62 THE ARTE OR CRAFTE OF RHETHORYKE
chaunce that one myght acheue theyr entent. For fere whereof the kynge furthwith fel at a pointement with the Romaines / and departed. The yonge man after warde was named Sceuola / whiche is as muche to fay in Englyffh as lefte handed. For as I haue reherfed afore / he brente his ryght hande / so that he had lofte the vfe therof.
If any oratour wolde in an oracyon commende this dede / he myght conueniently make the preface on this fafhyon. 1
There is no doubte my lordes and mayfters of Rome : but that the remembraunce of Sceuolas name is very pleafant vnto your audi- ence / whiche with one acte that he dyd / endewed your citie with many & greate co^modyties. &c.
This maner of preface is mofte conuenyent and beft annexyd to luche maner of oracyons demonftratyues.
[C v a] Neuer the leffe it is lawfull for vs to take our preface (yf it be our pleafure) oute of some circumftaunce / as out of the place that our oracion is made in / or out of the tyme that we fpake 2 in / or els otherwyfe accordynge as we fhall haue occafyon. As Tullye / in the oracyon that he made for the reftitucyon of Marcus Mar- cellus / in the whiche he prayfeth Cezare for the callynge home of the fayd Marcus mercell^ out of exyle / he taketh his preamble out of the tyme & Cezares perfo# / begynnyng thus.
This daye my lordes Senatoures hathe made an ende of the longe fcilence that I haue kepte a great whyle / nat for any fere that I had / but part for great forowe that was in me / and partly for fhame / this daye as I fayd hathe take away that longe fcilence / ye / and befyde that of newe brought to me lufte and mynde to fpeke what I wolde / and what I thought mofte expedient / lyke as I was afore wont to do. For I can nat in no manner of wyfe refrayne / but I mufte nedes fpeke of the great mekenes of Cezare / of the gra- cioufnes that is in hym / fo habundant and fo great withall / that neuer afore any fuche hathe ben wont to be fene or harde of / and alfo of the excellent good moderacyon of all thynges whiche is in hym that hathe [C v b] all in his own mere power. Nor I can nat let paffe his excellent incredible / and diuine wyfdome vnfpoken of / afore you at thys tyme.
1 B. facion.
2 B. Ipeke.
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