our original design will have been completed. At the same time, what has before been said will happen to be confirmed, and be more evident that they are thus from what shall now be said, for every truth must necessarily agree with itself in every respect.
First then we must endeavour to select the two propositions of a syllogism, for it is easier to divide into greater than into less parts, and composites are greater than the things of which they are composed; next we must consider whether it is in a whole or in a part, and if both propositions should not be assumed, oneself placing one of them. For those who propose the universal do not receive the other which is contained in it, neither when they write, nor when they interrogate, or propose these, but omit those by which these are concluded, and question other things to no purpose. Therefore we must consider whether any thing superfluous has been assumed, and any thing necessary omitted, and one thing is to be laid down, and another to be removed, until we arrive at two propositions, for without these we cannot reduce the sentences which are thus the subjects of question. Now in some it is easy to see what is deficient, but others escape us, and seem to be syllogisms, because something necessarily happens from the things laid down, as if it should be assumed that essence not being subverted, essence is not subverted, but those things being subverted, of which a thing consists, what is composed of these is subverted also; for from these
