ARISTOTLE changed this Method of Attack, and invented a great Variety of little Weapons, called Syllogifms. As in the Socratick Way of Difpute you agree to every thing which your Opponent advances, in the Ariftotelick you are ftill denying and contradicting fome Part or other of what he fays. Socrates conquers you by Stratagem, Ariftotle by Force: The one takes the Town by Sap, the other Sword in Hand.

THE Universities of Europe, for many Years, carried on their Debates by Syllogifm, infomuch that we see the Knowledge of feveral Centuries laid out into Objections and Answers, and all the good Senfe of the Age cut and minced into almost an Infinitude of Diftinctions.

WHEN our Univerfites found that there was no End of Wrangling this Way, they invented a kind of Argument, which is not reducible to any Mood or Figure in Ariftotle. It was called the Argumentum Bafilinum (others write it Bacilinum or Bacalinum) which is pretty well exprefs'd in our English Word Club-Law. When they were not able to confute their Antagonist, they knock'd him down. It was their Method in these polemical Debates, first to discharge their Syllogifms, and afterwards to betake themselves to their Clubs, till fuch Time as they had one Way or other confounded their Gainfayers. There is in Oxford a narrow Defile, (to make ufe of a military Term) where the Partifans ufed to encounter, for which Reason it ftill retains the Name of Logick-lane. I have heard an old Gentleman, a Phyfician, make his Boafts, that when he was a young Fellow he marched feverat Times at the Head of a Troop of Scotifts, and cudgel'd a Body of Smiglefians half the length of High-freet, 'till they had difperfed themfelves for Shelter into their refpective Garrifons.

THIS Humour, I find, went very far in Erafmus's Time. For that Author tells us, That upon the Revival of Greek Letters, most of the Universities in Europe were divided into Greeks and Trojans. The latter were thofe who bore a mortal Enmity to the Language of the Gre cians, infomuch that if they met with any who understood it, they did not fail to treat him as a Foe. Erafmus himself had, it feems, the Misfortune to fall into the Hands of a Party of Trojans, who laid him on with fo

many

many Blows and Buffets that he never forgot their Hoftilities to his dying Day.

THERE is a way of managing an Argument not much unlike the former, which is made ufe of by States and Communities, when they draw up a hundred thou fand Difputants on each Side, and convince one another by Dint of Sword. A certain Grand Monarch was fo fenfible of his Strength in this way of Reasoning, that he writ upon his Great Guns-Ratio ultima Regum, The Logick of Kings; but, God be thanked, he is now pretty well baffled at his own Weapons. When one has to do with a Philofopher of this kind, one should remember the old Gentleman's Saying, who had been engaged in an Argument with one of the Roman Emperors. Upon his Friend's telling him, That he wonder'd he would give up the Queftion, when he had vifibly the Better of the Difpute; I am never afham'd, says he, to be confuted by one who is Mafter of fifty Legions.

I fhall but just mention another kind of Reasoning, which may be called arguing by Poll; and another which is of equal Force, in which Wagers are made ufe of as Arguments, according to the celebrated Line in Hudibras.

BUT the most notable way of managing a Controverfy, is that which we may call Arguing by Torture. This is a Method of Reasoning which has been made ufe of with the poor Refugees, and which was so fashionable in our Country during the Reign of Queen Mary, that in a Paffage of an Author quoted by Monfieur Bayle, it is faid the Price of Wood was raised in England, by reason of the Executions that were made in Smithfield. These Difputants convince their Adverfaries with a Sorites, commonly called a Pile of Faggots. The Rack is alfo a kind of Syllogifm which has been used with good Effect, and has made Multitudes of Converts. Men were formerly difputed out of their Doubts, reconciled to Truth by Force of Reason, and won over to Opinions by the Candour, Senfe and Ingenuity of thofe who had the Right on their Side; but this Method of Conviction operated too flowly. Pain was found to be much more enlightning than Reason. Every Scruple was looked upon as Obftinacy, and not to be removed but by feveral Engines invented for that Purfpofe. In a word, the Application of

Whips, Racks, Gibbets, Gallies, Dungeons, Fire and Faggot, in a Difpute, may be look'd upon as Popish Refinements upon the old Heathen Logick.

THERE is another way of Reasoning, which feldom fails, tho' it be of a quite different Nature to that I have laft mentioned. I mean, convincing a Man by ready Money, or as it is ordinarily called, bribing a Man to an Opinion. This Method has often proved fuccessful, when all the others have been made ufe of to no purpose. A Man who is furnished with Arguments from the Mint, will convince his Antagonist much fooner than one who draws them from Reason and Philofophy. Gold is a wonderful Clearer of the Understanding; it diffipates every Doubt and Scruple in an Inftant; accommodates it self to the meaneft Capacities; filences the Loud and Clamorous, and brings over the most Obftinate and Inflexible. Philip of Macedon was a Man of most invincible Reason this Way. He refuted by it all the Wisdom of Athens, counfounded their Statesmen, ftruck their Orators dumb, and at length argued them out of all their Liberties.

HAVING here touched upon the feveral Methods of Difputing, as they have prevailed in different Ages of the World, I fhall very fuddenly give my Reader an Account of the whole Art of Cavilling; which fhall be a full and fatisfactory Anfwer to all fuch Papers and Pamphlets as have yet appeared against the SPECTATOR. C

No 240. Wednesday, December 5.

·

Aliter not fit, Avite, liber. Mart. Ep. 1. 1. 1. Óf fuch Materials, Sir, are Books compofed.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

I

A M of one of the moft genteel Trades in the City, and understand thus much of liberal Education, as to have an ardent Ambition of being useful to Mankind, and to think That the chief End of Being as to this Life. I had these good Impreffions given me from the

• handfom

⚫ handfom Behaviour of a learned, generous, and wealthy ⚫ Man, towards me when I first began the World. Some • Diffatisfaction between me and my Parents made me > enter into it with lefs Relifh of Bufinefs than I ought; and to turn off this Uneafinefs I gave my felf to criminal Pleasures, fome Exceffes, and a general loofe Conduct. I know not what the excellent Man above-mentioned faw in me, but he defcended from the Superiority of ⚫ his Wifdom and Merit, to throw himself frequently into my Company. This made me foon hope that I had fomething in me worth cultivating, and his Conversation made me fenfible of Satisfactions in a regularWay, which I had never before imagined. When he was grown familiar with me, he opened himself like a good Angel, and told me, he had long laboured to ripen me into a Preparation to receive his Friendship and Advice, both which I should daily command, and the Ufe of any Part of his Fortune, to apply the Measures he should propose to me, for the Improvement of my own. I affure you, I cannot recollect the Goodness and Confufion of the good Man when he spoke to this Purpose to me, without melting into Tears; but in a word, Sir, I muft haften to tell you, that my Heart burns with Grati⚫tude towards him, and he is fo happy a Man, that it can never be in my Power to return him his Favours in Kind, but I am fure I have made him the most agreeable Satisfaction I could poffibly, in being ready to ferve others to my utmost Ability, as far as is confiftent with the Prudence he prescribes to me. Dear Mr. SPECTATOR, I ⚫ do not owe to him only the Good-will and Efteem of my • own Relations, (who are People of Diftinction) the pre. ⚫ fent Ease and Plenty of my Circumstances, but also the Government of my Paffions, and Regulation of my Defires. I doubt not, Sir, but in your Imagination fuch Vir⚫tues as thefe of my worthy Friend, bear as great a Figure as Actions which are more glittering in the common Eftimation. What I would afk of you, is to give us a whole Spectator upon Heroick Virtue in common Life, which may incite Men to the fame generous Inclinations, as have by this admirable Perfon been fhewn to, and rais'd in,

SIR, Your most humble Servant.

Mr.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

I

Am a Country Gentleman, of a good plentiful Eftate, and live as the rest of my Neighbours with great Hofpitality. I have been ever reckoned among the Ladies the best Company in the World, and have Accefs as a fort of Favourite. I never came in Publick but I faluted them, tho' in great Assemblies, all round, where it was feen how genteelly I avoided hampering my Spurs in their Petticoats, whilft I moved amongst them; and on the other fide how prettily they curtfied and received me, standing in proper Rows, and advancing as faft as they faw their Elders, or their Betters, difpatch'd by me. But fo it is, Mr. SPECTATOR, that all our Good-breeding is of late loft by the unhappy * Arrival of a Courtier, or Town Gentleman, who came lately among us: This Perfon wherever he came into a ." Room made a profound Bow, and fell back, then recovered with a foft Air, and made a Bow to the next, and "fo to one or two more, and then took the Grofs of the • Room, by paffing by them in a continued Bow till he arrived at the Perfon he thought proper particularly to < entertain. This he did with fo good a Grace and Affurance, that it is taken for the prefent Fashion; and there is no young Gentlewoman within feveral Miles of this Place has been kiffed ever fince his firft Appearance among us. We Country Gentlemen cannot begin again and learn these fine and reserved Airs; and our Converfation is at a Stand, till we have your Judgment for or against Kiffing, by way of Civility or Salutation; which is impatiently expected by your Friends of both Sexes, but by none fo much as

Your humble Servant, Ruftick Sprightly.
Decemb. 3, 1711.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

I

Was the other Night at Philafter, where I expected to hear your famous Trunk-maker, but was unhappily disappointed of his Company, and faw another • Person who had the like Ambition to distinguish himfelf in a noify manner, partly by Vociferation or talking loud, and partly by his bodily Agility. This was a very lufty Fellow, but withal a fort of Beau, who get

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