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A Comprehensive Handbook of Rhetoric

Handbuch der literarischen Rhetorik by Heinrich LausbergReview by: A. E. DouglasThe Classical Review, New Series, Vol. 12, No. 3 (Dec., 1962), pp. 246-247Published by: Cambridge University Presson behalf of The Classical AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/709391.

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246 THE CLASSICAL REVIEWjudgements of this kind are much more important than the names of Calli-machus minor works on grammar.

Hindel has added a bibliography, which is of some value, but mentions toomany specialized treatises of small general interest; yet such important worksas the Headlam-Knox Herodas, Martin s Aratus, and W. Biihler s excellentedition of Moschus Europaare omitted. There are not many inaccuracies; buton p. 252 Hindel seems to imply that Eurypylus was a place; on p. 262 heseems to have forgotten that Pfeiffer has shown that we possess quite a con-siderable fragment of a poem by Parthenius; and his discussion of the date ofLycophron seems to take no account of Momigliano s two important articles.The book is attractively produced and accurately printed (but on p. 131 readPelias ).I do not wish to give the impression that this painstaking piece of work is ofno value. It gives a good deal of information, much ofwhich is useful; and I sup-pose a certain class of reader will actually prefer it to K6rte s book. But I wishanother publisher would now buy up the rights of the original edition, andwould arrange for the comparatively few changes that are really necessary tobe made by a scholar with the sense to appreciate the book s excellence and themodesty to leave well alone.ChristChurch, xford HUGH LLOYD-JONES

A COMPREHENSIVE HANDBOOKOF RHETORIC

HEINRICH LAUSBERG: Handbuch der literarischen Rhetorik. 2 vols. Pp. 957-Munich: Max Hueber, I960. Cloth, DM. 54-IN his introduction, Lausberg propounds the view that a knowledge of Rhetoric,seen as the systematization of public or general forms of utterance, is as im-portant for the understanding of literature as the study of the individuality ofwriters. Recognizing the extensive influence of ancient Rhetoric on Europeanliteratures he has produced this handbook, primarily for students of modernliteratures. In it he sets out a full systematic Ars Rhetorica,broadly followingancient models, with copious citations of ancient sources, parallels from moremodern treatises on Rhetoric, and illustrative passages from ancient rhetoricians,ancient literature generally, and modern, especially French, literature.But despite its excellent intentions, the book is disappointing. Lausberginforms his reader that to deal with the subject fully would take many volumes,and it soon becomes clear that he is a great believer in exhaustive compilationof material, in part perhaps for its own sake, but more especially as a basis forthe construction of patterns and generalizations. Collect all the availableevidence, then form your conclusions seems an innocuous and necessary pre-cept, yet Lausberg has fallen heavily into the two traps which await theincautious user of the method. First, unless the subject is carefully and evenartificially defined, as sometimes in the experimental sciences, the availablematerial may be so bulky as literally to be incomprehensible. Secondly, it isa grave temptation to discover patterns which are either forced upon theevidence or in themselves of no significance. Both dangers are illustrated inLausberg s presentation, selection, and handling of the material.As regards presentation, let it suffice to say that to a text of 6oo pages, itself

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THE CLASSICAL REVIEW 247dreadfully encumbered with parentheses and cross-references, Lausberg hasadded an index of over 300 pages. This fact in itself reveals a methodologicalweakness resulting from Lausberg s particular kind of fussiness, which in turnseems to be the result of his persistent attempts to get and get across a syn-thetic or synoptic view ( cosmic would hardly be too large a word) of the wholesubject. The attempts are vain.To speak of selection is perhaps to misuse the word. Lausberg leaves nothingout. The excess of detail is intolerable and self-defeating. In any event, thestudent of modern literatures for whom Lausberg writes will be more thanordinarily competent in Greek and Latin if he is to benefit from the vast arrayof citations. Much of the material is anyway footling. Such things as listsshowing the different orders in which our authorities cite the three generacausarum imply waste space.

In handling the material, Lausberg owes most to Quintilian, the fullest ofancient sources. But the fact, of which the reader is inadequately warned, isthat this work is Lausberg s Art of Rhetoric , and very odd, to the classicalreader, much of it appears. First, Lausberg s exposition, though often men-tioning variations of doctrine, is clearly designed to suggest that there wasa single uniform system of Rhetoric (as displayed with alarming elaboration ofdivision and subdivision in the Inhaltsverzeichnis), deviations from whichwere only of minor importance. This belief in a grand unified scheme is verycharacteristic of the author. But astonishingly fossilized as ancient Rhetoricbecame, there were controversies and changes, and Aristotle, Cicero, and to aless extent Quintilian, speak with an individual voice. But Lausberg ignores allsuch distinctions. To give but a few examples, he begins with a generaldefinition of art which cites Aesch. P. V. 506 as evidence, Cicero s original andinteresting doctrine of ornatus in De Oratoreiii is treated as standard, as isAquila s unusual definition of oratioperpetua. Secondly, ancient and modernideas are intermingled with the same indifference, in complete disregard ofthe danger of misleading the innocent public for whom the book is intended.The modern theories about literary and stylistic phenomena with which thebook abounds may, for all I know, be somewhere current among students ofmodern literature; they are sometimes interesting, and may sometimes evenbe true. But what place in an exposition of ancient Rhetoric has, for example,the belief that metaphor is a form of magical utterance ? As for the pattern-making, throughout the work resemblances are detected and morals drawnthat are either not in the material, as when the different rhetorical status arealleged to have close parallels in literary criticism, or, if there, are platitudinous,as in the elaborate parallel drawn, with diagrammatic illustrations-a favouritetechnique of the author-between the judge in court and the judge of art.The book is attractively produced, and, to judge from a sample check of itscountless references, printed with conspicuous accuracy. It is the product ofmuch industry and learning and of great enthusiasm and a passionate desire tobe helpful. What it lacks is a sense of proportion. Lausberg has so overloadedhis work that it must surely mislead or bewilder the seeker after information.Its approach in general provokes, at the least, recollection of T. B. L. Webster sadvice recently proffered to the English classic confronted by a vast array ofbooks about books , that he may reasonably neglect interpretations whichshow a method of thought too alien to his own .University of Southampton A. E. DOUGLAS

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