Two Books of the Elements of Rhetoric

13 [pencil bracket] N3

It is also profitable to understand the kind of cause for this reason: because once the kind is known, the end of the oration is foreseen, that is, the principal intent and the sum of the counsel, or as they call it, the scopus aim of the oration. It matters a great deal in every speech and in all business to know the end, that is, what utility is to be expected from the oration. For every oration is either instituted for teaching, or it has another end besides knowledge, namely, that it orders something to be done. Persuasive orations order something to be done, as if one were to persuade that a Turkish war be undertaken. Such also are the Psalms of the Deliberative kind, which either give precepts, or console, or deprecate; these seek for something to be done. But the end of the Demonstrative kind is knowledge: as when we praise Alexander and recount the deeds he performed wisely, bravely, and happily, we only teach the auditor. For although examples are proposed for the sake of imitation, nevertheless in such an oration we do not openly demand anything from the auditors, except that they contemplate and admire the wisdom, virtue, and happiness of this man. Thus the end of the Didactic original: "Didaſcalici" kind is properly knowledge, as