found in a cause, then at length
each separate division of the whole cause must be considered. For it
does not seem that those points are necessarily to be first noticed,
which have been the first stated; because you must often deduce those
arguments which are stated first, at least if you wish them to be
exceedingly coherent with one another and to be consistent with the
cause, from those arguments which are to be stated subsequently.
Wherefore, when the examination of the excuses alleged, and all those
arguments which require to be found out for the purpose of such
examination have been diligently found out by the rules of art, and
handled with due care and deliberation, then at length we may proceed
to arrange the remaining portions of our speech. And these portions
appear to us to be in all six; the exordium, the relation of the fact,
the division of the different circumstances and topics, the bringing
forward of evidence, the finding fault with the action which has been
done, and the peroration.

At present, since the exordium ought to be the main thing of all,
we too will first of all give some precepts to lead to a system of
opening a case properly.

XV. An exordium is an address bringing the mind of the hearer into a
suitable state to receive the rest of the speech, and that will be
effected if it has rendered him well disposed towards the speaker,
attentive, and willing to receive information. Wherefore, a man who
is desirous to open a cause well, must of necessity be beforehand
thoroughly acquainted with the nature and kind of cause which he has
to conduct. Now the kinds of causes are five; one honourable, one
astonishing, one low, one doubtful, one obscure. The kind of cause
which is called honourable, is such an one as the disposition of the
hearer favours at once, without waiting to hear our speech. The kind
that is astonishing, is that from which the mind of those who are
about to hear us has been alienated. The kind which is low, is one
which is disregarded by the hearer, or which does not seem likely to
be carefully attended to. The kind which is doubtful, is that in which
either the examination into the excuses alleged is doubtful, or the
cause itself, being partly honourable and partly discreditable; so as
to produce partly good-will and partly disinclination. The kind which
is obscure, is that in which either the hearers are slow, or in which
the cause itself is entangled in a multitude of circumsta