RAMUS, FARNABY, and all the principal Modern Rhetoricians: Whofe Rules are all along fupported, demonftrated, and illuftrated by Inftances taken from the flowery Fields of the Poets, Orators, and Hiftorians; For, as Lucretius fays,

Floriferis ut Apes in Saltibus omnia libant, Omnia nos itidem depascimus aurea Dicta. Whence may appear what Grace and Beauty are to be met with in FIGURES, what Delight and extenfive Significancy are contain'd in TROPES, what nervous Force and harmonious Pith we experience in REPETITIONS or Turns, and what Power and inexpreffible Influence of Perfuafion in proper PRONUNCIATION and confonant Action. In short, you have here a brief and lively Reprefentation of Univerfal Eloquence; from which you may easily and readily, with a little Pains, underftand all the Oratorial Beauties of Excellent Writers, and, when understood, make 'em your own by frequent Compofition and an attentive fedulous Imitation.

OBJ.

OB J. But are there not Rhetorical Treatifes enough already extant for this Purpose? What Occafion have we then for your's?

ANSW. 'Tis own'd there are enough, and fome of 'em exceedingly good in their Way, but not One, that I've had the Happiness to meet with, in every Refpett adapted to the Capacity, or fitted for the Ufe, of Youth in Grammar Schools; efpecially in this Day, when School-Boys are expected to be led, footb'd, and entic'd to their Studies by the Eafinefs and Pleafure of the Practice, rather than by Force or harsh Difcipline drove, as in Days of Yore. For while fome of them are too Copious in Things not fo immediately the Concern of Boys at School, moft are too Brief in Things really neceffary for Youth to be inform'd of, and none at all fo happy or methodical as to diftinguifh betwen One and T'other.

D

Thefe Deficiencies, Gentlemen, I've endeavour'd to remedy in the following

Manner.

a 2

FIRST,

FIRST, That we might always keep in View the glorious and extenfive Plan of the Ancients, ftrict Care has been taken to follow their Method entirely, and (by leaving out the copious Parts of their Works, which were principally defign'd as Models for Men and Proficients, tho' jumbled together by modern Rhetoricians among their Precepts for the Ufe of Boys) to extract from them all the Terms we make ufe in our Divifions and Subdivifions of the Art. These are all along Supported by Annotations in their own Words; by which means the fedulous Youth may not only imbibe their Scheme of Oratory, but be made fomewhat acquainted with their Style before it would otherwife have been his Time, and be thereby perhaps encourag'd and allur'd hereafter to a thorough Perufal of their inimitable Writings.

SECONDLY, That Nothing might be wanting that's neceffary for the young Scholar to be here inform'd of, or what perchance he cannot obtain elsewhere with

7

without abundance more Trouble, I have not only inferted thofe Tropes, Figures, and Repetitions, which the learned and judicious Mr. BLACKWALL with his Followers call the Chief and Principal, but likewife all others, great and little, the less useful as well as the more useful; however with this Caution, that they're diftributed according to their feveral Degrees of Merit and Diftinction. So that, Young Gentlemen, you'll meet with here about 250 Figures, &c. that is all, and indeed many more than all that are treated of in any other One Book, as may readily be perceived by the Index. I have likewife given more Examples to 'em, from the Claffics and Scriptures, than perhaps you'll find in all the Rhetoricians put together: Which laft was thought proper to be done, to the end that in going thro' the Book, in order to infix 'em in the Memory, the Learner might mark out the Examples in his Schocl-Authors, as well as in his Septuagint, his Latin or Greek Teftament, his Latin or English

Bible;

Bible; the Examples from Scripture being mark'd only Chapter and Verse for this very Purpose, as alfo to keep the Volume from fwelling, and thereby to Save Expence. In marking which I have been very exact, and hope my Printer has been fo too.

THIRDLY, As to Method, That a proper Distinction may be made between Things of ordinary Ufe and fuch as are rare and extraordinary, I propofe Nothing to be got by Heart but the Principal Matters which are printed in the largest Character, the Lines fet at a greater Distance, and mark'd with A, B, C, &c. All which fhould be brought into Practice and explained by the Examples annex'd, as the Learner goes on. The Chief Tropes, Figures, and Repetitions, for the more eafy attaining and the longer retaining them in Memory, are briefly defined and comprized each in one Verfe, in this large Character. The rest may be most readily found on Occafion by the INDEX, where they're defcrib'd and ex

plain'd;