti.

Epizeuxis. The doublyng of one worde nothing 
being betwixt: with a swift pronuncia­
cion. Cicero. Thou, thou Antony ga­
ueste cause of ciuyle battaile to Cesar, 
willyng to turne al vpside downe.

"Epizeuxis" antedates the earliest OED citation (1589).



Copulatio cognata repetitioni est, vbi idem ver­
bum, aut nomen bis continuo positum diuersa sig­ 
nificat. Vt est illud. Sed tamen ad illum diem Mem­
mius erat Memmius. Posterius, notat eius iam 
cognitos mores.

Copulation cosin to repeticion is, when 
all one woorde beyng put twise strayte 
together, signifieth diuers thinges, as is 
this. Yet at that daie Memmius was 
Memmius. This later noteth his ma­
ners that wer well knowen.

Huc pertinet Refractio, quum idem verbum, 
repetitur in contrario sensu sic. Scio totam hanc vi­ 
tam nihil esse quam amaritudinem, verum mihi 
quæso da huiusmodi amaritudinem.

Refraction serueth to the like, when 




all one worde is repeted in a contrarye 
sense, as I know all this life to bee but 
bitternes, but I pray you geue me such 
bitternes.

Traductio, quum eadem vox alio casu sepius 
repetita, non modo tædium nullum affert, verum 
concinniorem quoque orationem reddit, hoc pacto 
Diuitas sine diuitum esse, tu vero virtutem præ­
fer diuitijs. Nam si voles, virtutem cum diuiti­
jis comparare, vix satis idoneæ tibi videbuntur di­
uitiæ, que virtutis pedissequæ sint.

Traduccion, when al one woorde re­
peted in another case, not onely is not 
tedious, but also maketh the oration more 
trimme, thus. Suffer riches to belonge 
to riche men, but preferre thou vertue 
before riches. For if thou wilt compare 
riches with vertue, thou shalte thinke 
riches scarse mete to bee handmaydens 
to vertue.

Diaphora, quum vox iterata iam aliud significat ac 
prius. Ouidus. Talis erat mater si modo mater erat 
pro, si maternum erga filiam animum geret. Idem. Et multos 
illic Hectoras esse puta. pro, multos viros fortes & 
Hectoris similes.




Diaphora, whan the woorde rehear­
ed again signifieth another thing than 
it did afore: as. Suche was his mother, 
yf she were his mother, for, yf she bare 
a motherly mynde towarde her sonne. 
Also. Think many Hectors to be there, 
that is, many valiaunt men, and like vn­ 
to Hector.

Annominatio, est declinatio, quædam in contra­
rium ex similibus literis additis, demptis, aut mu­ 
tatis, cum similia verba accommodantur. Ea multis & 
variis rationibus conficitur: Et additis quidem 
hoc pacto. Hic sibi posset temperare misi amori mal­
let obtemperare. Demendis literis sic: Si lenones 
tanquam leones vitasset, vitæ se tradidisset. Con­
mutandis hoc modo. Deligere oportet, quem velis 
diligere.

Annominacion is a certain declining 
into a contrarye, by a likelihoode of let­
ters, added, chaunged, or taken awaye: 
Added thus. If he had tempered himself 
from pleasure, he had not been thus distem­ 
pered out of measure: By takyng away 
thus. If he had hated brokes, as wel as 
bookes, he had been aliue at this houre. 




by chaunging thus. Geue him a Bible 
nay, geue hym a bable.

"Annomination" antedates the earliest OED citation (1753).



Asyndeton est, quæ coniunctionibus sublatis 
continuat orationis partes. sic. Deum time: regem 
venerare: parentibus obedito: bonos æmulare, im­ 
becillos tolerato. Grauitatem addit præcipienti: & 
præcipue locum habet in Articulis, & Membris.

Asyndeton is, which kepeth the partes 
of our speakyng together, without help 
of any coniunctions: thus. Feare God, 
reuerence the kyng, obey thy parentes, 
folow good men, beare with the weake.

"Asyndeton" antedates the earliest OED citation (1589).



Articulus est, cum singula verba distinguntur 
cesa oratione, hoc modo. Rem, famam parentes, a­
micos, deum, amisisti.

Article is, when eche woorde is sette 
from other by cutting the oration thus. 
Thou hast lost thy substance, thy name, 
thy parentes, thy frendes, and god hym­
selfe.

Membrum orationis est, quod paucis verbis 
constructionem quidem absoluit, at sententiam 
non item, Vt, patrimonium prodegisti, parentes, in




luctum coniecisti: amicos abalienasti, famam con­
taminasti: deum ad iram prouocasti, Vtraque fi­
gura facit ad acrimoniam orationis, quod veluti 
crebris ictibus ferit animum: & in vtrisque 
obseruandum, vt per gradus increscat oratio, ni­
mirum, vt quod grauissimum est, sit postremo loco. 
Quod si non fit, erit congeries, nam ea turba premit 
magis quam incremento. Gratiam quoque in v­
trisque addit Asyndeton.

Member of an Oracion is, whiche 
in fewe woordes maketh an ende in 
deede of the Construccion, but not of 
the sentence also, as. Thou haste wa­
sted thy Patrimonie, cast thy parentes 
into sorowe, turned awaye thy frendes, 
defyled thy name: prouoked God to an­
ger. Both these figures serue to sharp­
nesse: because in maner they stryke 
the mynde with often strokes. And this 
muste be marked in both, that the spea­
king grow by degrees, so that the grea­
test bee set last. And if it so be not, then 
is it the figure called Congeries, whiche 
forceth more by heaping, then by encrease. 
They bothe are well sette out by this 
figure Asyndeton.

"Congeries" antedates the first citation in OED (a1620).

 




Membris gratiam addit partium æqualitas. Cre­
ci ωαρισον, Latini compar appellant, quæ ta­
men non digitis, sed aurium sensu quodam diiu­
dicanda est, Puerile siquidem est numerare syl­
labas, quum pauciores si productæ sunt, frequen­
ter æquent numero plures. Sed tantum affert vsus 
& exercitatio facultatis, vt animi quodam sensu 
par membrum superieri referre possimus. Quale 
est pro Lucio Valerio Flacco. Nominibusque reci­
tatis homo audacissimus pertimuit, loquacissimus 
obmutuit, Item, in prelio pater mortem oppetebat, 
domi filius nuptias comparabat.

The equalitie of partes muche com­
mendeth this figure called Membrum:  
whiche equalitie must yet be tryed by a 
certain secrete sense of the eare, and not 
by measuring vpon oure fyngers. For 
that is childish to tel the syllables, when 
oftentimes a few long syllables match 
in measure many that be short. But vse 
and exercise doth so muche, that we may 
soone referre one member to another. 
As, for L. Valerius Flaccus. When the 
names were recited, the bold man was 
aferde, & the great babler hild his tong. 
Also, the father died in warre, the sonne




was maryed at home.

Continuatio est densa & continens frequenta­
rio verborum, cum absolutione sententiarum. Ea 
vtemur commodissime tripartito. In sententia, hoc 
pacto. Ei non multum obesse potest fortuna, qui 
sibi firmius in virtute, quam in casu præsidium 
collocauit. In contrario hoc modo. Nam si quis spei 
non multum collocarit in casu, quid est quod ei 
casus magnopere obesse possit? In conclusione, hoc 
pacto. Quod si in eos plurimum fortuna potest, qui 
suas rationes omnes in casum contulerunt: non sunt
omnia committenda fortunæ, ne magnam nimis 
in nos habeat dominationem.

Continuacion, is a continual heaping 
of woordes, the sentences also perfigh­
ted: and it may be vsed three wayes. In 
sentence thus. Fortune cannot hurt him 
muche, which more firmely trusteth in 
vertue, then in chaunce. In contrary thus. 
For if a man put not hope in chaunce, how 
shall chaunce muche hurte him? In con­
clusion thus. And if fortune maye dooe 
muche agaynst them, which hath put al 
their accomptes vpon chaunce: all are 
not to be committed to fortune, lest for­
tune haue to great a dominacion vpon them.




Similiter cadens est, cum in eadem constructi­
one verborum, duo aut plura sunt verba, quæsimiliter 
cisdem casibus efferuntur, hoc modo. Hominem laudas 
egentem virtutis, abundantem felicitatis. Cicero pro 
Flacco. Nulla est in his varietas opinionis, nulla 
voluntatis, nulla sermonis.

Falling like is, when in the same con­
struction of wordes, there be. ii. wordes 
or moe, which be spoken alike in the self 
same cases, as. Thou praisest a man nedy 
of health, plentiful of wealth. Cicero for 
Flaccus. There is in them no varietie of 
opinion, none of affection, none of com­
munication.

Similiter desinens est, cum dictiones vel sententiæ 
similes habent exitus, vt. Turpiter audes facere 
nequiter studes dicere. Viuis inuidiose, delinquit 
studiose, loqueris odiose. Hæc duo ornamenta inter 
se vehementer conueniunt, quorum alterum in ex­
itus, alterum in casus similitudine versatur.

Ending alike, when wordes or sentences, 
haue like endinges, thus. Thou darest do 
filthily, and studiest to speake baudely. 
Thou liuest disdainfully, thou sinnest pur­ 
posely. Thou speakest hatefully. These 
two kindes of ornamentes, agree greatly 




together: of which the one is in lyke en­
dinges: the other in like cases.




	
FIGVRAE RHETHORICAE 
Secundi generis.

INterrogatio, Interrogationum duæ sunt 
formæ Simplex. vt. Sed qui vos tandem? 
quibus aut venistis ab oris.
Figurata multas habet species: Interrogamus 
enim nonnunquam, non sciscitandi gratia, sed in­
standi, Cicero. Quousque tandem abutere Catili­
næ patientia nostra? Aut miserationis caussa, Vt 
Sinon apud Virgilium. Nam quæ me tellus, quæ 
me nunc æquora possunt accipere? Aut indigna­
tionis. Et quisquam numen iunonis adoret Præte­
rea? Aut admirationis. Dij boni, quid illic homi­
num litigat. Aut acrius imperandi gratia. Non armæ 
expedient, totaque ex vrbe sequentur? Seruit hæc 
figuram multis & varus affectibus. Tum vero commo­
dissime adhibebitur, cum quid argumentis est euictum


Of demaundes there bee two sortes. 
One plaine, as. I pray you tel me what 
you be, or from what coastes you do come
The figuratiue hath many kindes. For 
somtime we are, not to haue an answer, 




but to set our purpose more forwardes 
thus. Cicero. Then Latiline, how long 
wylt thou abuse our pacience? Or for pi­
tie sake, as Sinon doth in Virgil. Alas 
what grounde, what sea may nowe re­
ceyue me? for anger also. And wyll anye 
man hereafter worshippe the power of 
Iuno? for meruaylyng. Terence. O 
Lorde what a sort now goe to the law? 
or more sharpelye to commaunde them. 
Wyl they not nowe bring foorth theyr 
harnes, and folowe me through all the 
citie? This figure serueth to many af­
fections, but speciallye whan we haue 
wonne by reasonyng.

Subiectio, quum ipsi respondemus nostræ inter­
rogationi, vt, Ideone studia deseremus, quod mag­ 
nus in his subeundus labor. Nequaquam, Item, 
Quero vnde iste diuitias nactus est? An amplum 
patrimonium relictum est? At patris bona renie­
runt, Hereditas aliqua obuenit? non potest diei. I­
mo a necessarijs omnibus, exhæredatus est.

Subiection is, when we aunswer to 
our owne demaunde thus. Shall we 
therfore forsake studies, because greate 




payne must be taken in them? No vere­
lye. Also, I axe where this felowe gate 
this riches. Had he any great patrimo­
nie left him? Nay, al his fathers goodes 
wer solde. Had he any thing by enheri­
taunce? it cannot bee sayde, for he was 
disherited from all thynges necessarye.

Exclamatio est, quæ conficit significationem do­
loris, aut indignationem alicuius, per hominis, aut 
rei cuiuspiam compellationem. Cicero, O fallacem 
hominum spem, fragilemque fortunam, & inanes 
nostras contentiones quæ in medio spacio sæpe fran­
guntur, & corruunt, & ante in ipso casu obruun­
tur, quam portum conspicere potuerunt.

Exclamation is, whiche sheweth the 
signification of sorowe, or anger for 
somewhat, by callyng vpon any manne 
or thyng: thus. Cicero. O deceyuable 
hope of men, and frayle fortune, & oure 
payne contentions, whiche often tyme 
are broken in the midde way, and rushe 
downe, and in the verye fall are ouer­
whelmed before they can see the hauen.

Execratio est, cum aliquid detestamur propter




ingentia quæsecum affert mala, sic. O detestandar
idololatriam, quæ aco aignum honorem aufert 
peccatoribus creaturis illam tribuens, & idoli 
per hominum manus fabricatis.

Execration is, when we deteste any 
thing, for the great euils that it bring­ 
eth with it, thus. O detestable Idola­ 
trye, whiche taketh awaye the honour 
dew to God, and geueth it to sinneful 
creatures, and ymages made by mans 
handes.

Dubitatio, quum dubitare nos significamus 
vel vnde sumamus exordium propter rerum mul­ 
titudinem, vel quid potissimum agamus dolore a­ 
liquo affecti. Cicero pro Roscio. Quid primum quæ­ 
rar, aut vnde potissimum Iudices exordiar? aut 
quod, aut a quibus auxilium petam? Tale est, E­ 
loquar an sileam?

Dubitation, when we signifie that we 
doubt either where to take our begyn­ 
nyng for the multytude of thynges 
or for sorowe say, wherat shal we fyrst 
begin. Cicero for Roscius. Of what shal 
I first complaine? Or, O iudges, where 
shal I first begin? What, or of whom shal 
I cal for help?




Communicatio, quum aut ipsos aduersarios consuli­
nus, aut cum iudicibus deliberamus, quia faciendum
Vt aut quid factum oportuerit. vt, Cedo si vos eo loco
essetis, quid tandem faceretis aliud? Et, in hoc turbu
entissimo rerum statu, date consilium quid mihi 
censetis faciendum.

Communication, when eyther we 
axe our aduersaries counsaile, or delibe­ 
rate with the iudges, what is to be done 
or ought to haue been done. as. Tel me 
if you were in the like state, what other 
thing would you doe? And in this trou­
blous worlde, geue me counsell, what 
you thinke best to be done.

Permissio, quoties aut dissimulationem, aut as­
seuerationem habet, tum demum figura est. As­
seuerationem sic. Perfrica frontem, & dicte dig­
niorem qui pretor fieres quam Catonem. Dissimu­ 
lationem. vt apud Terentium. Quid isthuc? Si ti­
bi isthuc placet, profundat, perdat, pereat, nihil ad
me attinet. Hæc enim artificiosa prohibitio est, per
ironicam concessionem.

Permission, when it hath a dissimulation 
or an affirmation, than in dede is it a fy­
gure: asseueration thus. Rub thy forehed 
& say thou art more worthy to be consull 




then Cato. Dissimulation thus. Te­
rence. What meaneth this? If it so please 
thee, let hym wast, let hym destroie, and 
be destroyed, I haue nothing to do with 
it. This is a crafty forbidding, by a moc­ 
king graunt.

Licentia est, quum mitigamus liberius dicta, non 
auditorem offendant, hoc pacto. Si molesta est ora­ 
tionis acerbitas, cogitate graues morbos, non sa­ 
nari leuibus pharmacis.

Licence, when we mitigate thinges 
spoken freelye before, leste the hearer 
should bee offended, thus. If my bytter 
woordes greue you, remember, that sore 
sickenes is not eased with lyght reme­
dies.

Diminutio, cum quod in nobis, aut in his quos 
defendimus est egregium. ne qua significetur arro­
gans ostentatio, diminuitut, & attenuatur orati­
one, sic. Nam hoc pro meo iure Iudices dico, me la­ 
bore & industria curasse, vt disciplinam milita­
rem non in postremis tenerem. Hic si quis dixisset 
vt optime tenerem, tametsi vere dixisset tamen ar­
rogans visus esset. Nunc & ad inuidiam vitan­
dam & ad laudem comparandam, satis dictum




est Porro, vt licentia prestat, neoffendat libertas: ita
Diminutio facit, ne quod necessario dicitur, arro­
ganter, dictum videatur.

Diminution, when any thyng that is 
excellent in vs, or in those that we de­
fende, is by woordes diminished, to a­
uoyde boastyng, thus. For this dare I 
boldely saye, you Iudges, that I haue 
trauayled and laboured to vnderstande 
the feates of warre, not with the worst. 
Here if a manne shoulde haue sayde to 
bee as good as the beste, althoughe he 
shoulde haue sayde trewe: yet he should 
haue been thought proude, and arrogant. 
Now to auoide disdayn, and get praise, 
ynoughe is spoken. Further, as this fi­
gure Licentia, causeth that our free spe­
kyng doth no displeasure: so doth dimi­
nution make that whiche is necessarily 
spoken, seme not spoken proudly.

Reiectio est cum eludimus aliquid ab aduer­
sario contra nos propositum: ad quod respondere 
difficile fuerit, & significamus vel indignum esse 
de quo dicatur, vel quod ad rem nihil pertineat, 
aut seruaturos nos in alium opportuniorem locum,




hoc modo. Hac de re quid attinet dicere, quando
ad institutum non multum facit. Huiusmodi est 
pro Milone. Quid enim odisset Clodium Mito, se­
getem ac materiam gloriæ suæ? Nam vel princi­
pale argumentum Clodianorum eludit tantum 
Cicero, non diluit.

Reiection is, when we trifle out a 
thing brought against vs by our aduer­
sarye, to the whiche it is harde to aun­
swere, and then say either it is not wor­ 
thy to be spoken of or that it pertaineth 
not to the purpose, or that we wyll 
kepe it till another meter time, thus. 
What neede me speake of this matter, 
seing it maketh not muche to the pur­
pose. Like is in the oration for Milo. 
For why shoulde Milo hate Clodius, 
seing he is the ground and chief cause of 
his glorie. Here did Cicero trifle out 
euen the principal argument of the Clo­ 
dians, and did not solue it.

Gradatio est, quum consequentia membra ab 
eisdem oriuntur verbis, quibus antecedentia 
claudiuntur: atque ita velut gradibus quibusdam 
connectitur oratio, vt, Africano virtutem indu­




stria, virtus gloriam, gloria æmulos comparauit. 
Grauior hic est, quia res ipsa gradus habet. Est 
aliquando in verbis gradatio. Vt, Torua Leenæ 
lupum sequitur lupus ipse capellam. Haud dissi­
mile est Anadiplosi, de qua dictum est antea.

Gradation is, when the wordes that 
goe before, be forthwith repeted, and so 
runneth as it wer from steppe to steppe, 
thus. Industrie to Affrican gat vertue, 
vertue glorye, glory disdayne. Here the 
matter hath degrees, and therefore is 
more graue. Sometime it standeth in 
woordes, as. The Leenes foloweth the 
woulf, the woulf the goate. It is much 
like Anadiplosis, whereof we spake be­
fore.

Commutatio fit inuerso sententiæ ordine. 
vt, Non est viuendum vt edas, sed edendum 
vt viuas. Huius generis est illa non sine caussa 
laudata sententia. Si quid turpe facias cum 
voluptate: voluptas abit, turpitudo manet: si quid 
honestum facias cum labore, labor abit, honestum manet.

Commutation is, when the order of 
the sentence is tourned, thus. We must 
not liue to eate, but eate to liue. Of this 
suit is this sentence most worthily praised




If thou dooe any sinne with pleasure, 
the pleasure goeth awaye: the synne re­
maineth: if thou dooe vertuously with 
labour, thy labour goeth away, the ver­ 
tue remayneth.

"Commutation" antedates the earliest OED citation (1823).



Contentio est commoda contrariorum inter se 
relatio. Fitque vel verbis inter se pugnantibus: 
vel sententiis contrariis. Sic qui suis rationibus ini­
micus semper fuerit, eum quomodo alienis rebus 
amicum fore speres? Hic in sententiis est pugna. 
Assentatio iucunda principia, eadem exitus a­
marissimos habet. Hic in verbis.

Contention is a proper settyng to­
gether of contraries. And eyther it is 
in woordes that be contrarye, or in con­
trarye thinges, thus. He that alwaye 
was enemye to his owne reckonynges, 
how shoulde we hope hym to be a frend 
to other mennes matters? Here is con­
trariety in sentences. Flattery hath plea­
saunt begynnynges, and thesame bitter 
endynges. Here is the strife in wordes.

Occupatio, tacitæ obiectionis refutatio est: vt cum 
ipsi ammaduertentes quid obsit nobis, prius id di­




luimus, quam obtici possit. Vt Cicero dicit scire se m­
uri quosdam, quod is qui per tot annos defendere
multos, leserit neminem, ad accusandum Verrem 
descenderit. Dein ostendit hanc ipsam accusati­
onem Verris, sociorum esse defensionem.

When perceyuing aforehande an ob­
iection that might be layde agaynste vs
and hurte vs, we wipe it away or euer 
it bee spoken, as. Cicero sayeth: that he 
knoweth some men wil meruayle, syth so 
many yeres he defended many and hurt 
one, he doth now come to accuse verres 
Then dothe he shewe that this accusa­
tion of Verres. is a defence of theyr 
felowes.

Anthipophora, quum respondemus ad obiectio­
nem quæ Hypophora dicitur. Cicero. In verrem: 
Vt enim hæc ita commissa sunt ab isto, vt non cog­ 
nita sint ab omnibus. Hominem esse arbitror ne­
minem, qui nomen istius audierit, quin facta quo­
que eius nefaria commemorare possit. Virg. Verum 
anceps pugnæ fuerat fortuna: fuisset. Quem me­
tui moritura?

Anthypophora, when we make answer 
to an obiection that is layde agaynste 




vs, thus. Cicero agaynst Verres. Yea, 
but you say he hath done these thinges 
so, that all men knewe it not. I thinke 
there bee no man whiche hath heard of 
his name, but can also rehearse his mis­
cheuous actes. Virgil. But the chaunce 
of fyght woulde haue been doubtfull. 
What then? Whom feared I whiche 
was ready to dye.

Confessio, cum quedam largimur aduersario, 
vt reliqua magis exaggerari possint, vt. Esto sane 
fueris aliquando amicus, vna militaueris, sint a­
liqua tua in eum beneficia, quid tum? An non 
potuit dissilire gratia?

Confession, when we graunte some 
thinges to our aduersarye, that the rest 
may bee made the more greuous, thus. 
Bee it that thou wast once his frende, 
his felowe in warre, and that thou hast 
done somewhat for hym. What than? 
Myght ye not therfore falle out?

Paradiastole, cum ita aliquid conceditur, vt, 
vicinum quiddam detrahi possit. vt, Veritas la­
borare potest, opprimi non potest.

Paradiastole, whan we so graunte




somewhat, that we take awaye some 
thing that is nere vnto it, thus. Trouth 
maye be in ieopardy, but neuer opprest.

Aetiologia, cum propositi alicuius statim caus­
sam subijcimus. Cicero pro Archia. Si quid est 
in me ingenij, &c. Vendicabit iure Archia. Fuit 
enim mihi princeps ad suscipiendam rationem 
horum studiorum.

Aetiologia, whan we shew by and by 
the cause of oure purpose. Cicero for 
Archia. This witte that I haue (you 
Iudges,) Archias may iustly chalenge 
it vnto hym. For he was the chiefe and 
principal, that made me to set my self to 
these maner of studies.

Dicæologia, cum aliquam officij rationem expo­ 
nimus, aut excusationem, quod videlicet iure id, 
et honeste faciamus, aut alioqui caussamur equi­ 
tatem: vt, Lapsus sum sed adolescens, & inter ta­
les versatus, inter quos non potui non corrumpi.

Dicaeologia, when we shewe some 
cause of oure duetye, or some excuse 
that it is honeste so to dooe, Or laye 
some reason for oure selfe, thus. I dyd 




amisse, but I was yonge, and in suche 
coumpanye, where I must of force bee 
naught.

Anangeon, cum allegatur necessitæs, quæ 
vim in deliberando summam habet, vt, Amicum 
deserui, sed coactus a legibus. Conseruaui amicinæ 
fidem dum per leges licuit, nunc ab illo ab alie­
nauit me, non voluntas, sed legum vis.

Anangeon when we aledge necessity, 
which in deliberation is of great force, 
as. I forsooke my frende, but the lawe 
compelled me: I kept frendship as long 
as the lawe suffred me, now I am tur­
ned from hym: not by wyll, but by force 
of lawe.


De postremo figurarum 
genere. 

PArtitio est, quum id quod generatim dici po­
terat, per partes latius explicatur. Vt si dica­
mus, Cyclopediam absoluit. Hanc sententiam ex­
plicare potes hoc modo: Mire poetarum omnium 
fabulas tenet, Rhetorum flosculos, Grammatico­
rum laboriosos canones, Dialecticorum argutias 
Phisices arcana, vltramundanæ sapientiæ ardua




Theologorum abdita, Mathematicas apodixes, a­ 
strorum motus, numerorum rationes, verborum, mon­ 
tium, fluminum, fontium, situs, nomina, interual­
la, vocum concentus, antiquitates, nouitates, grece 
atque latine: denique quicquid vnquam eruditi­
onis ab egregiis autoribus repertum, ac traditum 
fuit, id vniuersum vnus hic absolute perceptum 
cognitumque habet, ac meminit.


Partition is, when that that might 
be spoken generally, is more largely de­
clared by partes. As if we would say: 
he is perfectly seen in al sciences. Thys 
sentence thou mayest declare by partes 
in this wise. He knoweth merueylous­
ly well the fables of Poetes, the flow­
ers of Rhetorique, the painefull rules 
of Grammer, the subtilties of Logiti­
ans, the secretes of natural philosophy, 
the hardnes of wisedom supernatural, 
the misteries of diuinitie, the mathema­
ticall demonstrations, the mocions of 
starres, the reasons of numbers, the mea­
suring of the earth, the situations, names 
and spaces of Cities, Mountaynes, 
Floudes, and Fountaynes, the dyffe­
rence, and harmonies of Tunes, histo­ 




ries olde, and newe: antiquities, nouel­
ties, Greke and Latine: finally whatso­
euer good learnyng hath been founde 
and taught of good authours, all that 
wholy hath this one man perfitlye per­
ceyued, knowen, and remembred.

Enumeratio est, quando singulatim ea commemo­
ramus, per quæ ad exitum rei peruentum est, vt 
hanc sententiam, Cicero Catiline conatus oppressit 
ita potes locupletare. Catilinæ nefarios conatus per 
iuuenes perditissimos, totius ciuitatis Romanæ in 
ternecionem molientes, Marcus Tullius Cicero 
consul sua sagacitate statim odoratus est, singulæ­
ri vigilantia peruestigauit, summa prudentia de­
prehendit, miro in Remp. studio prodidit, incredi­
bili eloquentia conuicit, grauissima autoritate, ar­ 
mis, atque felicitate sustulit.

Enumeration is, when we reherse those 
thynges seuerallye, by which the matter 
was brought to passe: as. That Cicero 
oppressed the purposes of Catiline: 
thus you maye sette it foorth. The 
myschieuous enterprises of Catiline, 
by moste vngracious younge menne, 
whiche wente about the vtter destruc­ 




tion of Roome, Marcus Tullius 
the Consull, by hys foresyghte dyd 
quickelye smell oute, by his singuler 
vigilance soughte out, by his hyghe 
prudence founde out, by hys meruay­
lous loue to the common wealth shew­
ed out, by his incredyble Eloquence 
proued oute, by hys graue authory­
tye, power, and happynesse, thruste 
out.

"Enumeration" antedates the earliest OED citation of this sense (1862).



Distributio est, cum in plures res, aut personas certas 
negotia quedam dispertiuntur, hoc modo. Senatus 
officium est consilio ciuitatem inuare, Magistra­
tus officium est, opera & diligentia; consequi vo­ 
luntatem senatus: populi officium est, res opti­
mas, & homines idoneos maxime suis sententijs, 
eligere, & probare. Cicero pro L. Murena: Hic ve­
ro iudices, & fuit in Asia, & viro fortissimo pa­
renti suo, magno adiumento in periculis, solatio in 
laboribus, gratulationi in victoria fuit.

Distribution is, when businesse are 
dyspersed into many thynges, or certain 
persons, thus. It is the office of the senate 
to help the citie with counsel: of the magistrate 




with laboure and diligence to dooe the 
wil of the Senate: of the people to chose 
out the best thinges, and to chose and a­
lowe men that be moste metest. Cicero 
for Lucius Murena. And this man, you 
iudges, bothe was in Asia, and greatlye 
holpe that good man his father in pe­
rils, dyd comfort him in sorowes, and re­
ioysed in his victories.

Descriptio nominatur, quæ rerum consequentiam 
continet perspicuam & dilucidam cum gra­
uitate expositionem, hoc modo. Nam neminem ve­ 
strum fugit quirites, capta vrbe, quæ miseriæ con­ 
sequi soleant: arma qui contra tulerunt, statim cru­ 
delissime trucidantur: cæteri, qui possunt per æta­
tem & vires laborem ferre, rapiuntur in seruitu­
tem: qui non possunt, vita priuantur: vno denique 
atque eodem tempore, domus hostili flagrat incen­
dio, & quos natura, aut voluntas, necessitudine, 
aut beneuolentia coniunxerit, distrahuntur, Libe­
ri, partim é gremijs parentum diripiuntur, partim 
in sinu iugulantur, partim ante pedes construpan­
tur. Nemo iudices est, qui possit satis rem conse­
qui verbis, nec referre oratione magnitudinem 
calamitatis.




It is called Description, which con­
teyneth a playne and euidente settyng 
out of thinges that folowe after, and 
that with a certayne grauitie, thus: 
You knowe ryght wel, you people, when 
the citie is taken, what miseries be wont 
to folow. Such as fought against them, 
are by and by most cruelly kylled, other 
whiche be so strong that they be hable 
to laboure, are made bondeslaues: they 
that cannot, are slayne: at one tyme bee 
our houses burnt, our kynsmenne and 
acquaintaunce pulled awaye from vs. 
Younge chyldren, some are pulled 
from their mothers lappes, and some 
are threatled in their mothers armes, 
and some defiled before their fete: you 
iudges, there is no man hable to expresse 
in woordes or writyng the great sorow 
and calamitie.


Demonstratio, quam Greci Hypotyposin vocant, 
est oratio exprimens rem, personam, affectum, mo­
res, sermonem, ac circunstantiam, ita clare, & 
copiose, vt lectori ab oculos ea quasi presens verse­
tur veluti viua pictura. Huius species sunt.

Rei descriptio, cum non contenti summatim aue 




tenuiter rem exposuisse. sic illam subijcimus oculis, vt 
non narrari, sed geri, & lector eam non audiuisse, sed 
oculis aspexisse videatur. Talis est aescriptio Dilu­ 
uij in primo Metamorphosis, et: Tempestatis in secundo

Prosopopœia, qua homo quispiam depingitur. Si 
eut Plutarchus illustres Græcos, & Latinos, Sue­
tonius item duodecim Cesares. Quanquam Rhe­
tores fere latius vtuntur vocabulo prosopopœie, ni­
mirum, vt has sex species sequentes complectatur

Characterismus, effictio, vel pictura corporis, 
aut animi, Sic Dauus effingit Critonem. Chœrea 
senem illum importunum.

Prosopographia, fictio personæ. Quæ duas ha­
bet species. Prior est, personæ fictæ descriptio: poetis 
propria, oratoribus rara. Vt, Virgilius fingit Sy­
byllam furentem fingit personas apud inferos. Al­
tera forma est, quum rei mutæ, aut incorporeæ af­
fingimus personam, & sermonem, & affectum 
hominis, aut animalis, quem admodum Harpyis, 
fariis, demonibus, somno, fami, inuidiæ, famæ in­
tuti, & similibus personam, vel sermonem affingo 
re poeta solent. Item, cuum aut Remp. oratores loquen­
tem inducunt, aut defunctos quasi ab inferis excitam

Ethopœia proprietas, vol expressio morum, et affectuim 
mitium. Huius tres sunt formæ. Prima expressio morum 
prolixior, velut ingeniorum, artium, virtutum, vitiorum. Si­




vanum ostentatorem exprimit, I brasonem Terentius, 
militem Plautus. Atque hæc forma propria Comœ­
dijs, atque dialogis est. Secunda forma est expressio 
naturalium propensionum, ac natura insitarum affecti­
onum. Vt est expressio amoris paterni erga liberos: con­ 
iugum, & amicorum inter se: coniunctionis æqualium, ho­
spitum, vicinorum: disiunctionis, hostium inter se. In 
qualibus effigendis mirus est apud Latinos artifex 
Liuius. Peculiariter enim historia animorum cupidita­
tes, consilia, & res gestas, fere sine tragieis illis mo­
tibus depingit. Tertia forma est, expressio affectionum 
leniorum, quæ non ita perturbant animos, neque præ­ 
cipitant. Vt siquando letiores affectus hominum 
erga nos, aliosue captamus: & blandiendo elicimus 
vt quum animus in spem, in lætitiam erigitur, 
& in risum quoque.

Pathopœia, id est, vehementiorum affectuum, & per­ 
turbationum expressio. Huius duæ sunt formæ. Pri­ 
or, quam Imaginationem vocant, qua metus, dolor, ira, 
furor, odium, inuidia, effrenis cupiditas, libido im­
modica, spes, immoderata letitia, perturbatioque ani­ 
mi describitur, & excitatur. Huius exempla sunt 
passinobuia in Tragœdiis. Altera forma est Commi­ 
seratio: qua eliciuntur lachrimæ, vel mouetur mise­ 
ricordia, vel captatur venia. Huius exempla sunt ob­ 
uia in perorationibus Ciceronianis, in querelis 
apud Poetas.




Sermocinatio, quoties personæ affingitur ora­ 
tio breuis, vel longa, pro decoro eius. Cuiusmo­
di sunt conciones Liuianæ, & apud alios Histori­
cos. Quum personæ quam fingimus sermonem per­ 
petuum attribuimus. Conformatio est, Quum per 
sonæ quam fingimus, propositis subinde respon­
demus, Sermocinatio est.

Mimisis, imitatio sermonis, vel morum, qua non 
modo personæ orationem, sed etiam gestum effin­
gimus. Has prædictas sex species, Fabius atque a­
li, subiiciunt Prosopopœie.

Topographia, loci descriptio, vt Carthaginis in 
primo Aeneidos, Huc refer Cosmographiam.

Topothesia, loci fictio, quum describitur locus, 
qui fortasse non est vspiam in rerum natura. Huius 
exemplum habes Thoma Mori Vtopiam, vel sal­
tem non est talis qualis fingitur. Vt in sexto Aene­ 
idos inferorum, & Elisii descriptio. Huc refer A­
strothesiam, apud Aratum, Higinium, Mani­
lium, Pontanum. 

Chronographia, descriptio temporis, vt. Noctis 
in quarto Aeneidos, Pacifici seculi in quarta Ae­ 
gloga Virgilii. Quatuor etatum, in primo Meta­
morphoseos.


Demonstration is, when we so plainly 




and copiously expresse a thing, a person, & 
an affection, maners, speach, and circum­
staunce, that the reader, semeth to see 
it before his eies, as though it wer liue­
lye paynted in a table. The kyndes bee 
these.

The description of a thyng, when 
not content, lightly and briefly to haue 
shewed it, we so set it before the Rea­
ders eyes, that it semeth not to be told, 
but to be done: & the reader not to here 
it, but se it. Suche is the description of 
the floude in the firste booke of Meta­
morphosis, & of a tempest in the second

Prosopopœia, when any man is de­
scribed. As Plutarche dothe the noble 
men, both Grecians and Latines. Sue­
tonius also the twelue Emperours. 
How be it, the Rhethoricians vse thys 
woorde, Prosopopœia largely to com­
prehende these syxe kyndes folowyng.

Characterismus, the expression or 
painting out, eyther of the body or mind 
So Dauus setteth out Crito: & Che­
rea the troublous olde man.

Prosopographia, the fayning of a per­ 




son. This hath two kindes. The fyrste
is the description of a feined person pro­
perlye belongyng to Poetes, syldome 
vsed of Oratours. As Virgil fay­
neth Sybbill to bee madde, and per­
sones beneath in hell. Another fourme 
is, when vnto a thyng that is dumme, 
or without a bodye, we fayne a per­
sone, speache, and affection of a 
manne, or some lyuyng thyng, as to 
the byrdes called Harpyans, Furyes, 
Deuilles, Slepe, Hungar, Enuye, 
Fame, Vertewe, and lyke, the Poets 
bee woonte to fayne a persone, and 
speache. Also when Oratours make 
the common wealthe speake, or as it 
were rayse vp agayne dead men.

Ethopœia, propertye, or expres­
syon of mylde maners and affections.
Of thys there bee three kyndes. The 
fyrste, a large settyng out of maners, 
as of wyttes, artes, vertues, or vy­
ces. So Terence setteth out boastyng. 
Thraso, Plautus, a crakyng soul­
dyoure. And thys facyon properlye 
belongeth to Commœdies, and Dia­




logues. The seconde fourme is an
expressyon of naturall inclinations, 
and affections naturall, as of the fa­
thers loue towarde the chyldren, the 
housebande and wyfe, of frendes a­
mong them selues, of compaygnions, 
geastes, neyghbours: of hatred also, 
and of enemyes. In expressyng of these 
among the Latines, Liuius is very cun­ 
nyng. For an Hystorye chyeflye setteth 
out the desyre of myndes, purposes, 
and deedes, without anye greate out­
cryes, and rages. The thyrde kynde 
is a settyng oute of colde and mylde 
affections, that dooe not so greatelye 
trouble the mynde nor tosse it: as when 
we goe aboute gentely to geat mennes 
loue and fauoure, or that the mynde is 
broughte into hope, myrthe, or laugh­
ter.

Pathopœia, that is an expression 
of vehemente affections and pertur­
bations. Of this there be two kyndes. 
The fyrste is called Imagination,  
whereby, teare, sorowe, anger, furye, 




hatred, enuy, vnbrideled desyre, lust im­
moderate, hope, or gladnesse, and the 
passions of the mynde is described and 
styrred vp. Exaumples of these bee e­
uerye where in Tragedies. There is an 
other facion called Commiseration,  
whereby we make menne wepe, moue 
menne to mercye, or to pardon an of­
fence. Readye exaumples of these are 
in the perorations of Cicero, & in Po­
etes, in their complaintes.

Sermocination, is when we fayne a 
person, and make hym speake lytle or 
muche according to comlines. Suche 
be the Concions of Liuie, and sermones 
or orations made in other Historiogra­
phers. When the person that we feyn, 
speaketh all hym selfe: the figure is cal­
led Conformation. But when we now 
and then aunswere to demaundes that 
he putteth vnto vs, it is called, Sermo­ 
cination.

Mimisis, an imitation of speache or 
manours, whereby we counterfayte, 
not onelye what one sayde, but his ge­
sture also. These foresayde sixe kyndes, 




Quintilian and other put vnder Pro­
sopopœia.

Topographia, the discription of a 
place, as of Carthago in the fyrste of 
Eneidos. Hyther referre Cosmogra­
phie.

Topothesia, the faynyng of a place, 
When a place is descrybed, as parad­
uenture suche none is. Exaumple of 
this is the Vtopia of Syr Thomas 
Moore. Or elles is not suche a place 
as it is, fayned to bee. As, is hell, and 
heauen in the syxte of Eneidos. Hy­
ther pertayneth the situacion of starres, 
in Aratus, Higinius, Manilius and 
Pontanus.

Chronographia, the discription of 
tyme, as of nyght in the fowerth of E­
neidos. Of the peace worlde in the 
fourth Egloge of Virgil. Of the foure 
ages in the fyrste of Metamorphoseos.


Magna pars Eloquentiæ sita est in augendo, ac 
diminuendo. Omnis autem amplificatio ac dimi­
nutio, petitur aut ex rebus, aut ex verbis. Ex 
verbis sic.

Quum commutamus vocabulum, pro vero po­




nentesatrotius. Vt si occisum dicamus eum, qui cæ­ 
sus tantummodo fuit.

Augemus per incrementum, sic. Facinus est 
vinciri ciuem Romanum, scœlus verberari, parici­ 
dium necari, quid dicam in crucem tollere?

Increscit oratio per Congeriem, In cetu vero po­
puli Romani, negotium publicum gerens, magister 
equitum, frustis esculentis vinum redolentibus, 
gremium & totum tribunal implere, an non tur­
pissimum? Differt a priore, impetu.

Per comparationem quoque increscit oratio. Fi­
ctione, et exempli collatione. Fictione sic. Si me fer­  
ut isthoc pacto metuerent, vt te metuunt omnes 
ciues tut: domum meam mihi relinquendam putarè. Ex­
empli collatione sic. An vero vir amplissimus Sci­
pio Tyberium Gracchum mediocriter labefactatem Renp­
priuatus interfecit: Catilinam orbem terræ, cede, & 
incendio vastare cupientem, nos consules preferemus?

Amplificamus per coniecturas sic. Maro de 
Polyphemo. Trunca manus pinum regit. Hinc e­
nim coniicimus, quantæ fuerit totius corporis mag­ 
nitudo, eum pro scipione haberet pinum arborem.

Incrementum maius sumitur ex rebus, quas 
semper comitantur circumstantiæ. Persona, has ha­ 
bet. Nationem, patriam, sexum, ætatem, educatio­
nem, habitum corporis, fortunam, conditionem, a­
nimi naturam, anteacta, nomen. Exempla. Natio,




Si quod eius nationis proprium est contennit, grauius est 
vt Anglum sagittandi peritiam contennere, culpabilius 
est quam Gallum. Patria, non simpliciter auget. Sed exem­
pli gratia de Deo sic loqui licet, Voluit nasci in ciui­
tate longe celeberrima; quo velut in excelso theatro 
positus, latius sua virtute diluceret, Sexus. In mu­ 
liere turpiloquium turpissima res est. Aetas. Libi­ 
do senem maxime dedecet. Educatio, Bene a pri­
mis annis institutus fuit Nero a Seneca, pinde post 
degenerasse grauius fuit Habitus corporis Cum te 
deus corpore pulchro crearit, cur tam turpia patras? 
Fortuna, Ex obscuro factus es nobilis, & sic insoles­
cis? Conditio, priuatus es, et tamen magistratui re­ 
sistis, Animi natura. Cum te magnanimum crearet 
deus, cur tam pusilla sectaris. Anteacta, Iam desidem 
esse, cuius priora tam egregia fuerunt facinora, dede­
cus est, Nomem. Vigilantium in re tanta dormire decebat 
Rerum circumstantiæ hæ sunt. Caussa, Locus, Tem­ 
pus, instrumentum. Caussa, ad paricidium primus 
impul sti, grauior ergo est tua culpa Locus. In tem­ 
plo virginem contaminauit. Tempus. Carnibus 
tum vescebaris, quando publicum fuit indictum ieiu­
nium. Instrumentum Gladio peiore, lingua serpens 
Eu. in occidit Et hæc est per circumstantias amplificatio


A great part of Eloquence standeth 
by increasing and diminishing. And all 
amplification is taken either of thinges 




or woordes: by wordes thus.
When we chaunge the very woorde, 
and in stede thereof put a bygger, & say: 
Thou hast killed him: where peraduen­
ture he gaue hym but a fewe stripes.
An other kynde of Amplification is, 
when oure woordes increase one byg­
ger then other, thus. It is offence to 
bynde a Citezin of Rome, haynous to 
beate hym, manslaughter to kyll hym. 
What shall I cal it to hang hym?
We amplify also by heapyng thinges 
faste together. In the companye of the 
people of Rome, hauyng a common of­
fice, Mayster of the horse, there to caste 
vp thy stynkyng gobbettes, and to fyll 
thy lappe and the iudgemente seate, 
is not this a shame? This differeth from 
the other, because it goeth a pace: and 
the other by steppes and distinctions.
We amplifye by comparison: and set 
one exaumple to an other: or fayne as 
though such thyng had happened, thus: 
If my seruauntes dyd feare me in suche 
wyse as all thy Citezins feare thee, I 
would think it good to leaue my house. 




By comparyng one exaumple to an o­
ther, thus. Cicero. Did I pray you that 
noble man Scipio beyng a priuate per­
son kyl Tiberius Gracchus, which sha­ 
ked the common wealth but a litle: and 
shal we being Consuls suffer Catiline, 
that goeth about to wast the whole world 
with murther and fyer?
We amplify by coniecture thus Vir­
gil speaking of Polyphemus. He helde 
in his hande the bodye of a pyne tree. 
By this we coniecture what a greate 
body he had, when he had a pine tree for 
his staffe.

A greater amplification of thynges,  
Which alwaies haue their circumstan­
ces with them. A person hath these. Na­ 
cion, countrey, kinde, age education, ha­
uour of the body, fortune, condicion, na­
ture of mind, forededes, and names. Ex­ 
amples. If a man despise any thing that 
properlye belongeth to his nation, it is 
more greuous, as. For if an English man 
doe despise the feate of shooting. The 
countrey doth not alwayes cause am­
plification: but we may say of God. He 




would be borne in the goodliest part of 
the world, that as it wer in an open playing 
place, his might & power, myght shine 
more abrode. Kind. As filthy talke is a 
foule thing in a woman. Age. Lechery be­
commeth not an old man, Education. Nero
in his first yeres was wel brought vp, it 
was therfore the more shame to degenerate 
afterwardes. The hauior of the bodi. Sith 
god hath made the a faire personage, why 
dooest thou so filthily? Fortune. Thou 
art of low degree becum a noble man, the 
worse is now thy pride. Condicion. Thou 
art a priuate man & darest thou resist the 
magistrates? The nature of the mind. God 
hath created the of an high & noble heart, 
why then sekest thou for so small trifles. 
Fordedes. Now to be a sluggard which be­ 
fore hast done so goodly actes, is a stark 
shame. Name. To slepe in so gret a mat­ 
ter, & to be named waker, was this mete

The circumstances of thinges be these.  
Cause, place, time, instrument. Cause.  
Thou wast the first that moued to this 
murther, the fault therfore is the greter 
Place. He defiled the virgin in the temple. 
Time. Then eate he flesh, when ther was 




proclaimed open fasting. Instrument. The 
serpent killed Eue with his tong worse then 
any sword. Thus now may you se what 
Amplification riseth by the circumstan­
ces belonging to persons, & thynges.


Frequentatio est, cum res in tota caussa dispersa, co­ 
guntur vnum in locum, quo grauior aut acrior, aut cri­
minosior oratio sit, hoc pacto A quo tandem abest iste 
vitio? quid est, Iudices, cur velitis eum liberare? suæ 
pudicitiæ proditor est, insidiator alienæ, cupidus, in 
temperans, petulans, superbus, impius in parentes, ingra­ 
tius in amicos, infestus in cognatos, in supereores con­
tumax, in æquos, & pares fastidiosus, in inferi­
ores crudelis, denique in omnes intollerabilis.


Frequentation is, when the thinges that 
be dispersed through al the cause be ga­
thered together into one place, that the 
oration may be the more graue, sharper, or 
rebukefuller, thus. What vice hath he 
not? why should you deliuer him you iud­
ges? His own chastity he setteth forth cum 
whose wil, he lieth in wait for others, he 
is intemperate, wanton, proud, vnnatural 
to his parentes, vnkind to his frendes,
troublesom to his kinsfolkes, stubberne to 
his betters, disdainful to his felowes, 




cruel to his inferiours, vntollerable to 
all men.

Congeries est multiplicatio verborum, aut sen­
tentiarum rem eandem velut inculcantium. Hoc dis­ 
fert ab Incremento, quod illic per gradus increscis 
oratio, hic velut aceruo. Cic. Quid enim ille tuus 
Tubero districtus in acie Pharsalica gladius a­
gebat? cuius latus ille mucro petebat? Qui sensus 
erat armorum tuorum? Quæ tua mens, oculi, mi­ 
nus, ardor animi? Quid cupiebas? quid optabas 
Quam multæ voces hic sunt idem fere significan­ 
tes. Vt, gladius, mucro, arma, Sensus, mens, ani­ 
mus, cupiebas, optabas. Tum quot sententiæ eodem 
spectantes, distringere in acie gladium, latus pe­  
tere, sensus armorum. Eiusdem generis est sed af­  
fectum habens mitiorem, quod est apud Virgilis 
3. Eneid, Quid puer Ascanius, superatne & ves­ 
citur aura Aetherea? nec adhuc crudelibus occu­  
bat vmbris? Nihil enim aliud querit nisi an ad­  
huc supersit Ascanius, sed affectus est, quod ret 
eandem ter expressie.

Congeries, is a multiplication of
wordes, or sentences, as it wer beatyn 
in all one thing. It differeth from encrease 
in this point, because the oration there 
groweth as it wer by degrees, and hea­




vy heapes. Cicero, Tubero, what dyd 
thy drawen sweord in the battail of Phar­ 
salia? whose side did the point strike at?
What was the meanyng of thine ar­ 
mour. What ment thy mind, eyes, handes 
fury of mind? What diddest thou couet? 
What diddest thou wish? Howe manye 
wordes be there here signifying almost 
all one thing? as: sweorde, pointe of the 
sweord, weapons, sense, minde, entente, 
diddest couet, diddest desire. Further, 
how many sentences bee there tendyng 
to one point, as: to drawe thy sweord in 
the fielde, to runne at his side, meanyng 
of weapons. Of the same sort is, but ha­ 
uyng a more milde affection, that is in 
Virgil in the. iii. of Eneid. Howe doeth 
the childe Ascanius, is he on the earth; 
doth he eate the breath Ethereal? doth 
he not yet lye belowe in the cruel dark 
places? He axeth nothing els, but whe­
ther Ascanius be aliue, but it is the af­
fection that expresseth one thing thrise.

"Congeries" antedates the earliest OED citation (a1620).



Diuisio est, quæ rem semouens a re, vtramque 
absoluit ratione subiecta, hoc modo. Cur ego nunc 
vbi quicquam obijciam? Si probus es non. meriuisti




sin improbus non commoueris. Et illud. Quid 
nunc ego de meis proprijs meritis preaicem? Si me 
ministis, obiundam: sin obliti estis, cum re nihil e­
gerim, quid est quod verbis proficere possim?

Diuision is, whiche remouyng one 
thing from another, endeth them both by 
shewing a reason, thus. Why should I 
nowe then lay any thyng to thy charge? 
If thou be good thou hast not deserued 
it: if thou be naught, thou carest not for 
it. Also, what should I nowe speake of 
myne owne proper merites. If you re­
member them I shal but trouble you: 
if you haue forgot them, when I haue 
done nothing by dede, what may I pro­
fite by wordes?

Correctio est, quæ tollit quod dictum est, & ali­
ud magis idoneum iu eius locum reponit, Sic 
Quod si iste suos amicos rogasset, imo innuisset mo­ 
do, hoc facile perfici possit,

Correction is, whiche taketh away 
that that is spoken, and putteth a more 
meter thyng in his place, thus. That is 
he had prayed his frendes, yea had no 
more but beckte, this thyng myght easi­ 
ly haue been done.




Definitio est, qua rei alicuius propria vis explica­ 
rur, breuiter et absolute hoc modo, Non est ista dili­ 
gentia sed auaritia: eo quod diligentia est accurrata con­ 
seruatio suorum, auaritia iniuriosa appetitio alienorum.

Difinition is, wherby the proper pith 
of any thyng is declared briefly & per­
fectly, thus. This is not diligence, but 
couetousnes: because diligence is an he­
dy conseruation of that that is his own 
couetousnes is an iniurious desyer of 
other mennes goodes.

Transitio est, qua monemus breuiter quid dictum 
sit, & quid consequatur, vt, In patriam qualis fuerit 
habetis: nunc in parentes qualis extiterit, accipite.

Transition is, whereby we do brief­
ly shew what is spoken, & what should 
folowe, thus. You haue heard howe he 
hath behaued hymselfe to hys countrey 
now what he hath been to his parentes 
I wyll tell you.

Exemplum est rei gestæ est commemoratio, & ad nostram 
caussam accommodatio. Huius ergo materia est factum 
vel res gesta, ab aliquo homine: Sic, Quem admodum 
Camillus rem Romanam in extremam pernitiem




adductam, restituit: Sic Laurentius lationas lite­
ras barbarorum inscitia fere extinctas, in pristi­
num nitorem reuocauit. Porro comparatio ostendit 
exemplum, quod adductum est, aut simile, aut 
dissimile, aut contrarium. Rursum, aut par, aut 
minus, aut maius. Quod in similibus quoque ef­
ficitur.

Exaumple is the rehearsal of a thing 
that is doone, and applying of it to our 
cause. So the grounde and matter of an 
exaumple is an acte done of any manne, 
thus. As Camillus restored the Romain 
common wealth being brought into ex­
treme ieopardye: So Laurence Valla 
broughte agayne into the olde pure­
nesse, the Latine toungue, whiche tho­
rowe ignoraunce of the Barbarians, was 
almoste quite loste. Further, Compa­
ration sheweth the exaumple that is 
brought, either to be like, vnlike, or con­ 
trary. And agayne, equall, lesse, or big­
ger. Which thing is also done in para­
bles, or similitudes.

Similitudo est collatio rei mutæ, vel inanimate 
ad nostram caussa accommodata vt, Nauis pro ven­
torum ratione velum tollens, aut contrahens, in hoc




aut illud latus transferens: parabola est, quæ do­
cet sapientem tempori cedere ae rebus presenti­
bus sese accommodare. Sicut ergo exemplum a 
facto hominis, & persona historiæ petitur, sic col­
latio a qualibet re preter hominem, & preter homi­
nis factum, sumitur.

>Similitude is a mete conferring of a 
dumme thyng or that hath no life, vnto 
oure purpose, as. A shippe lyftyng vp, 
taking downe, or turnyng his sayles on 
this side or that side as the windes blo­
weth, is a parable: which techeth a wise 
manne to serue the tyme, and doe as the 
worlde goeth. So than as an exaumple 
is taken of the dede of a manne, and of 
some person in an historie: So a simili­
tude is taken of any thyng saue of man, 
or mans acte.

Imago minimum differt a similitudine. Vt si 
dicas Achillem ignis aut solis instar armis re­
lucentem venisse in prœlium. Aut aliquem
more draconis aut leonis in hostes insilusse. 
Imago est potius quam similitudo. Ducitur au­
tem Imago ab ammantis forma: Vt si homi­
nem rapacem ac virulentum depingas similem




iubatæ draconi, qui oculis ardentibus, dentibus 
acutis, vnguibus aduncis, biante rictu, per omnia 
circumspiciens si quem reperiat, cui possit ali­
quid mali faucibus afflare, quem ore attingere, 
dentibus dissecare, lingua aspergere, vnguibus 
dilacerere.

Image very litle differeth from simili­
tude. As if thou say that Achilles came 
into the field in harneys glistryng like 
fyer, or the sunne beames: Or that one 
flew vpon his enemies, like a dragon or 
lion, it is an image or resemblance rather 
then similitude. And a resemblance is ta­
ken of the fourme of a beaste, as yf you 
wil paint out a rauening, or poysonous 
man like to a crested dragon, which with 
burning eies, sharp teeth, croked nailes 
gapyng mouth, loking euery where, v­
pon whom he may blowe out his poyson 
whom he may gape at, bite with his teeth 
poison with his tong, teare with his nayles.


Ad exemplorum genus refertur Autoritas, Ea 
est alieni dicti, aut sententiæ collatio ad nostram 
caussam accommodata. Cuius species sunt.

Sententia, dictio ad mores, vel res communes 
pertinens, que commoda breuitate demonstrat,




quid in vita sit agendum, aut quid fieri soleat, vt 
Labor improbus omnia vincit, &, Heu nihil inui­ 
tis fas quenquam fidere diuis. Tales sunt Solomo­ 
nis, & Catonis sententiæ.

Enthymema, sententia ex contrarijs. vt, Si bonis 
placere magna laus est, certe malis hominibus pro 
bari ignominia est. Item obsequium amicos, veritas 
odium parit. Nam hic Enthymema non est species 
argumentationis dialectice.

Epiphonema, rei narratæ, vel probatæ, summa ac­ 
clamatio, hoc, est, amplificatoi quedam honestatis, dig­ 
nitatis, vtilitatis, difficultatis, aut similium fere re­
rum in fine addita, ad augendum admirationem, vt 
Tantæ molis erat erat Romanam condere gentem, quæ 
est narratærei acclamatio e. A deo a teneris consu­ 
esceremultum est. Probatærei acclamatio. Vt pro li­
gario. Quorum igitur impunitas Cesar tua clementiæ 
laus est, eorum te ipsorum ad crudelitatem acuet oratio?

Noema, quum tecte significamus, quod auditor ex 
se ipse diuinet, vel sententiosum scomma, detortum in personam 
aliquam, cuius mores, & ineptiæ notentura?

Exemplum Liuius habet. Athenienses quedem literis, ver­ 
bisque bellum aduersus Philippum gerebant. Quo noema
te Liuius salse notat inbellem loquacitatem Graeculorum

Chria, breuissima expositio alicuius facti, vel 
dicti, cum autoris nomine citato, Hác Cicero in pre­




fatione tertij officiorum pertractat, Scipionem dice­ 
re solitumse nunquam minus ociosum esse, quam 
cum ociosus: nec minus solum, quam cum solus. 
Aινοσ dictum vel sententia ex apologo sumpta­
qualia sunt Epimithia, id est, apologationes, & 
allegorie interpretantes apologos & eorum vsum 
indicantes.

Oraculum id est dictum ab ore dei exceptum, vel 
ex mandato dei prolatum, qualia sunt omnia fere 
quæ in Biblijs dicuntur, & præcipiuntur.


Vnto exaumples is referred autho­
ritie: that is a mete conferring of an o­
ther mannes saying or sentence to oure 
cause. The kindes be these.

Sentence, is a saying pertayning to 
maners, or to common practises of the 
world which with proper briefnes, shew­ 
eth what is to bee done, or wont to bee 
done in this life, as. Continual labor o­
uercommeth al thing. And no man may 
hope for any thing against goddes wyl. 
Such be the sentences of Salomon, & Cato.

Enthymeme, a sentence made of con­
traries: as if it bee a greate prayse to 
please good menne: to be alowed of e­
uil, is gret reproch. Also flattry getteth 




frendes, trueth hatred. Neither is it 
here a kind of argumentacion dialectical

"Enthymeme" antedates the earliest OED usage (1588).



Epiphonema, is an acclamacion of a­
ny matter that is tolde, or alowed: that 
is to say, an amplifying of honestie, dig­
nitie, profite, difficultie, or suche other 
like, put at the ende for the more meruel­ 
ling, as. As so weightie a matter it was 
to sette vp the Romaine nacion. Here 
is an acclamacion of a matter told be­
fore. And so great it is to accustome our 
self from youth.
An acclamation of a thing that is told 
thus, as for Ligarius. Cesar, whose per­
don is praise of thy mercye, shall there 
woordes sharpen thee to crueltie?

"Epiphonema" antedates the earliest OED citation (1579).



Noema, when we signifye priuilye, 
that which the hearer maye coniecture 
by himselfe. Or it is a taunt, spoken a­
gainst any person, whose folye, and ma­
ners are reproued. Liuie hath suche an 
exaumple. The Athenians by letters & 
wordes fought agaynst Philip. Wher­
by, Liuius dyd secretely reproue the vn­ 
warlike babling of the Grecians.

Chria, a very short exposicion of any 




dede or saying, with the autours name 
beyng recited. This is well handled of 
Cicero in the preface of the third boke 
of his Offices: that Scipio was wont to 
saye, he was neuer lesse ydle then when
he was voyde of the common wealthe 
matters, and neuer lesse alone, then when 
he was alone.

"Chria" antedates the earliest OED citation (1612).



AEnos, a sayng or a sentence taken 
out of a tale, as are the Morals & Alli­
gories interpretyng fables, & shewyng 
there vse.

Oraculum, any worde that is recey­
ued at the mouth of God, or spoken by 
his commaundement, as are common­
ly all thynges that are spoken and com­
maunded in the Bibles.

Expolitio est, cum in eodem loco manemus, & ali­
ud atque aliud dicere videmur. Ergo huiusmodi 
vehementer ornata poterit esse expolitio, quæ con­
stabit ex frequentibus verborum exornationibus, 
& sententiarum hoc pacto, Itaque vti contennendus 
est, qui in nauigando, se, quam nauim mauult incolu­
mem: ita vituperandus, qui in Reip. discrimine, 
suæ plusquam communi saluti, consulit. Naue enim 
fracta multi incolumes euaserunt: exnaufragio




patriæsaluus nemo potest enatare, Quod mihi bene 
videtur. Decius intellexisse, qui se deuouisse dici­
tur, & pro legionibus in hostes misisse medios, Vn­ 
de amisit vitam, & non perdidit. Re enim vilissi­
mam et parua, maximam redemit: dedit vitam, accepit 
patriam, amisit animam, potitus est gloria, quæ cumsum­
ma laude prodita, vetustate quotidie magis eni­
tescit.

Expolition is, when we tary still in 
one place, and yet seme to speake diuers 
thinges. So that it may be a very good­ 
ly expolition, which shal stand of many 
exornations of woordes, and sentences, 
thus. Wherfore as he is to be despised 
which beyng on the sea had rather haue 
himself safe then the ship, so is he to be re­ 
buked which in the ieopardy of the common
wealthe, prouideth more for hym selfe, 
then for the safety of the common wealth. 
Whiche thyng me thynketh Decius did 
wel perceiue, when he bente hymself to 
die, and for the sauing of his souldiours 
to haue runne into the middes of his e­
nemis. Wherby he let his life go, but he 
lost it not. For with a smal thing & of li­
tle: price he redemed a thing of gret value




he gaue his life, but he receiued his coun­
trey: he lette passe his life, but enioyed 
glory, which declared with great praise 
the elder it shall waxe, dayly the more 
and more it shall shine.

"Expolition" antedates the earliest OED citation (1589).



Breuitas est res ipsis tantummodo verbis ne­
cessariis expedita, hoc modo. Lemnum praterien:
cepit, inde Tharsi presidium reliquit, post, vrbem 
in Bythinia sustulit, inde pulsus in Hellespontum 
statim potitur Abido.

Breuitie is, when the matter is quick­ 
ly tolde, with no moe wordes but those 
that be necessary, thus. As he passed by, 
he toke Lemnum, then he left a garrison 
at Tharsus: after he toke a city in By­
thinia, drieuen from thence, forthwith 
he wanne Abydus.


Atque hæfere sunt sententiarum figuræ: queis 
rerum, & orationis copia mirabiliter augetur 
Ceterum a Rhetoribus appellantur varius nomi­
nibus, vt a Fabio alicubi argumenta, quum sunt 
partes caussarum, quæ omitti commode non pos­
sunt alicubi ornamenta, & amplificationum for­
mæ, & virtutes orationis, & lumina, & colores­
tum videlicet, quum non sunt partes caussarum, &
vel eximi, vel omitti possunt; hoc est, quando non




probandi, sed ornandi gratia caussis inseruntur. 
Cicero vocat exornationes sententiarum Alij no­
minant argumenta rerum, quod his non solum o­
rationis, sed & caussæ corpus augeatur, & incres­
cat. Verum quoniam nomina declarandis rebus 
seruiunt, expositis rebus, de vocibus non est cur 
anxij magnopere simus. Haud ignoro esse & alia 
pleraque ornamenta, & figuras orationis. Verum 
nobis precipua sunt pro virili collecta, & quæ ma­ 
xime digna annotatu visa.

And these in maner be the figures of 
sentences, whereby the copye, bothe of 
wordes and matter, is wonderfully in­
creased. Howbeit they bee called of the 
Rhetoricians by diuers names, as some 
where of Quintilian they be named ar­ 
gumentes, and maners of amplification, 
vertues also of an oration, and lightes, 
and colours, euen then in dede when thei 
be not partes of the matter, but eyther 
may be taken out, or quite left of: that 
is to say, when they be not put in mat­
ters, to proue any thyng, but to garnish 
it. Cicero calleth them exornations of 
sentence. Other name them ornamentes 
of matter, because by them, not only the 




oration and wordes, but the body of the 
matter groweth and is increased. But 
because names dooe serue to declare 
thinges, the matters declared, we nede 
not to take much thought touchyng the 
woordes. I know there be many other 
ornamentes also, and figures of oracion 
But to my power I haue gathered the 
chief, and that wer thought most mete 
to bee noted.



	
De Tribus Generibus 
dicendi. 

COmmonstratis de ornatu, & Eloquutione præ­
ceptis, atque figuris, reliquæ muneris, ac insti­
tuti nostri partes erunt, vt in quibus omnis ora­
toria institutio, debeat esse generibus, dicamus. Es­
se enim diuersa dicendi genera, quæ Graeci  χα­
ρακτηρασ nos figuras appellamus, in quibus 
omnis oratio non vitiosa consumitur, neminem 
arbitror ne mediocriter quidem doctum, fugit, cum 
tot artium scriptores, & Grecos, & Latinos, quos 
priora secula tulerunt, stylum, dicendique genus 
orationis plerunque dispar, atque dissimile se­
quutos, videmus. Sunt autem dicendi genera­ 
tria potissimum animaduersa, Grande, Tenue,




Mediocre, Grande, illustre, vehemens, & ple­
num dicendi genus, diuino quodam genere o­
rationis, atque incredibili, caussis grauioribus ad 
hibetur: Habet enim cum ampla maiestate, orna­
tissima verba, propria; translata, extranea, ita ta­
mem, vt ad vnamquanquam rem accommodata sint: 
& graues sententias, quæ in amplificatione, & com­ 
miseratione tractantur, & exornationes cum ver­
borum, tum sententiarum, quibus maximam vim 
in orationibus tribuunt, ac grauitatem. Sunt au­
tem qui hoc genere vtuntur, vehementes, varij, co­
piosi, graues, ad permouendos, & conuertendos a­
nimos instructi, & parati. Vsus est Ciecro in ora­
tione pro Aulo Cluentio, pro Sylla, pro Tito Annio 
Milone, pro Caio Rabirio, in Catilinam, in Verrem, 
in Pisonem, Sed huius imperiti sepe in vitia inci­
dunt, cum grauis oratio illis videtur ca, que tur­
get, & inflata est: quæ nouis, aut duriter aliunde 
translatis, aut priscis, & ab vsu quotidiani sermo 
nis iam diu intermissis, aut grauioribus quam 
res postulat verbis, vtitur hoc modo. Nam qui 
perduellionibus venditat patriam, non satis sup­
plicij dederet si preceps in Neptunias depultus 
erit Lacunas.

Tenue genus dicendi, subtili quadam & pressa, 
atque limata oratione fertur, caussis paulo




acutioribus, quam in vsu, vulgari sermonis ver­
santur, est accommodatum. Est enim gænus oratio­
nis demissum, vsque ad vsitassimam puri, diluci­
dique consuetudinem sermonis: habet sententias 
tenues, subtiles, acutas, omnia docentes, & diluci­ 
diora, non ampliora, facientes. In eodemque genere 
(vt in oratore ait) alij callidi sunt, sed impoliti, et 
consulto rudium similes, & imperitorum: alij in 
eadem ieiunitate concinniores, id est, faceti, floren­ 
tes etiam, & leniter ornati. Vsus est Cicero in phi­ 
losophicis disputationibus, in oratione pro Quintio, 
pro Rosco Comedo, & Terentius & Plautus in 
suis Comœdus, Errant, qui non possunt in illa fa­
cetissima verborum attenuatione commode versa­
ri, & veniunt ad aridum, & exangue gænus ora­
tionis, quod non alienum est exile nominari, cuius 
modi est. Nam istic ad balneas accessit, ad hunc 
postea dixit: Hic tuus seruus me pulsauit. Postea 
dixit hic illi, Considerabo, Post ille conuicium fe­
cit, & magis, magisque presentibus multis cla­
mauit.

Mediocre & temperatum dicendi gænus ex hu­
miliore, neque tamen ex infima, & pervulgatis­
sima verborum & sententiarum dignitate, constat. 
Estque recte dictum genus sermonis temperatum 
quod admodum vicinum sit tenui, & grandi: at­




que ita vt in neutro excellat, sed vtriusque sit par­ 
ticeps, vel potius expers, cum neque hoc, neque il­
lud habeat, sed interiectam, moderationem perse­
quatur, atque temperiem. Idque vno tenore, vt aiunt 
in dicendo fluit, nihil preter facultatem afferens 
& æqualitatem, omnemque orationem ornamentis 
modicis cum verborum, tum sententiarum distin­ 
guens. Vtitur eo Cicero in oratione pro lege Ma­
nilia, pro Aulo Cecinna, pro Marco Marcello, ma­ 
ximeque in Libris Officiorum. In hoc vitiosum est, 
peruenire ad confine genus eius, quod fluctuans & 
dissolutum appellant, eo quod sine neruis, & ar­
ticulis, fluctuet huc & illuc, nec possit confirma­
re, nec viriliter sese expedire, id est huiusmodi. So­
cij nostri cum belligerare nobiscum vellent, profecto 
ratiocinati essent etiam atque etiam quid possent 
facere siquidem sua sponte facerent, & non habe­ 
rent hic auditores multos, & malos homines & 
audaces solent enim diu cogitare omnes, qui mag­ 
na negotia volunt agere. Non potest huiusmodi ser­ 
mo tenere attentum auditorem. Difluit enim to­ 
tus, neque quiequam comprehendens perfectis 
verbis amplectitur.


Of the three kyndes of stile 
or endighting.




Now that we haue shewed the precepts 
and figures of garnishing, & eloquntion, 
it is our office & duety, to shew in what 
kindes, al oratorie ought to be. For that 
there be thre sundry kindes called of the 
Grekes Characters, of vs, figures, in 
which euery oration not fawtie, is occu­
pied, I trowe there is no man meanely 
learned, but he knoweth: namelye when 
we se so many writers of sciences, both 
Grecians, & Latines, which haue bene be­
fore time, to haue folowed for the most 
part sundry kindes of writing, one vnlike 
the other. And there hath been marked 
inespeciall three kindes of endighting.  
The great, the smal, and the meane.

The great kind. 

The great, the noble, the mighty, & the 
ful kind of endighting, with an incredi­
ble, and a certein diuine power of oration
is vsed in weightye causes: for it hath 
with an ample maiestye, very garnyshed 
wordes: proper, translated, and grave sen­ 
tences, which are handled in amplifica­
tion, & comiseration: and it hath exornati­
ons both of woordes and sentences: wher­ 




vnto in orations they ascribe very gret 
strength and grauitie. And thei that vse 
this kind be vehement, various, copious, 
graue, wel and throughly appointed, to 
moue and turne men to their purpose 
This kinde dyd Cicero vse in the orati­ 
on for Aulus Cluencius, for Sylla, for 
Titus Annius Milo, for Caius Rabi­
rius, agaynst Catiline, against Verres 
against Piso, but they that cannot skyll 
of this, oftentimes fal into fautes, when 
vnto them that semeth a graue oration, which 
swelleth and is puffed vp, which vseth 
straunge words, hardly translated, or that 
be to old, and that be now long sythens 
lefte of from vse of daylye talke, or more 
graue then the thyng requireth.

The small kinde.

The small kynde of endightyng is in 
a subtile, pressed, and fyled oration, 
mete for causes that bee a litle sharper 
then are in the common vse of speaking. 
For it is a kynde of oration that is 
lette downe euen to the moste vsed 
custome of pure, and cleare spea­
kyng. It hath fyne sentences, subtile, 




sharpe, teachyng all thynges, and ma­
kyng them more playn, not more ample. 
And in this same kind (as Cicero saieth 
in his oratour) some be crafty, but vnpo­ 
lished, and of purpose like the rude and 
vnskilful. Other in that leaues are trim, 
that is, mery conceited, florishing also, & 
a litle garnished. Cicero vsed this kind 
in his philosophical disputacions, in the 
oration for Quintius, for Roscius the 
comedie player: and Terence, and Plau­ 
tus in their Comedies. Such as cannot 
handsomly vse themselfes in that mery 
conceited slendernes of wordes, fal in­
to a drye, & feble kind of oration, which 
may be called aweake, and feble writing, 
thus. He came to the balenes: after he 
said vnto him. This thy seruant strake 
me. I will consider. After that he chode 
and cryed more and more manye beyng 
present.

The meane kind. 

The meane and temperate kind of in­
dighting standeth of the lower, and yet 
not of the lowest, and most common words 
and sentences. And it is rightly called the




temperate kind of speaking, because it is 
very nigh vnto the smal, and to the gret 
kynd, folowing a moderacion and tem­
per betwixt them both. And it foloweth 
(as you would say) in one tenor distin­
guishing, all the oration with smal or­
namentes both of wordes and sentences. 
Cicero vseth this for the law of Mani­
lius, for Aulus Cecinna, for Marcus 
Marcellus, and most of al in his bokes 
of Offices. In this is fawtye to come 
to the kind that is nie vnto it, called dis­
solute, because it waueth hyther & thy­
ther, as it wer without synewes and 
iointes, standing surely in no point. 
And suche an Oration cannot 
cause the hearer to take anye 
hede, when it goeth in and 
out, & comprehendeth not 
any thyng with per­
fecte woordes.

FINIS.







Imprinted at London in Flete­
strete within Temple barre, 
at the sygne of the hand and 
starre by Richarde Tottill. 
the. iiii. daye of Maye, the 
yeare of oure Lorde. 
MDLV.

Cum priuilegio ad impri­
mendum solum.