C.  P. They arise from probabilities, and turn wholly on the peculiar characteristics of things.  But for the sake of instructing you, I will call that probable which is generally done in such and such a way as it is probable that youth should be rather inclined to lust.  But the indication of an appropriate characteristic is something which never happens in any other way, and which declares something which is certain as smoke is a proof of fire.  Probabilities are discovered from the parts and, as it were, members of a narration.  They exist in persons, in places, in times, in facts, in events, in the nature of the facts and circumstances which may be under discussion.

But in persons, the first things considered are the natural qualities of health, figure, strength, age, and whether they are male or female.  And all these concern the body alone.  But the qualities of the mind, or how they are affected, depends on virtues, vices, arts, and want of art, or in another sense, on desire, fear, pleasure, or annoyance.  And these are the natural circumstances which are principally considered.

In fortune, we look at a man’s race, his friends, his children, his relations, his kinsmen, his wealth, his honours, his power, his estates, his freedom, and also at all the contraries to these circumstances.  But in respect of place, some things arise from nature as, whether a place is on the coast or at a distance from the sea, whether it is level or mountainous, whether it is smooth or rough, wholesome or pestilential, shady or sunny, these again are fortuitous circumstances,—­whether a place is cultivated or uncultivated frequented or deserted, full of houses or naked, obscure or ennobled by the traces of mighty exploits, consecrated or profane.

XI.  But in respect of time, one distinguishes between the present, and the past, and the future.  And in these divisions there are the further subdivisions of ancient, recent, immediate, likely to happen soon, or likely to be very remote.  In time there are also these other divisions, which mark, as it were natural sections of time as winter, spring, summer and autumn.  Or again, the periods of the year:  as a month, a day, a night, an hour, a season, all these are natural divisions.  There are other accidental divisions such as days of sacrifice, days of festival, weddings.  Again, facts and events are either designed or unintentional, and these last arise either from pure accident, or from some agitation of mind, by accident when a thing has happened in a different way from what was expected,—­from some agitation, when either forgetfulness, or mistake, or fear, or some impulse of desire has been the acting cause.  Necessity, too, must be classed among the causes of unintentional actions or results.

Again, of good and bad things there are three classes.  For they can exist either in men’s minds or bodies, or they may be external to both of these materials, then, as far as they are subordinate to argument, all the parts must be carefully turned over in the mind, and conjectures bearing on the subject before us must be derived from each part.