The content of rhetoric included all that the ancients had learned to be of value in persuasive public speech.

It taught how to work up a case by drawing valid inferences from sound evidence, how to organize this material in the most persuasive order, how to compose in clear and harmonious sentences.

Hermagoras affirms that the purpose of rhetoric is persuasion,[40] and Dionysius of Halicarnassus defines rhetoric as the artistic mastery of persuasive speech in communal affairs.

The consensus of classical opinion, then, agrees that the purpose of rhetoric is persuasive public speaking.

In the republics of Greece and Rome a mastery of rhetoric gave its possessor political power; for by persuasive public speech a public man could gain a following by defending his clients in the law courts, and influence the destinies of the state by his deliberations in the legislative assembly.

Norden, therefore, seems to go too far in giving this as an example of contamination of poetic by rhetoric.[80] Dante remains an excellent poet when he puts into the mouth of Virgil that persuasive speech to Cato in the first canto of the Purgatorio.

Public speech would be less persuasive if the characteristic imaginative qualities of poetic were excluded.

Quintilian, like Aristotle, believes in the persuasive efficacy of examples.

The school-master endeavored to mould the characters of his students by examples from heroic poetry; the teacher of rhetoric, in turn, taught them that to persuade an audience they must prove, please, and move, and that ficticious examples were about as persuasive as historical parallels and much easier to find.

His sanction for this high opinion of the persuasive power of example is the rhetorical commonplace of the renaissance that the way is long by precept and short by example.

But the firm demeanor and persuasive eloquence of the Prince of Orange carried before them all who were not actually bought by the crown; and Granvelle found himself at length forced to avow that an express order from the king forbade the convocation of the states, on any pretext, during his absence.

Webster's financial speeches are very calm, like the papers of Hamilton and Jay in "The Federalist," but as interesting and persuasive as those of Gladstone, the greatest finance-minister of modern times.

He spoke more quickly and with boyish enthusiasm; his voice became wonderfully persuasive.

He did it because of his extraordinarily persuasive manner.

One of the few persuasive speakers I have heard in the House of Commons in recent years is Mr. Harold Cox.

[demonstrated to one's satisfaction] convincing, cogent, persuasive (believable) 484.

under the impression; impressed with, imbued with, penetrated with. confiding, suspectless^; unsuspecting, unsuspicious; void of suspicion; credulous &c 486; wedded to. believed &c v.; accredited, putative; unsuspected. worthy of, deserving of, commanding belief; credible, reliable, trustworthy, to be depended on; satisfactory; probably &c 472; fiducial^, fiduciary; persuasive, impressive.

Adj. impulsive, motive; suasive, suasory^, persuasive, persuasory^, hortative, hortatory; protreptical^; inviting, tempting, &c v.; suasive, suasory^; seductive, attractive; fascinating &c (pleasing) 829; provocative &c (exciting) 824. induced &c v.; disposed; persuadable &c (docile) 602; spellbound; instinct with, smitten with, infatuated; inspired &c v.; by.

Adj. recommendatory; hortative &c (persuasive) 615; dehortatory &c (dissuasive) 616 [Obs.]; admonitory &c (warning) 668.

And as the Baron's secretary watched, he saw that the foreigner's attitude was gradually changing from persuasive to threatening.

To give to the suggestion the necessary persuasive power, the young Prince was to be brought back at once, so that he might be ready at a moment's notice to succeed.

No more persuasive rabbi exists.

and so understood, the Sacred Volume will be found to hold out to our slaves, both by precept and example the most persuasive and the most compelling motives to industry, obedience, and submission.

Here again you greatly misrepresent us, by holding us up as employing coercive, instead of persuasive, means for the accomplishment of our object.

May we remind Dr. Watson of what he has himself written on the first page of his Doctrines of Grace: "It was the mission of St. Paul to declare the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to the nations, and none of his successors in this high office has spoken with such persuasive power.