A booke called the Foundacion of Rhetorike because all other partes of Rhetorike are grounded thereupon, euery parte sette forthe in an Oracion vpon questions, verie profitable to bee knowen and redde

Excerpt

To the Reader.

PHTHONIVS a famous man, wrote
in Greke of soche declamacions, to en-
structe the studentes thereof, with all fa-
cilitée to grounde in them, a moste plenti-
ous and riche vein of eloquence. No man
is able to inuente a more profitable waie
and order, to instructe any one in the ex-
quisite and absolute perfeccion, of wisedome and eloquence,
then Aphthonius Quintilianus and Hermogenes. Tullie al-
so as a moste excellente Orator, in the like sorte trauailed,
whose Eloquence and vertue all tymes extolled, and the of-
spryng of all ages worthilie aduaunceth. And because as yet
the verie grounde of Rhetorike, is not heretofore intreated
of, as concernyng these exercises, though in fewe yeres past,
a learned woorke of Rhetorike is compiled and made in the
Englishe toungue, of one, who floweth in all excellencie of
arte, who in iudgement is profounde, in wisedome and elo-
quence moste famous. In these therefore my diligence is em-
ploied, to profite many, although not with like Eloquence,
beutified and adorned, as the matter requireth. I haue cho-
sen out in these Oracions soche questions, as are right ne-
cessarie to be knowen and redde of all those, whose cogitaciГ…ВЌ
pondereth vertue and Godlines. I doubte not, but seyng my
trauaile toucheth vertuous preceptes, and vttereth to light,
many famous Histories, the order of arte obserued also, but
that herein the matter it self, shall defende my purpose aga-
inste the enuious, whiche seketh to depraue any good enter-
prise, begon of any one persone. The enuious manne
though learned, readeth to depraue that, which he
readeth, the ignoraunt is no worthie Iudge,
the learned and godlie pondereth vp-
rightly & sincerely, that which
he iudgeth, the order of
these Oracions
followeth afterward, and
the names of thē.

¶ The contentes of
this Booke.

N made, vpon the Fable of the Shepher-
des and the Wolues, the Wolues requestyng the
Bandogges: wherein is set forthe the state of eue-
ry subiecte, the dignitie of a Prince, the honoura-
ble office of counsailours.

An vpon the Fable of the Ante and the Gres-
hopper, teachyng prouidence.

An Historicall, howe Semiramis came to bee
Quéene of Babilon.

An Historicall, vpon Kyng Richard the thirde
sometyme Duke of Glocester.

An Historicall, of the commyng of Iulius Ce-
ser into Englande.

An Ciuill or Iudiciall, vpon Themistocles, of
the walle buildyng at Athenes.

An Poeticall vpon a redde Rose.

A profitable , shewyng the decaie of kingdomes
and nobilitie.

An vpon a Sentence, preferryng a Monarchie,
conteinyng all other states of common wealthe.

The of the battaile of Troie.

A of the noble facte of Zopyrus.

An called a Common place against Theues.

The of Epaminundas Duke of Thebes, wherein
the grounde of nobilitée is placed.

The of Domicius Nero Emperour of Roome.

A betwene Demosthenes and Tullie.

A lamentable of Hecuba Queene of Troie....