Antithesis, or Contentiō, when we amplifie by contraries, as to say, Being in my power to vse as I listed, I cared for thee, and did not destroy thee. Thou wast charie vnto me whē no man regarded thee, and when my selfe also might haue despised thee. Or otherwise: If you doe that is good, you haue the rewarde of praise, if you prosecute badnesse, your merite is euill. Or thus: To thy enimyes and those that maligne thee, thou art placable: to thy friendes, inexorable. In coole matters thou art hotte: in the hottest causes, colde: Art thou called? Thou art gone. Thy absence required? we cannot be rid of thee.
Epanodis, carrieng a reference to the matter preceding, much like to the figureProlepsis, but that yᵉ figure Prolepsis, hath relation onelie to the matter, this to the matter and tearmes therein vsed, the difference whereof you maie see in some of mine epistles as the same is quoted in the margent where the figure is vsed.
Comparatiō, which taketh his increase of smaller matters, which if they may séeme great in all opinions, then that which we séeke to amplifie must of necessitie séeme greater, sometimes also by diminution of things great, to make the residue the greater, example of the first may bee that saying of Cicero of Catiline, in these wordes, Did the famous Scipio for a little ill gouernment of the common weale, cause Tiberius Gracchus priuatelie to bee made awaie: and shall wee preferre Catiline that goeth about to fill the whole worlde with his slaughters? Here is Catiline compared to Gracchus, the state of a common wealth to the whole worlde, a small sliding to an insufferable wasting, and a priuate man to the whole Senate. Or otherwise thus: Tell mee I praie thee, if one had giuen thee but a small summe of money to comfort thy neede withall, were it not humanitie to thanke him: If hee had giuen thee possessions to liue vppon, were it not honestie to requite him: If of a slaue hee made thee rich, shouldest thou not bee bounden vnto him? Howe much more then to him that hath not alonelie done all these, but farre more then these vnto thee, oughtest thou in the verie bondes of nature and courtesie to bee both thankefull and louing? Example of the seconde sort for diminution might bee this: What is it that you propose vnto mee these small matters of vnkindnesse, as that the man is ingratefull, that hee hath no good remembraunce of courtesies, that there is in him not so much as an acknowledgement, which is a thing farre from requitall, these I must confesse are iniuries to some, but vnto mee they are trifles, matters of no moment, things not to bee reckoned of: what say you to him that betrayeth his friend, seeketh his death that hath sought his life, worketh by all possible meanes his ouerthrow, his destruction and vndoing? And in this exaggeration of vices, so also might there bee the like of Vertues, as if one should exhort a man to Pietie, after hee had set foorth all the commodities thereof, as the tranquilitie of minde, peace of conscience, libertie of spirit, the communion with Saints, from a bonslaue of the diuell to become the childe of God, the comfort of the holie Ghost which the Prophet denieth may be by man conceyued: he might lastlie adde, what thinges then these in all the worlde could be greater, what more singular, what more happie, and yet if they be conferred vnto that blessed heritage of immortalitie, if to the life and ioyes to come, if to that heauenlie Ierusalem, which certainlie remaineth for all such as are endued with such a spirit: they are toies and things of no excellencie or moment.
Metonoia, when by a sudden restraint of spéech, wee giue grace or mislike to a person, or thing, as to saie, worthilie atchieued? nay rather honourablie attained, a man notable, we maie rather saie, singular: Ah cruell man, and no man neither, but a beast: Oh rare clemencie, or rather most admirable patience. Hee is no thiefe, but a rauener: no murtherer, but a tyrant.
Aphorismus, a Scheme, like vnto the other, but differing by a maner of reprehension, as to saie, What lawes bee these, if at least wise they may be termed lawes, which beare in them so vile customs, and not rather firebrands of the citie, and the plague of the whole common weale. Or otherwise: your counsellers, if such may be called counsellers, as draw vnto mischiefe, are vtterlie vnmeete to such kinde of assemblies.
Diminutiō, when we goe about to extenuate things difficult, to make them lesse in seeming, as to one that would shun learning, for the tediousnesse thereof in studie: We might shew, that besides the great necessitie thereof in the life of man, wee shall in attaining thereof, take no other nor more laboursome course, then others before vs haue done: that the way thereunto is verie plaine and easie, the labour (if anie be) sweet and pleasant. And whereas in all our ordinarie exercises of vanitie, there redoundeth for the most part in the ende but meere trauaile, and vnprofitable charge: in this the commoditie is as great as the delight, the gaine as ordinarie as the practise, wherein the studie is but the least part of a mans life, but the pleasure and commodity infinite. And like as in this, so in all other things, conducing to good and laudable exercises, the labour is still diminished, by proposing the worthines, pleasure, honour, profit, and so of euils commonlie, by mitigation of the fault.
Climax, or Gradatiō, when each member in a sentence ariseth from the other afore going, beginning with that which endeth the former, as to say, His industrie bred him vertue: his vertue, praise: his praise, renowne: his renowne, glorie: and his glorie enuie. Or thus: What hope haue we of good, if what men list, they may; and what they may they do, and what they doe they dare, and what they dare they prosecute, and what they prosecute, they are neuer ashamed of.
Antimetauole or Commutatiō, when a sentence by charge is inuerted to the contrarie, as thus, We must eat to liue, and not liue to eat: Not man for the Sabboth, but the Sabboth for man was ordained. They are happy whose wisdome is answerable to their fortune, and whose fortune answereth their wit.
Sinæciosis, when one contrary is attributed to another, or when two diuerse things are in one put together, as thus. The prodigal and couetous doe offende alike, for neither doe liue as they ought. Pleasure it selfe is sometimes a labour, and labour also is often a pleasure. To a couetous man is wanting as well that he hath, as that hee hath not.
Etiologia, a figure like vnto the other beforegoing, and much resembling to Orismus, which defineth a matter by sorting the same into a distinguishment: but this nowe telleth the cause or reason of that which is before auerred, and is as a confirmation thereunto giuen for the concluding of the same, you maie sée the examples as the figure is quoted in my Epistles.