¶ Example.
WHan the Romaynes had expelled
theyr kynge / whome the historiciens
call Tarquine the proude / out of the
citie / and fully enacted that they wolde ne[-]
uer haue kynge to reigne more ouer them.
This Tarquin[us] went for aide and socour
to the kynge of Tuscaye / whiche whan he
could by no menes entreat the Romains
to receiue agayn theyr kyng / he cam with
all his puissaunce against the citie / & there
long space besieged the Romaynes / by rea[-]
son wherof / great penury of whete was in
the citie / & the kynge of Tuscay had great
trust / that continuynge the siege / he shulde
within a litle lenger space compell the Ro[-]
maynes thrugh famine to yelde thēselfe.
¶ In the meane season a yong man of the
citie named Gaius Mucius / came to the
Senatours and shewed them that he was
purposed yf they wolde gyue hym licence
to go furthe of the citie to do an acte that
shuld be for theyr great profite and welth /
whereupon whan he had obteined licence /
priuely / with weapō hyd vnder his vesture
he cam to the Tuscans campe / & gate hym
among the thickest / nigh to the tent where
as the kyng sat with his chaunceller / pay-
enge the sowdiers the wages. And bicause
that they were almoost of lyke apparell / &
also the chaunceler spake many thynges
as a man beynge in auctoritie / he coulde
nat tell whether of theym was the kynge /
nor he durst nat aske / leest his demaunde
wolde haue bewrayed hym / for as for lan-
guage they had one / & nothyng was diffe-
rent / for bothe Tuscains & Romains were
all of Italye / as in tymes past / Englande
hathe had many kynges / though the lan-
guage & people were on. And thus beynge
in doubt whether of them he myght steppe
vnto / by chaunce he strake the chaunceller
in stede of the kynge / and slew hym / wher-
fore whan he was taken and brought be-
fore the kynge / for to punysshe his hande
that had failed in takyng one for an other /
and agayn to shew the kynge how litle he
cared for his menaces / he thrast his hande
into the fire / which at that time was there
prepared for sacrifyce / & there in the flame
let it brenne / nat ones mouynge it. The
kynge greatly marueylynge at his audaci[-]
tie & hardy nature / cōmended hym greatly
thereof / and bad hym go his way free: For
the whiche (as though he wolde make the
kyng a great amendes) he fayned that .iii.
C. of the noblest yonge men of Rome had
conspyred to gyther in lyke maner euery
one after another vnwar[e]s to slee hym / and
all to put theyr bodies and liues in hasard
tyll tyme shulde chaunce that one myght
acheue theyr entent. For fere whereof the
kynge furthwith fell at a pointement with
the Romaines / and departed. The yonge
man afterwarde was named Sceuola /
whiche is as moche to say in Englyssh as
lefte hāded. For as I haue reherced afore /
he brente his right hande / so that he had
lost the vse therof.
¶ IF any oratour wolde in an oracyon
commende this dede / he myght conueni-
ently make the preface on this facion.
THere is no doubte my lordes
& maysters of Rome: but that
the remēbraunce of Sceuolaes
name is very pleasant vnto your audiēce /
whiche with one act that he dyd / endewed
your citie with many and greate commo-
dytees. &c[etera].
¶ This maner of preface is moost conue[-]
nyent and best annexyd to suche maner of
oracyons demonstratiues.
¶ Neuer the lesse it is lawfull for vs to
take our preface (yf it be our pleasure) oute
of some circumstaunce / as out of the place
that our oracion is made in / or out of the
tyme that we speke in / or els otherwyse /
accordynge as we shall haue occasyon /
As Tullie / in the oracyon that he made
for the restitucyon of Marcus Marcel-
lus / in the whiche he praiseth Cezare for
the callyng home of the sayd Marc[us] mar-
cellus out of exyle / he taketh his pream-
ble out of the tyme and Cezares persone /
begynnynge thus.
THis daye my lordes Senatoures
hath made an ende of the longe sci-
lence that I haue kepte a great while / nat
for any fere that I had / but part for great
sorow that was in me / & partly for shame /
this day as I sayd hath taken away that
longe scilence / ye / and besyde that of newe
brought to me lust & mynde to speke what
I wolde / and what I thought moost expe[-]
dient / like as I was afore wont to do. For
I can nat in no maner of wyse refrayne /
but I must nedes speke of the great meke-
nes of Cezare / of the graciousnes that is
in hym / so habūdant and so great withall /
that neuer afore any suche hath ben wont
to be sene or herde of / and also of the excel-
lent good moderaciō of all thynges which
is in hym that hathe all in his owne mere
power. Nor I can nat let passe his excellēt
incredible / and diuine wisdome vnspoken
of / afore you at this tyme.
¶ Of the Narracion.
IN this kynde we vse but selden hole
narracions / oneles we make our ora[-]
cion afore them that know nat the history
of the acte or dede whiche we be aboute to
prayse. But in stede of a narracion we vse a
proposicion / on this maner.