A Treatise of Schemes and Tropes

by Richard Sherry

[Vertue.]

Vertue, or as we saye, a grace & dygnitye in speakynge, the thyrde kynde of Scheme, is when the sentence is bewtyfied and lyfte vp aboue the comen maner of speaking of the people. Of it be two kyndes: Proprietie and garnyshyng.

[ Proprietie and his partes.]

Proprietie is when in wryting and pronunciacion ther be no fautes committed, but thynges done as they shulde be. The partes bee proposicion, and accenting.

[Analogia.] [Proportio], proporcion is, whereby the maner of true wrytynge is conserued. By thys the barbarous tonge is seperated from the verye true and naturall speche, as be the fyne metals from the grosser. To speke is no faute, but an obseruacion or markyng, not leanyng vpõ cause, but vpon example. For in eloquence, the iudgement of excellẽt men standeth for reason, as saythe Quintilian in hys fyrst boke.

[Tasis.] [Extensio], is that wherby a swete and pleasaunt modulacion or tunablenes of wordes is kepte, because some are spoken wyth a sharpe tenure or accent, some wyth a flatte, some strayned out. This grace specially perteineth to a turnyng of y^e voyce in pleasaunte pronunciation.

[ Garnyshyng and his kyndes.]

Garnishyng as the word it selfe declareth, is whẽ the oraciõ is gaylye set oute and floryshed w^t diuerse goodly figures, causyng much pleasauntnes and delectaciõ to the hearer: and hath two kyndes, composicion, and exornacion.

[Sinthesis.] [Composicion] is an apte settinge together of wordes, whych causeth all the partes of an oracion to bee trymmed al alyke. And in it muste be considered that we so order our wordes, that the sentence decrease not by puttynge a weaker word after a stronger, but that it styl go vpwarde and increase. There is also a naturall order, as to saye: men & women, daye and nyght, easte, and weste, rather then backewardes.

In thys muste be auoyded also to often comyng together of vowels, which make the oracion wyde and gapyng. To muche repetyng of all one letter in the beginning of wordes, to much repeting of one word, and that they ende not to much all alyke, that the sentence be not held on to longe, which werieth the hearer, and the speaker: nor that manye consonãtes run not to harshely together, wyth many other, which Cicero speaketh of in hys thyrde booke of hys oratour, and Quintilian in hys nynth, wherof here to put examples were to longe.