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οὐκ ἔστιν ἑνός τινος γένους ἀφωρισμένου ἡ ῥητ., ἀλλὰ καθάπερ ἡ διαλεκτική] See note and reff. on § 1 p. 3. οὐ τὸ πεῖσαι ἔργον αὐτῆς κ.τ.λ.] on Aristotle's alteration and improvement of the original definition of Rhetoric by the Sophistical school of Rhetoricians, see Introd. p. 32 seq. ‘Non dubium est quin verba illa dirigantur adversus id quod apud Platonem ait Gorgias, p. 453 A, τὴν ῥητορικὴν πειθοῦς δημιοῦργον εἰναι, καὶ τὸ κεφάλαιον αὐτῆς εἰς τοῦτο τελευτᾶν.’ Muretus. Cicero's definition follows that of Aristotle, de Orat. I 61, 260, accommodate ad persuadendum posse dicere. The notion of art, or proceeding by rule of art, consists not in the result, or success of the process, which is often unattainable, but in the correctness of the method followed. Top. Z 12, 149 b 25. τοιοῦτος δ᾽ ὁ τοῦ ῥήτορος καὶ ὁ τοῦ κλέπτου ὅρος, εἴπερ ἐστὶ ῥήτωρ μὲν ὁ δυνάμενος τὸ ἐν ἑκάστῳ πιθανὸν θεωρεῖν καὶ μηδὲν παραλείπειν, κλέπτης δ̓ ὁ λάθρα λαμβάνων. δῆλον γὰρ ὅτι τοιοῦτος ὢν ἑκάτερος ὁ μὲν ἀγαθὸς ῥήτωρ ὁ δ̓ ἀγαθὸς κλέπτης ἔσται: οὐ γὰρ ὁ λάθρα λαμβάνων ἀλλ̓ ὁ βουλόμενος λάθρα λαμβάνειν κλέπτης ἐστίν. The art of doing anything is distinguished from the mere fact that the thing is done (as accidentally for instance), by the intention of the agent systematically carried out, but not necessarily realised in success. Comp. de Anima III 9, 8, καὶ ὅλως δὲ ὁρῶμεν ὅτι ὁ ἔχων τὴν ἰατρικὴν οὐκ ἰᾶται, ὡς ἑτέρου τινὸς κυρίου ὄντος τοῦ ποιεῖν κατὰ τὴν ἐπιστήμην (of the successful result of the artistic process), ἀλλ᾽ οὐ τῆς ἐπιστήμης. Eth. Nic. III 5, 1112 b 12. Topic. A 3, ἕξομεν δὲ τελέως τὴν μέθοδον, ὅταν ὁμοίως ἔχωμεν ὥσπερ ἐπὶ ῥητορικῆς καὶ ἰατρικῆς καὶ τῶν τοιούτων δυνάμεων. τοῦτο δ᾽ ἐστὶ τὸ ἐκ τῶν ἐνδεχομένων ποιεῖν ἃ προιαιρούμεθα. οὔτε γὰρ ὁ ῥητορικὸς ἐκ παντὸς τρόπου πείσει, οὔθ̓ ὁ ἰατρικὸς ὑγιάσει. ἀλλ̓ ἐὰν τῶν ἐνδεχομένων μηδὲν παραλίπῃ, ἱκανῶς αὐτὸν ἔχειν τὴν ἐπιστήμην φήσομεν. Comp. Top. E c. 7, 136 b 57, and 137 a 5. Quint. II 17, 23 seq. Cic. de Inventione I 5, 6. Bacon, Adv. of learning, Bk. II X 2. ‘For almost all other arts and sciences are judged by acts or masterpieces, as I may term them, and not by the successes and events. The lawyer is judged by the virtue of his pleading, and not by the issue of the cause. The master in the ship is judged by the directing his course aright, and not by the fortune of the voyage.’ πρὸς δὲ τούτοις (φανερὸν) ὅτι—κατὰ τὴν δύναμιν] The explanation and connexion are given in the Paraphrase, Introd. p. 148, and note 3. Comp Met. Γ 2, 1004 b 17, οἱ γὰρ διαλεκτικοὶ καὶ σοφισταί...ἀλλὰ διαφέρει τῆς μὲν τῷ τρόπῳ τῆς δυνάμεως, τῆς δὲ τοῦ βίου τῇ προαιρέσει, and Bonitz’ note. Top. Δ 5, 126 a 35, πάντες γὰρ οἱ φαῦλοι κατὰ ˙προαίρεσιν λέγονται. Z 12, 149 b 29 u.s. οὐ γὰρ ὁ λάθρα λαμβάνων ἀλλ᾽ ὁ βουλόμενος λάθρα λαμβάνειν κλέπτης ἐστίν. Eth. Nic. IV 13, 1127 b 15, οὐκ ἐν τῇ δυνάμει δ᾽ ἐστὶν ὁ ἀλαζών, ἀλλ̓ ἐν τῇ προαιρέσει. Rhet. I 13, 10. πλήν] ‘except that,—only’, a reservation. Soph. Oed. Col. 1639 (Herm.), Trach. 41, Arist. Equit. 1397, Dem. de Cor. p. 281 init., Arist. An. Pr. II 27, 70 a 29, Top. B 8, 114 a 8, Γ 4, 119 b 22, Θ 3, 158 b 37; I (de Soph. El.) c. 4, 166 a 4, Eth. N. IV 12, 1126 b 27, Polit. II 6, 1266 a 16, Rhet. I 12, 10. μεθόδου] Note on ὁδοποιεῖν, § 2. πάλιν οὖν—λέγωμεν τὰ λοιπά] ‘Let us then take as it were a fresh start, and so first define it, and then proceed to the rest’.
Commentary on the Rhetoric of Aristotle. Edward Meredith Cope. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 1877.
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