ion of mind
in which there is no vice, or if he has been tainted with errors of
a different kind, so that his disposition appears not entirely
faultless, but still far remote from such a fault, and if his
disgraceful or infamous course of life cannot possibly be mitigated by
any speech,--then it will be proper to say that the inquiry does not
concern his life and habits, but is about that crime for which he is
now prosecuted, so that, omitting all former actions, it is proper
that the matter which is in hand should be attended to.

XII. But suspicions may be derived from the fact itself, if the
administration of the whole matter is examined into in all its parts;
and these suspicions will arise partly from the affair itself when
viewed separately, and partly from the persons and the affairs taken
together. They will be able to be derived from the affair, if we
diligently consider those circumstances which have been attributed
to such affairs. And from them all the different genera, and most
subordinate species, will appear to be collected together in this
statement of the case.

It will therefore be desirable to consider in the first place what
circumstances there are which are united to the affair itself,--that
is to say, which cannot be separated from it, and with reference to
this topic it will be sufficient to consider what was done before the
affair in question took place from which a hope arose of accomplishing
it, and an opportunity was sought of doing it, what happened with
respect to the affair itself, and what ensued afterwards. In the next
place, the execution of the whole affair must be dealt with for this
class of circumstances which have been attributed to the affair has
been discussed in the second topic.

So with reference to this class of circumstances we must have a
regard to time, place, occasion, and opportunity, the force of each
particular of which has been already carefully explained when we were
laying down precepts for the confirmation of an argument. Wherefore,
that we may not appear to have given no rules respecting these things,
and that we may not, on the other hand, appear to have repeated the
same things twice over, we will briefly point out what it is proper
should be considered in each part. In reference to place, then,
opportunity is to be considered; and in reference to time, remoteness;
and in reference to occasion, the convenience suitable for doing
anything; and with reference t