The Philosophy of Rhetoric

Chapter VI: Of Perspicuity.

216 'rIlE PHILOSOPHY [BOOK II. proper term, denominate this excellence in style, its music; though I acknowledge the word is rarely used with so great latitude. Thus it appears that beside purity, which is a quality entirely grammatical, the five simple and original qualities ofstyle, considered as an object to the understanding, the imagination, the passions, and the ear, are perspicuity, vivacity, elegance, animation , and music. CHAPTER VI. Of Perspicuity. OF all the qualities above mentioned the first and most essential is perspicuity.9 Every speaker doth not propose to please the imagination, nor is every subject susceptible ofthose ornaments which conduce to this purpose. Much less is it the aim ofevery speech to agitate the passions. There are some occasions, therefore , on which vivacity, and many on which animation of style are not necessary; nay, there are occasions on which the last especially would be improper. But whatever be the ultimate intention of the orator, to inform, to convince, to please, to move, or to persuade, still he must speak so ItS to be understood , or he speaks to no purpose. If he do not propose to convey certain sentiments into the minds of his hearers, by the aid of signs intelligible to them, he may as well declaim before them in an unknown tongue. This prerogative the intellect has above all the other faculties, that whether it be or be not immediately addressed by the speaker, it must be regarded by him either ultimately or subordmately; ultimately, when the direct purpose of the discourse is information or conviction; subordinately , when the end is plea.sure, emotion, or persuasion. There is another difference also between perspicuity and the two last-mentioned qualities, vivacity a.nd animation, which deserves to be remarked. In a discourse wherein either or both of these are requisite, it is not every sentence that requires, or even admits them; but every sentence ought to be perspicuous., The effect of all the other qualities of style is lost without this. This, being to the understanding what light is to the eye, ought to be diffused over the whole performance. In this respect it resembles grammatical purity, of which I have already treated, • Prima est 'eloquentire virtus perspicuitas. QUINT. CHAP. VI. ] OF RHETORIC. 217 but it is not in this respect only that it resembles it. Both are best illustrated by showing the different ways wherein they may be lost. It is for these reasons that, thou&"h perspicuity be more properly a rhetorical than a grammatical quality, I thought it better to include it in this book, which treats of the foundations and essential or universal properties of elocution, than to class it with those which are purely discriminative of particular styles. Indeed, if language were capable of absolute perfection, which it evidently is not; ifwords and things could be rendered exact counterparts to each other; if every different thing in nature had a different symbol by which it were expressed; and every difference in the relations of things had a corresponding difference in the combinations of words, purity alone would secure perspicuity, or rather these two would entirely coincide. To speak grammatically would, in that case, convey infallibly and perspicuously the full meaning of the speaker, if he had any meaning, into the mind of every hearer who perfectly understands the language. There would not be even a possibility of mistake or doubt. But the case is widely different with all the languages that ever were, are, or will be in the world. Grammatical purity, in every tongue, conduceth greatly to perspicuity, but it will by no means secure it. A man may in respect of it speak unexceptionably, and yet speak obscurely, or ambiguously; and thoughwe cannot say that a man may speak properly, and at the same time speak unintelligibly, yet this last case falls more naturally to be considered as an offence against perspicuity than as a violation of propriety. For when the meaning is not discovered the particular impropriety cannot be pointed out. In the three different ways, therefore, just now mentioned, perspicuity may be violated. SECTION I.-TILe Obscure. PART I.-From Defect. This is the first offence against perspicuity, and may arise from several causes. First, from some defect in the expression. There are in all languages certain elliptical expressions which use hath established, and which, therefore, very rarely occasion darkness. When they do occasion it, they ought always to be avoided. Such are, in Greek and Latin, the frequent suppression...