It is necessary indeed to propose such as subsist thus in many things, but the objection either is not at all, or is not easily perceived, since not being able to see where it is not so, men admit a thing as being true.
Yet we ought not to make the conclusion a question, for otherwise the (respondent) denying, a syllogism does not appear to have been framed. For frequently they deny when the person does not question, but infers as a consequent, and doing this, they do not appear to confute, to those who do not see that, it happens from the things laid down; when then he interrogates, not asserting that the conclusion follows, but the other denies, a syllogism does not entirely appear to have been framed.
Neither does it seem that every universal is a dialectic proposition, as "what is man?" or "in how many ways is good predicated?" since a dialectic proposition is one, to which we can answer either yes or no, which is impossible to those above-named. Hence, such interrogations are not dialectic unless the person speaks by defining or dividing, as; "is good predicated in this or in that way?" for the answer to such things is easy either by affirmation or denial. Wherefore we must endeavour to set forth such propositions in this way, and at the same time it is perhaps just to ask him in how many ways good is predicated, when the (interrogator) divides and proposes, but he (the respondent) by no means concedes.
Nevertheless, whoever questions for a long time one reason, interrogates badly, for if he who is interrogated answers the question, it is evident that (the querist) asks many or oftentimes the same questions, so that he either trifles or has not a syllogism, since every syllogism is from a few things; but if he does not answer, why does he not reprove him, or depart?
Chapter 3
Notwithstanding, it is difficult to attack, and easy to maintain, the same hypothesis; such are those which are first and last naturally, for those which are first require definition, but the last are
