Such, therefore, are the particulars from which it is requisite to exhort and dissuade, to blame and praise, to accuse and defend, and such likewise are the opinions and propositions which are useful in procuring credibility in these. For concerning these, and from these, enthymemes about each genus of orations are peculiarly derived. Since, however, the rhetorical art is for the sake of judgement (for the auditors of orations judge of consultations, and justice is judgement) it is necessary that the orator should not only direct his attention to the oration, so as to consider how it may be demonstrative and credible, but he should also shew himself to be worthy of belief, and dispose his auditor to become a judge. For it is of great consequence in procuring belief, especially indeed in counsels, and afterwards in judgements, that the speaker should appear to be properly qualified, and that he should be well affected towards the auditors; and besides this, if the auditors also are properly disposed. That the speaker, therefore, should appear to be properly qualified, is more useful in counsels than in judgements; but for the hearer to be well disposed, is more useful in judgements. For the same things do not appear to those that love and hate, nor to those that are irascible and those that are mild; but either they appear entirely different, or different in magnitude. For to the friend, he concerning whom he forms the judgement, will not appear to have acted unjustly, or will appear to have acted so in a small degree; but to him who hates, the contrary will take place. And to him who desires, and is in good hope of possessing what he desires if that which is to come is pleasant, it also appears that it will be, and that it will be good; but to him who has no desire, and no expectation of a thing, the contrary will take place. There are three causes, therefore, through which men become worthy of belief; for so many are the things through which we believe, besides demonstrations. And these are prudence, virtue and benevolence. For men are false in what they say, or in the counsels they give, either on account of all these, or on account of some one of these. For either they do not think rightly through imprudence; or they do not speak what appears to be true, in consequence of their depravity; or they are prudent and worthy, but not benevolent. Hence, it happens that those do not give the best counsels who know how to give them. And these are the only things through which they fail. It is necessary, therefore, that he who appears to possess all these, should, be considered by his auditors as worthy of belief. Whence, therefore, men may appear to be prudent and worthy, must be derived from the divisions of the virtues; for from the same things through which a man renders himself prudent and worthy, he may also cause another to become so. Concerning benevolence, however, and friendship we must now speak, in discussing what pertains to the passions. But the passions are those things, on account of which men being changed, differ in their judgements, and to which pleasure and pain are consequent. The passions, therefore, are such as anger, pity, fear, and other things of this kind, and the contraries to these. It is necessary, however, to give a threefold division to the particulars about each. I say, for instance, about anger we should consider how men are disposed when they are angry, what the things are at which they are accustomed to be angry, and what the quality is of the things which are the subjects of their anger. For if we only possess a knowledge of one or two, but not of all these, it will be impossible to excite anger in the auditors. And in a similar manner in the other passions. As, therefore, in what has been before said, we have delivered appropriate propositions, we shall likewise do the same in considering the passions, and divide them after the same manner.
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