mothers, and were abandoned by order of the Gods to the avenging furies. In fine, the nature of the punishment established by the Romans against parricides by difplaying the enormity of the crime, will alfo fufficiently fhew the neceffity an accufer has to bring very evident and certain proofs of it. Youth will, of themselves, find out fome of these arguments; and proper interrogations will lead them on to the reft. After this they ought to read the very paffage in Cicero, which will teach them the method of treating every proof distinctly.

Cicero's orations, and Livy's fpeeches furnish us with a great number of fuch examples. I have made choice of a very fhort, but very eloquent speech out of the latter, which alone will fhew youth the method of perufing authors, and how to compofe...

Explanation of a Speech in Livy.

Let us fuppofe the speech of Pacuvius to his fon Perolla is given to a youth for a theme. Here follows the fubject of it. The city of Capua was furrendered to Hannibal, (who immediately made his entry into it) by the intrigues of Pacuvius, notwithstanding allo the oppofition of Magius, who continued fteady to the Romans, and was united with Perolla both in friendship and fentiments. The day upon which Hannibal entered the city was fpent in rejoicing and feafting. Two brothers, who were the moft confide rable perfons in the place, gave Hannibal a grand entertainment. None of the Capuans were admitted to it but Taurea and Pacuvius, and the latter with great difficulty obtained the fame favour for his fon Perolla, whofe friendship with Magius was known to Hannibal, who was willing however to pardon him for what was paffed, upon the interceffion of his father. After the feaft was over, Perolla led his father afide, and drawing a poinard from under his gown, told him the

• T. Liv. 1. 23. n.9.

defign he had formed to kill Hannibal, and to feal the treaty made with the Romans with his blood. Upon this Pacuvius was quite out of his fenfes, and endeavoured to divert his fon from fo fatal a refolution. A difcourfe in fuch circumftances must be very short, and confift of no more than twelve or fifteen lines at moft.

The father must begin with endeavouring to find motives within himself to perfuade and move his fon. There occur three which are natural enough. The firft is drawn from the danger to which he expofes himfelf by attacking Hannibal amidst his guards. The fecond relates to the father himself, who is refolved to ftand between Hannibal and his fon, and confequently receive the firft wound. The third is brought from the most facred obligations of religion, the faith of treaties, hofpitality and gratitude. The first step to be taken in the compofition, is to find proofs and arguments, which in rhetoric is called Invention, and of which it is the firft and principal part.

After we have found arguments, we deliberate about the order of ranging them, which requires in fo fhort a difcourfe as this, that the argument fhould grow more powerful as the difcourfe goes on, and that fuch as are moft efficacious fhould be applied in the conclufion. Religion, generally speaking, is not that which most affects a young man of character and difpofition like him of whom we now fpeak; we must therefore begin with it. His own intereft, and the danger to which he would expose himself, affect him much more fenfibly. That motive muft hold the fecond place. The refpect and tenderness for a father whom he muft kill before he can come at Hannibal, surpass whatever can be imagined; which for that reafon must conclude the difcourfe. This ranging of the arguments is called difpofition in rhetoric, and is the fecond part of it.

There remains elocution, which furnishes the expreffions and turns, and which by the variety and

vivacity

vivacity of the figures contributes moft to the beauty and ftrength of difcourfe. Let us now see how Livy treats each part.

The preamble which holds the place of the exordium, is fhort, but lively and moving.

* Per ego te, fili, quæcumque jura liberos jungunt parentibus, præcor quæfoque, ne ante oculos patris facere & pati omnia infanda velis. This confused difpofition, per ego te, is very fuitable to the concern and trouble of a distracted father: amens metu, fays Livy. Those words, quæcumque jura liberos jungunt parentibus, include whatever is strongest and most tender. That propofition, ne ante oculos patris facere & pati omnia infanda velis, which reprefents the crime and fatal confequences of fuch a murder, is in a manner the whole fpeech abridged. He might have said only, ne occidere Annibalem in confpectu meo velis. But what a difference there is between the one and the other!

I. Motive, drawn from religion. This is fub-divided into three others, which are little more than barely fhewn, but in a lively and eloquent manner, without circumftance or word which does not carry it's weight. 1. The faith of treaties confirmed by oaths and facrifices. 2. The facred and inviolable laws of hofpitality. 3. The authority of a father over a fon. Pauca horæ funt, intra quas jurantes quicquid deorum eft, dextræ dextras jungentes, fidem obftrinximus, ut facratas fide manus digreffi ab colloquio extemplo in eum

I pray and conjure you, my fon, by all the moft facred laws of nature and blood, not to attempt before your father's eyes an action as criminal in itself, as it will be fatal to you in its confequence.

f It is but a few minutes fince we bound ourselves by the most folemn oaths; that we gave Hannibal the most holy teftimonies of an inviolable friendship: And fhill we, when we are fcarce rifen from the entertainment, arm that very hand against him, which we

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armaremus? Surgis ab hofpitali menfa, ad quam tertius Campanorum adhibitus ab Annibale es, ut eam ipfam menfam cruentares hofpitis fanguine? Annibalem pater filio meo potui placare: filium Annibali non poffum ?

II. Motive. Sed fit nihil fancti; non fides, non religio, non pietas: audeantur infanda, fi non perniciem nobis cum fcelere afferunt. This is no more than a tranfition; but how finely is it embellished! What juftnefs and elegance in the diftribution which refumes in three words the three parts of the firft motive! faith, for the treaty; religion, for the hofpitality; piety, for the respect which a fon owes to a father. Audeantur infanda, fi non perniciem nobis cum fcelere afferunt. This is a very beautiful thought, and leads us naturally from the first motive to the fecond.

" Unus aggreffurus es Annibalem? Quid illa turba tot liberorum fervorumque ? Quid in unum intenti omnium oculi? Quid tot dextra? Torpefcentne in amentia illa? Vultum ipfius Annibalis, quem armati exercitus fuftinere nequeunt, quem horret populus Romanus, tu fuftinebis ? What a multitude of thoughts, figures and images! and this only to declare, that Perolla could not attack Hannibal without exposing himself to inevitable death. How admirable is the oppofition between whole armies which cannot bear the fight of Hannibal, the Roman people themselves who tremble at his looks, and a weak private man! tu, (thou.)

W

III. Motive, Et, alia auxilia defint, me ipfum ferire, corpus meum opponentem pro corpore Annibalis

But let us have no regard for thofe things which are moft facred among men; let us violate at one and the fame time, faith, religion, and piety; let us perpetrate the blackeft action, provided our deAtruction be not infallibly annexed to our crime.

Do you alone pretend to attack Hannibal? But to what end! Do you imagine that the multitude of freemen and flaves who furround him; all those eyes that

Juftinebis?

fuftinebis? Atqui per meum pectus petendus ille tibi tranffigendufque eft.

I admire the fimplicity and brevity of this laft motive, as much as the vivacity of that which precedes it. A youth would be tempted to add fome thoughts. in this place; and to expatiate on the paffage: Can you imbrue your hands in the blood of your father? Tear life from him from whom you received your own? &c. But fo great a mafter as Livy is well apprized, that it fuffices to hint fuch a motive, and that to amplify would only weaken it.

The Peroration. * Deterrere hic fine te potius, quam illic vinci. Valeant preces apud te mea, ficut pro te hodie valuerunt. Pacuvius had hitherto employed the most lively and moving figures. Every thing is full of fpirit and fire; no doubt but his eyes, his countenance and hands, were more cloquent than his tongue. But he is foftened on a fudden: he affumes a more fedate tone, and concludes with entreaties, which, from a father, are more powerful than any arguments that can be brought. Accordingly, the fon cannot hold out against this laft attack. The tears which began to fall down his cheeks, demonftrated his confufion. The kiffes of a father, who embraced him tenderly a long time, and his repeated and urgent entreaties, brought him at last to compliance. Lacrymantem inde juvenem cernens, medium complectitur, atque ofculo hærens, non ante precibus abftitit, quam pervicit ut gladium poneret, fidemque daret nihil facturum tale.

of all other affiftance, will you have the boldness to ftrike me too, when I protect him with my body, and place myself between him and your fword? For I declare that you cannot come at him, without ftabbing me.

* Soften your refentments, my fon, this very inftant; and don't refolve to perish in fo ill-concerted an enterprize. Let my intreaties have fome influence over you, fince they have been fo efficacious this day in your favour.

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