---
title: "The Orator’s Education · Institutio oratoria"
author: "Quintilian"
translator: "Harold Edgeworth Butler"
languages: [la, en]
shelf: "Classical Latin"
section: 43 of 53
url: https://scriptura.si/works/quintilian-institutio-oratoria/43/
cite: "Quintilian, tr. Harold Edgeworth Butler, The Orator’s Education · Institutio oratoria, section 43. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/quintilian-institutio-oratoria/43/"
---

# The Orator’s Education · Institutio oratoria

*Quintilian, tr. Harold Edgeworth Butler*

Twelve books on training a good man skilled in speaking, from the nursery to the forum.

> Latin: ed. Harold Edgeworth Butler, from the Perseus Digital Library (canonical-latinLit, phi1002.phi001, CC BY-SA 4.0).

> English: Harold Edgeworth Butler, from the Perseus Digital Library (phi1002.phi001.perseus-eng2). Notes are not included.

> Rows follow the references the two texts share (books, chapters and sections), cut where both reach the end of a sentence.

## 43. Book X · chapters 2–5

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/quintilian-institutio-oratoria/43/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/quintilian-institutio-oratoria/43/#p-N

[¶0] 2.6. And seeing that they, who had none to teach them anything, have handed down such store of knowledge to posterity, shall we refuse to employ the experience which we possess of some things, to discover yet other things, and possess nought that is not owed to the beneficent activity of others? Shall we follow the example of those painters whose sole aim is to be able to copy pictures by using the ruler and the measuring rod?

> Latin: 2.6. cum illi, qui nullum cuiusquam rei habuerunt magistrum, plurima in posteros tradiderunt, nobis usus aliarum rerum ad eruendas alias non proderit, sed nihil habebimus nisi beneficii alieni? quidam pictores in id solum student, ut describere tabulas mensuris ac lineis sciant.

[¶1] 2.7. It is a positive disgrace to be content to owe all our achievement to imitation. For what, I ask again, would have been the result if no one had done more than his predecessors? Livius Andronicus would mark our supreme achievement in poetry and the annals of the Pontifices would be our ne plus ultra in history. We should still be sailing on rafts, and the art of painting would be restricted to tracing a line round a shadow thrown in the sunlight.

> Latin: 2.7. etiam illud est, contentum esse id consequi quod imiteris. rursus quid erat futurum, si nemo plus effecisset eo quem sequebatur? in poetis supra Livium Andronicum, nihil in historiis supra Pontificum annales haberemus; ratibus adhuc navigaremus; non esset pictura, nisi quae lineas modo extremas umbrae, quam corpora in sole fecissent, circumscriberet.

[¶2] 2.8. Cast your eyes over the whole of history; you will find that no art has remained just as it was when it was discovered, nor come to a standstill at its very birth, unless indeed we are ready to pass special condensation on our own generation on the ground that it is so barren of invention that no further development is possible; and it is undoubtedly true that no development is possible for those who restrict themselves to imitation.

> Latin: 2.8. si omnia percenseas, nulla mansit ars, qualis inventa est, nec intra initium stetit, nisi forte nostra potissimum tempora damnamus huius infelicitatis, ut nunc demum nihil crescat. autem crescit sola imitatione.

[¶3] 2.9. But if we are forbidden to add anything to the existing stock of knowledge, how can we ever hope for the birth of our ideal orator? For of all the greatest orators with whom we are as yet acquainted, there is not one who has not some deficiency or blemish. And even those who do not aim at supreme excellence, ought to press toward the mark rather than be content to follow in the tracks of others.

> Latin: 2.9. prioribus adiicere fas non est, quomodo sperare possumus illum oratorem perfectum? cum in his, quos maximos adhuc novimus, nemo sit inventus, in quo nihil aut desideretur aut reprehendatur. etiam qui summa non appetent, contendere potius quam sequi debent. qui hoc agit ut prior sit, forsitan, etiamsi non transierit, aequabit.

[¶4] 2.10. For the man whose aim is to prove himself better than another, even if he does not surpass him, may hope to equal him. But he can never hope to equal him, if he thinks it his duty merely to tread in his footsteps: for the mere follower must always lag behind. Further, it is generally easier to make some advance than to repeat what has been done by others, since there is nothing harder than to produce an exact likeness, and nature herself has so far failed in this endeavour that there is always some difference which enables us to distinguish even the things which seem most like and most equal to one another.

> Latin: 2.10. vero nemo potest aequare, cuius vestigiis sibi utique insistendum putat; necesse est enim semper sit posterior qui sequitur. quod plerumque facilius est plus facere quam idem. enim difficultatem habet similitudo, ut ne ipsa quidem natura in hoc ita evaluerit, ut non res quae simillimae, quaeque pares maxime videantur, utique discrimine aliquo discernantur.

[¶5] 2.11. Again, whatever is like another object, must necessarily be inferior to the object of its imitation, just as the shadow is inferior to the substance, the portrait to the features which it portrays, and the acting of the player to the feelings which he endeavours to reproduce. The same is true of oratory. For the models which we select for imitation have a genuine and natural force, whereas all imitation is artificial and moulded to a purpose which was not that of the original orator.

> Latin: 2.11. quod, quidquid alteri simile est, necesse est minus sit eo, quod imitatur, ut umbra corpore et imago facie et actus histrionum veris adfectibus. in orationibus quoque evenit. eis, quae in exemplum adsumimus, subest natura et vera vis; contra omnis imitatio ficta est et ad alienum propositum accommodatur.

[¶6] 2.12. This is the reason why declamations have less life and vigour than actual speeches, since the subject is fictitious in the one and real in the other. Again, the greatest qualities of the orator are beyond all imitation, by which I mean, talent, invention, force, facility and all the qualities which are independent of art.

> Latin: 2.12. facit, ut minus sanguinis ac virium declamationes habeant quam orationes, quod in illis vera, in his adsimulata materia est. quod ea, quae in oratore maxima sunt, imitabilia non sunt, ingenium, inventio, vis, facilitas et quidquid arte non traditur.

[¶7] 2.13. Consequently, there are many who, after excerpting certain words from published speeches or borrowing certain particular rhythms, think that they have produced a perfect copy of the works which they have read, despite the fact that words become obsolete or current with the lapse of years, the one sure standard being contemporary usage; and they are not good or bad in virtue of their inherent nature (for in themselves they are no more than mere sounds), but solely in virtue of the aptitude and propriety (or the reverse) with which they are arranged, while rhythmical composition must be adapted to the theme in hand and will derive its main charm from its variety.

> Latin: 2.13. plerique, cum verba quaedam ex orationibus excerpserunt aut aliquos compositionis certos pedes, mire a se, quae legerunt, effingi arbitrantur; cum et verba intercidant invalescantque temporibus, ut quorum certissima sit regula in consuetudine, eaque non sua natura sint bona aut mala (nam per se soni tantum sunt), sed prout opportune proprieque aut secus collocata sunt, et compositio cum rebus accommodata sit, tum ipsa varietate gratissima.

[¶8] 2.14. Consequently the nicest judgment is required in the examination of everything connected with this department of study. First we must consider whom to imitate. For there are many who have shown a passionate desire to imitate the worst and most decadent authors. Secondly, we must consider what it is that we should set ourselves to imitate in the authors thus chosen.

> Latin: 2.14. exactissimo iudicio circa hanc partem studiorum examinanda sunt omnia., quos imitemur; nam sunt plurimi, qui similitudinem pessimi cuiusque et corruptissimi concupierunt; tum in ipsis, quos elegerimus, quid sit, ad quod nos efficiendum comparemus.

[¶9] 2.15. For even great authors have their blemishes, for which they have been censured by competent critics and have even reproached each other. I only wish that imitators were more likely to improve on the good things than to exaggerate the blemishes of the authors whom they seek to copy. And even those who have sufficient critical acumen to avoid the faults of their models will not find it sufficient to produce a copy of their merits, amounting to no more than a superficial resemblance, or rather recalling those sloughs which, according to Epicurus, are continually given off by material things.

> Latin: 2.15. in magnis quoque auctoribus incidunt aliqua vitiosa et a doctis, inter ipsos etiam mutuo reprehensa; atque utinam tam bona imitantes dicerent melius quam mala peius dicunt. vero saltem iis, quibus ad evitanda vitia iudicii satis fuit, sufficiat imaginem virtutis effingere et solam, ut sic dixerim, cutem vel potius illas Epicuri figuras, quas e summis corporibus dicit effluere.

[¶10] 2.16. But this is just what happens to those who mould themselves on the first impressions derived from the style of their model, without devoting themselves to a thorough investigation of its good qualities, and, despite the brilliance of their imitation and the close resemblance of their language and rhythm, not only fail absolutely to attain the force of style and invention possessed by the original, but as a rule degenerate into something worse, and achieve merely those faults which are hardest to distinguish from virtues: they are turgid instead of grand, bald instead of concise, and rash instead of courageous, while extravagance takes the place of wealth, over-emphasis the place of harmony and negligence of simplicity.

> Latin: 2.16. autem his accidit, qui non introspectis penitus virtutibus ad primum se velut aspectum orationis aptarunt; et cum iis felicissime cessit imitatio, verbis atque numeris sunt non multum differentes, vim dicendi atque inventionis non adsequuntur, sed plerumque declinant in peius et proxima virtutibus vitia comprehendunt fiuntque pro grandibus tumidi, pressis exiles, fortibus temerarii, laetis corrupti, compositis exultantes, simplicibus negligentes.

[¶11] 2.17. As a result, those who flaunt tasteless and insipid thoughts, couched in an uncouth and inharmonious form, think that they are the equals of the ancients; those who lack ornament and epigram, pose as Attic; those who darken their meaning by the abruptness with which they close their periods, count themselves the superiors of Sallust and Thucydides; those who are dreary and jejune, think that they are serious rivals to Pollio, while those who are tame and listless, if only they can produce long enough periods, swear that this is just the manner in which Cicero would have spoken.

> Latin: 2.17. qui horride atque incomposite quidlibet illud frigidum et inane extulerunt, antiquis se pares credunt; qui carent cultu atque sententiis, Attici scilicet; qui praecisis conclusionibus obscuri, Sallustium atque Thucydidem superant; tristes ac ieiuni Pollionem aemulantur: otiosi et supini, si quid modo longius circumduxerunt, iurant ita Ciceronem locuturum fuisse.

[¶12] 2.18. I have known some who thought that they had produced a brilliant imitation of the style of that divine orator, by ending their periods with the phrase esse videatur. Consequently it is of the first importance that every student should realise what it is that he is to imitate, and should know why it is good.

> Latin: 2.18. quosdam, qui se pulchre expressisse genus illud caelestis huius in dicendo viri sibi viderentur, si in clausula posuissent videatur. primum est, ut quod imitaturus est quisque intelligat et quare bonum sit sciat.

[¶13] 2.19. The next step is for each student to consult his own powers when he shoulders his burden. For there are some things which, though capable of imitation, may be beyond the capacity of any given individual, either because his natural gifts are insufficient or of a different character. The man whose talent is for the plain style should not seek only what is bold and rugged, nor yet should he who has vigour without control suffer himself through love of subtlety at once to waste his natural energy and fail to attain the elegance at which he aims: for there is nothing so unbecoming as delicacy wedded to ruggedness.

> Latin: 2.19. in suscipiendo onere consulat suas vires. quaedam sunt imitabilia, quibus aut infirmitas naturae non sufficiat aut diversitas repugnet., cui tenue ingenium erit, sola velit fortia et abrupta; cui forte quidem, sed indomitum, amore subtilitatis et vim suam perdat et elegantiam quam cupit non persequatur; nihil est enim tam indecens, quam cum mollia dure fiunt.

[¶14] 2.20. True, I did express the opinion that the instructor whose portrait I painted in my second book, should not confine himself to teaching those things for which he perceived his individual pupils to have most aptitude. For it is his further duty to foster whatever good qualities he may perceive in his pupils, to make good their deficiencies as far as may be, to correct their faults and turn them to better things. For he is the guide and director of the minds of others. It is a harder task to mould one's own nature.

> Latin: 2.20. ego illi praeceptori, quem institueram in libro secundo, credidi non ea sola docenda esse, ad quae quemque discipulorum natura compositum videret; nam is et adiuvare debet, quae in quoque eorum invenit bona, et, quantum fieri potest, adiicere quae desunt et emendare quaedam et mutare; rector enim est alienorum ingeniorum atque formator.

[¶15] 2.21. But not even our ideal teacher, however much he may desire that everything that is correct should prevail in his school to the fullest extent, will waste his labour in attempting to develop qualities to the attainment of which he perceives nature's gifts to be opposed. It is also necessary to avoid the fault to which the majority of students are so prone, namely, the idea that in composing speeches we should imitate the poets and historians, and in writing history or poetry should copy orators and declaimers.

> Latin: 2.21. est naturam suam fingere. ne ille quidem doctor, quanquam omnia quae recta sunt velit esse in suis auditoribus quam plenissima, in eo tamen, cui naturam obstare viderit, laborabit. quoque vitandum, in quo magna pars errat, ne in oratione poetas nobis et historicos, in illis operibus oratores aut declamatores imitandos putemus.

[¶16] 2.22. Each branch of literature has its own laws and its own appropriate character. Comedy does not seek to increase its height by the buskin and tragedy does not wear the slipper of comedy. But all forms of eloquence have something in common, and it is to the imitation of this common element that our efforts should be confined.

> Latin: 2.22. cuique proposita lex, suus cuique decor est. nec comoedia in cothurnos adsurgit, nec contra tragoedia socco ingreditur. tamen omnis eloquentia aliquid commune; id imitemur quod commune est.

[¶17] 2.23. There is a further fault to which those persons are liable who devote themselves entirely to the imitation of one particular style: if the rude vigour of some particular author takes their fancy, they cling to it even when the case on which they are engaged calls for an easy and flowing style; if, on the other hand, it is a simple or agreeable style that claims their devotion, they fail to meet the heavy demands of severe and weighty cases. For not only do cases differ in their general aspect, but one part of a case may differ from another, and some things require a gentle and others a violent style, some require an impetuous and others a calm diction, while in some cases it is necessary to instruct and in others to move the audience, in all these instances dissimilar and different methods being necessary.

> Latin: 2.23. hoc solet incommodi accidere iis, qui se uni alicui generi dediderunt, ut, si asperitas iis placuit alicuius, hanc etiam in leni ac remisso causarum genere non exuant; si tenuitas ac iucunditas, in asperis gravibusque causis ponderi rerum parum respondeant: cum sit diversa non causarum modo inter ipsas condicio, sed in singulis etiam causis partium, sintque alia leniter alia aspere, alia concitate alia remisse, alia docendi alia movendi gratia dicenda; quorum omnium dissimilis atque diversa inter se ratio est.

[¶18] 2.24. Consequently I should be reluctant even to advise a student to select one particular author to follow through thick and thin. Demosthenes is by far the most perfect of Greek orators, yet there are some things which others have said better in some contexts as against the many things which he has said better than others. But it does not follow that because we should select one author for special imitation, he should be our only model. What then?

> Latin: 2.24. ne hoc quidem suaserim, uni se alicui proprie, quem per omnia sequatur, addicere. perfectissimus Graecorum Demosthenes, aliquid tamen aliquo in loco melius alii, plurima ille. non qui maxime imitandus, et solus imitandus est.

[¶19] 2.25. Is it not sufficient to model our every utterance on Cicero? For my own part, I should consider it sufficient, if I could always imitate him successfully. But what harm is there in occasionally borrowing the vigour of Caesar, the vehemence of Caelius, the precision of Pollio or the sound judgment of Calvus?

> Latin: 2.25. ergo? non est satis omnia sic dicere, quomodo M. Tullius dixit? quidem satis esset, si omnia consequi possem. tamen noceret vim Caesaris, asperitatem Caelii, diligentiam Pollionis, iudicium Calvi quibusdam in locis adsumere?

[¶20] 2.26. For quite apart from the fact that a wise man should always, if possible, make whatever is best in each individual author his own, we shall find that, in view of the extreme difficulty of our subject, those who fix their eyes on one model only will always find some one quality which it is almost impossible to acquire therefrom. Consequently, since it is practically impossible for mortal powers to produce a perfect and complete copy of any one chosen author, we shall do well to keep a number of different excellences before our eyes, so that different qualities from different authors may impress themselves on our minds, to be adopted for use in the place that becomes them best.

> Latin: 2.26. praeter id quod prudentis est, quod in quoque optimum est, si possit, suum facere, tum in tanta rei difficultate unum intuentes vix aliqua pars sequitur. cum totum exprimere quem elegeris paene sit homini inconcessum, plurium bona ponamus ante oculos, ut aliud ex alio haereat, et quod cuique loco conveniat aptemus.

[¶21] 2.27. But imitation (for I must repeat this point again and again) should not be confined merely to words. We must consider the appropriateness with which those orators handle the circumstances and persons involved in the various cases in which they were engaged, and observe the judgment and powers of arrangement which they reveal, and the manner in which everything they say, not excepting those portions of their speeches which seem designed merely to delight their audience, is concentrated on securing the victory over their opponents. We must note their procedure in the exordium, the method and variety of their statement of facts, the power displayed in proof and refutation, the skill revealed in their appeal to every kind of emotion, and the manner in which they make use of popular applause to serve their case, applause which is most honourable when it is spontaneous and not deliberately courted. If we have thoroughly appreciated all these points, we shall be able to imitate our models with accuracy.

> Latin: 2.27. autem (nam saepius idem dicam) non sit tantum in verbis. intendenda mens, quantum fuerit illis viris decoris in rebus atque personis, quod consilium, quae dispositio, quam omnia, etiam quae delectationi videantur data, ad victoriam spectent; quid agatur prooemio, quae ratio et quam varia narrandi, quae vis probandi ac refellendi, quanta in adfectibus omnis generis movendis scientia, quamque laus ipsa popularis utilitatis gratia adsumpta, quae tum est pulcherrima, cum sequitur, non cum arcessitur. si perviderimus, tum vere imitabimur.

[¶22] 2.28. But the man who to these good qualities adds his own, that is to say, who makes good deficiencies and cuts down whatever is redundant, will be the perfect orator of our search; and it is now above all times that such perfection should be attained when there are before us so many more models of oratorical excellence than were available for those who have thus far achieved the highest success. For this glory also shall be theirs, that men shall say of them that while they surpassed their predecessors, they also taught those who came after.

> Latin: 2.28. vero etiam propria his bona adiecerit, ut suppleat quae deerant, circumcidat, si quid redundabit, is erit, quem quaerimus, perfectus orator; quem nunc consummari potissimum oporteat, cum tanto plura exempla bene dicendi supersint quam illis, qui adhuc summi sunt, contigerunt. erit haec quoque laus eorum, ut priores superasse, posteros docuisse dicantur.

[¶23] 3.1. Such are the aids which we may derive from external sources; as regards those which we must supply for ourselves, it is the pen which brings at once the most labour and the most profit. Cicero is fully justified in describing it as the best producer and teacher of eloquence, and it may be noted that in the de Oratore he supports his own judgment by the authority of Lucius Crassus, in whose mouth he places this remark.

> Latin: 3.1. haec quidem auxilia extrinsecus adhibentur; in iis autem quae nobis ipsis paranda sunt, ut laboris sic utilitatis etiam longe plurimum adfert stilus. immerito M. Tullius hunc optimum effectorem ac magistrum dicendi vocat; cui sententiae personam L. Crassi in disputationibus quae sunt de oratore adsignando, iudicium suum cum illius auctoritate coniunxit.

[¶24] 3.2. We must therefore write as much as possible and with the utmost care. For as deep ploughing makes the soil more fertile for the production and support of crops, so, if we improve our minds by something more than mere superficial study, we shall produce a richer growth of knowledge and shall retain it with greater accuracy. For without the consciousness of such preliminary study our powers of speaking extempore will give us nothing but an empty flow of words, springing from the lips and not from the brain.

> Latin: 3.2. ergo quam diligentissime et quam plurimum. ut terra alte refossa generandis alendisque seminibus fecundior fit, sic profectus non a summo petitus studiorum fructus effundit uberius et fidelius continet. sine hac quidem conscientia ipsa illa ex tempore dicendi facultas inanem modo loquacitatem dabit et verba in labris nascentia.

[¶25] 3.3. It is in writing that eloquence has its roots and foundations, it is writing that provides that holy of holies where the wealth of oratory is stored, and whence it is produced to meet the demands of sudden emergencies. It is of the first importance that we should develop such strength as will not faint under the toil of forensic strife nor be exhausted by continual use.

> Latin: 3.3. radices, illic fundamenta sunt, illic opes velut sanctiore quodam aerario conditae, unde ad subitos quoque casus, cum res exiget, proferantur. faciamus ante omnia, quae sufficiant labori certaminum et usu non exhauriantur.

[¶26] 3.4. For it is an ordinance of nature that nothing great can be achieved in a moment, and that all the fairest tasks are attended with difficulty, while on births as well she has imposed this law, that the larger the animal, the longer should be the period of gestation. There are, however, two questions which present themselves in this connexion, namely, what should be our method and what the subjects on which we write, and I propose to treat them in this order.

> Latin: 3.4. enim rerum ipsa natura voluit magnum effici cito praeposuitque pulcherrimo cuique operi difficultatem; quae nascendi quoque hanc fecerit legem, ut maiora animalia diutius visceribus parentis continerentur. cum sit duplex quaestio, quomodo et quae maxime scribi oporteat, iam hinc ordinem sequar.

[¶27] 3.5. At first, our pen must be slow yet sure: we must search for what is best and refuse to give a joyful welcome to every thought the moment that it presents itself; we must first criticise the fruits of our imagination, and then, once approved, arrange them with care. For we must select both thoughts and words and weigh them one by one. This done, we must consider the order in which they should be placed, and must examine all the possible varieties of rhythm, refusing necessarily to place each word in the order in which it occurs to us.

> Latin: 3.5. primo vel tardus dum diligens stilus, quaeramus optima nec protinus offerentibus se gaudeamus, adhibeatur iudicium inventis, dispositio probatis. enim rerum uerborumque agendus est et pondera singulorum examinanda. subeat ratio collocandi versenturque omni modo numeri, non ut quodque se proferet verbum occupet locum.

[¶28] 3.6. In order to do this with the utmost care, we must frequently revise what we have just written. For beside the fact that thus we secure a better connexion between what follows and what precedes, the warmth of thought which has cooled down while we were writing is revived anew, and gathers fresh impetus from going over the ground again. We may compare this protess with what occurs in jumping matches. The competitors take a longer run and go at full speed to clear the distance which they aim at covering; similarly, in throwing the javelin, we draw back our arms, and in archery pull back the bow-string to propel the shaft.

> Latin: 3.6. quidem ut diligentius exsequamur, repetenda saepius erunt scriptorum proxima. praeter id quod sic melius iunguntur prioribus sequentia, calor quoque ille cogitationis, qui scribendi mora refrixit, recipit ex integro vires et velut repetito spatio sumit impetum; quod in certamine saliendi fieri videmus, ut conatum longius petant et ad illud, quo contenditur, spatium cursu ferantur; utque in iaculando brachia reducimus et expulsuri tela nervos retro tendimus.

[¶29] 3.7. At times, however, we may spread our sails before the favouring breeze, but we must beware that this indulgence does not lead us into error. For we love all the offspring of our thought at the moment of their birth; were that not so, we should never commit them to writing. But we must give them a critical revision, and go carefully over any passage where we have reason to regard our fluency with suspicion.

> Latin: 3.7. tamen, si feret flatus, danda sunt vela, dum nos indulgentia illa non fallat. enim nostra, dum nascuntur, placent; alioqui nec scriberentur. redeamus ad iudicium et retractemus suspectam facilitate.

[¶30] 3.8. It is thus, we are told, that Sallust wrote, and certainly his works give clear evidence of the labour which he expended on them. Again, we learn from Varius that Virgil composed but a very small number of verses every day.

> Latin: 3.8. scripsisse Sallustium accepimus, et sane manifestus est etiam ex opere ipso labor. Vergilium quoque paucissimos die composuisse versus auctor est Varius. quidem alia condicio est;

[¶31] 3.9. It is true that with orators the case is somewhat different, and it is for this reason that I enjoin such slowness of speed and such anxious care at the outset. For the first aim which we must fix in our minds and insist on carrying into execution is to write as well as possible; speed will come with practice. Gradually thoughts will suggest themselves with increasing readiness, the words will answer to our call and rhythmical arrangement will follow, till everything will be found fulfilling its proper function as in a well-ordered household. The sum of the whole matter is this:

> Latin: 3.9. itaque hanc moram et sollicitudinem initiis impero. primum hoc constituendum, hoc obtinendum est, ut quam optime scribamus; celeritatem dabit consuetudo. res facilius se ostendent, verba respondebunt, compositio sequetur, cuncta denique ut in familia bene instituta in officio erunt. haec est rei:

[¶32] 3.10. write quickly and you will never write well, write well and you will soon write quickly. But it is just when we have acquired this facility that we must pause awhile to look ahead and, if I may use the metaphor, curb the horses that would run away with us. This will not delay our progress so much as lend us fresh vigour. For I do not think that those who have acquired a certain power in writing should be condemned to the barren pains of false self-criticism.

> Latin: 3.10. cito scribendo non fit, ut bene scribatur; bene scribendo fit, ut cito. tum maxime, cum facultas illa contigerit, resistamus ut provideamus et efferentes equos frenis quibusdam coerceamus; quod non tam moram faciet quam novos impetus dabit. enim rursus eos, qui robur aliquod in stilo fecerint, ad infelicem calumniandi se poenam alligandos puto.

[¶33] 3.11. How can anyone fulfil his duties as an advocate if he wastes his time in putting unnecessary finish on each portion of his pleadings? There are some who are never satisfied. They wish to change everything they have written and to put it in other words. They are a diffident folk, and deserve but ill of their own talents, who think it a mark of precision to cast obstacles in the way of their own writing.

> Latin: 3.11. quomodo sufficere officiis civilibus possit, qui singulis actionum partibus insenescat? autem quibus nihil sit satis; omnia mutare, omnia aliter dicere quam occurrit velint; increduli quidam et de ingenio suo pessime meriti, qui diligentiam putant facere sibi scribendi difficultatem.

[¶34] 3.12. Nor is it easy to say which are the most serious offenders, those who are satisfied with everything or those who are satisfied with nothing that they write. For it is of common occurrence with young men, however talented they may be, to waste their gifts by superfluous elaboration, and to sink into silence through an excessive desire to speak well. I remember in this connexion a story that Julius Secundus, my contemporary, and, as is well known, my very dear friend, a man with remarkable powers of eloquence, but with an infinite passion for precision, told me of the words once used to him by his uncle, Julius Florus, the leading orator of Gaul, for it was there that he practised, a man eloquent as but few have ever been, and worthy of his nephew.

> Latin: 3.12. promptum est dicere, utros peccare validius putem, quibus omnia sua placent an quibus nihil. enim etiam ingeniosis adolescentibus frequenter, ut labore consumantur et in silentium usque descendant nimia bene dicendi cupiditate. de re memini narrasse mihi Iulium Secundum illum, aequalem meum atque a me, ut notum est, familiariter amatum, mirae facundiae virum, infinitae tamen curae, quid esset sibi a patruo suo dictum.

[¶35] 3.13. He once noticed that Secundus, who was still a student, was looking depressed, and asked him the meaning of his frowns. The youth made no concealment of the reason: he had been working for three days, and had been unable, in spite of all his efforts, to devise an exordium for the theme which he had been given to write, with the result that he was not only vexed over his immediate difficulty, but had lost all hope of future success. Florus smiled and said, “Do you really want to speak better than you can?”

> Latin: 3.13. fuit Iulius Florus, in eloquentia Galliarum, quoniam ibi demum exercuit eam, princeps, alioqui inter paucos disertus et dignus ilia propinquitate. cum Secundum, scholae adhuc operatum, tristem forte vidisset, interrogavit, quae causa frontis tam adductae. dissimulavit adolescens, tertium iam diem esse, quod omni labore materiae ad scribendum destinatae non inveniret exordium; quo sibi non praesens tantum dolor, sed etiam desperatio in posterum fieret. Florus arridens, tu, inquit, melius dicere vis quam potes?

[¶36] 3.15. There lies the truth of the whole matter. We must aim at speaking as well as we can, but must not try to speak better than our nature will permit. For to make any real advance we need study, not selfaccusation. And it is not merely practice that will enable us to write at greater length and with increased fluency, although doubtless practice is most important. We need judgement as well. So long as we do not he back with eyes turned up to the ceiling, trying to fire our imagination by muttering to ourselves, in the hope that something will present itself, but turn our thoughts to consider what the circumstances of the case demand, what suits the characters involved, what is the nature of the occasion and the temper of the judge, we shall acquire the power of writing by rational means. It is thus that nature herself bids us begin and pursue our studies once well begun.

> Latin: 3.15. se res habet. est ut quam optime dicamus; dicendum tamen pro facultate. profectum enim opus est studio non indignatione. possimus autem scribere etiam plura et celerius, non exercitatio modo praestabit, in qua sine dubio multum est, sed etiam ratio; si non resupini spectantesque tectum et cogitationem murmure agitantes exspectaverimus quid obveniat; sed quid res poscat, quid personam deceat, quod sit tempus, qui iudicis animus intuiti, humano quodam modo ad scribendum accesserimus. nobis et initia et quae sequuntur natura ipsa praescribit.

[¶37] 3.16. For most points are of a definite character and, if we keep our eyes open, will spontaneously present themselves. That is the reason why peasants and uneducated persons do not beat about the bush to discover with what they should begin, and our hesitation is all the more shameful if it is simply the result of education. We must not, therefore, persist in thinking that what is hard to find is necessarily best; for, if it seems to us that there is nothing to be said except that which we are unable to find, we must say nothing at all.

> Latin: 3.16. sunt enim pleraque et, nisi coniueamus, in oculos incurrunt; ideoque nec indocti nec rustici diu quaerunt, unde incipiant; quo pudendum est magis, si difficultatem facit doctrina. ergo semper putemus optimum esse quod latet; immutescamus alioqui, si nihil dicendum videatur, nisi quod non invenimus.

[¶38] 3.17. On the other hand, there is a fault which is precisely the opposite of this, into which those fall who insist on first making a rapid draft of their subject with the utmost speed of which their pen is capable, and write in the heat and impulse of the moment. They call this their rough copy. They then revise what they have written, and arrange their hasty outpourings. But while the words and the rhythm may be corrected, the matter is still marked by the superficiality resulting from the speed with which it was thrown together.

> Latin: 3.17. est huic eorum vitium, qui primo decurrere per materiam stilo quam velocissimo volunt et sequentes calorem atque impetum ex tempore scribunt; hanc silvam vocant. deinde et componunt quae effuderant; sed verba emendantur et numeri, manet in rebus temere congestis quae fuit levitas.

[¶39] 3.18. The more correct method is, therefore, to exercise care from the very beginning, and to form the work from the outset in such a manner that it merely requires to be chiselled into shape, not fashioned anew. Sometimes, however, we must follow the stream of our emotions, since their warmth will give us more than any diligence can secure.

> Latin: 3.18. ergo adhibere curam rectius erit atque ab initio sic opus ducere, ut caelandum, non ex integro fabricandum sit. tamen adfectus sequemur, in quibus fere plus calor quam diligentia valet. apparet ex eo, quod hanc scribentium negligentiam damno, quid de illis dictandi deliciis sentiam.

[¶40] 3.19. The condemnation which I have passed on such carelessness in writing will make it pretty clear what my views are on the luxury of dictation which is now so fashionable. For, when we write, however great our speed, the fact that the hand cannot follow the rapidity of our thoughts gives us time to think, whereas the presence of our amanuensis hurries us on, and at times we feel ashamed to hesitate or pause, or make some alteration, as though we were afraid to display such weakness before a witness.

> Latin: 3.19. in stilo quidem quamlibet properato dat aliquam cogitationi moram non consequens celeritatem eius manus; ille cui dictamus urget, atque interim pudet etiam dubitare aut resistere aut mutare quasi conscium infirmitatis nostrae timentes.

[¶41] 3.20. As a result our language tends not merely to be haphazard and formless, but in our desire to produce a continuous flow we let slip positive improprieties of diction, which show neither the precision of the writer nor the impetuosity of the speaker. Again, if the amanuensis is a slow writer, or lacking in intelligence, he becomes a stumbling-block, our speed is checked, and the thread of our ideas is interrupted by the delay or even perhaps by the loss of temper to which it gives rise.

> Latin: 3.20. fit, ut non rudia tantum et fortuita, sed impropria interim, dum sola est connectendi sermonis cupiditas, effluant, quae nec scribentium curam nec dicentium impetum consequantur. idem ille, qui excipit, si tardior in scribendo aut incertior in intellegendo velut offensator fuit, inhibetur cursus, atque omnis quae erat concepta mentis intentio mora et interdum iracundia excutitur.

[¶42] 3.21. Moreover, the gestures which accompany strong feeling, and sometimes even serve to stimulate the mind, the waving of the hand, the contraction of the brow, the occasional striking of forehead or side, and those which Persius notes when he describes a trivial style as one that
“Thumps not the desk nor smacks of bitten nails,”
all these become ridiculous, unless we are alone, Finally, we come to the most important consideration of all, that the advantages of privacy are lost when we dictate.

> Latin: 3.21. illa, quae altiorem animi motum sequuntur quaeque ipsa animum quodammodo concitant, quorum est iactare nanum, torquere vultum, frontem et latus interim obiurgare, quaeque Persius notat, cum leviter dicendi genus significat,
pluteum,
inquit,
caedit nec demorsos sapit unguis,
etiam ridicula sunt, nisi cum soli sumus.

[¶43] 3.22. Everyone, however, will agree that the absence of company and deep silence are most conducive to writing, though I would not go so far as to concur in the opinion of those who think woods and groves the most suitable localities for the purpose, on the ground that the freedom of the sky and the charm of the surroundings produce sublimity of thought and wealth of inspiration.

> Latin: 3.22. ut semel quod est potentissimum dicam, secretum in dictando perit. liberum arbitris locum et quam altissimum silentium scribentibus maxime convenire nemo dubitaverit. tamen protinus audiendi, qui credunt aptissima in hoc nemora silvasque, quod illa caeli libertas locorumque amoenitas sublimem animum et beatiorem spiritum parent.

[¶44] 3.23. Personally I regard such an environment as a pleasant luxury rather than a stimulus to study. For whatever causes us delight, must necessarily distract us from the concentration due to our work. The mind cannot devote its undivided and sincere attention to a number of things at the same time, and wherever it turns its gaze it must cease to contemplate its appointed task.

> Latin: 3.23. certe iucundus hic magis quam studiorum hortator videtur esse secessus. illa, quae ipsa delectant, necesse est avocent ab intentione operis destinati. enim se bona fide in multa simul intendere animus totum potest, et quocunque respexit, desinit intueri quod propositum erat.

[¶45] 3.24. Therefore, the charm of the woods, the gliding of the stream, the breeze that murmurs in the branches, the song of birds, and the very freedom with which our eyes may range, are mere distractions, and in my opinion the pleasure which they excite is more likely to relax than to concentrate our attention.

> Latin: 3.24. silvarum amoenitas et praeterlabentia flumina et inspirantes ramis arborum aurae volucrumque cantus et ipsa late circumspiciendi libertas ad se trahunt, ut mihi remittere potius voluptas ista videatur cogitationem quam intendere.

[¶46] 3.25. Demosthenes took a wiser view; for he would retire to a place where no voice was to be heard, and no prospect greeted the sight, for fear that his eyes might force his mind to neglect its duty. Therefore, let the burner of the midnight oil seclude himself in the silence of night, within closed doors, with but a solitary lamp to light his labours.

> Latin: 3.25. Demosthenes melius, qui se in locum, ex quo nulla exaudiri vox et ex quo nihil prospici posset, recondebat ne aliud agere mentem cogerent oculi. lucubrantes silentium noctis et clausum cubiculum et lumen unum velut tectos maxime teneat.

[¶47] 3.26. But for every kind of study, and more especially for night work, good health and its chief source, simple living, are essential; for we have fallen into the habit of devoting to relentless labour the hour which nature has appointed for rest and relaxation. From those hours we must take only such time as is superfluous for sleep, and will not be missed.

> Latin: 3.26. cum in omni studiorum genere tum in hoc praecipue bona valetudo, quaeque eam maxime praestat, frugalitas, necessaria est, cum tempora ab ipsa rerum natura ad quietem refectionemque nobis data in acerrimum laborem convertimus. tamen non plus irrogandum est quam quod somno supererit, haud deerit.

[¶48] 3.27. For fatigue will make us careless in writing, and the hours of daylight are amply sufficient for one who has no other distractions. It is only the busy man who is driven to encroach on the hours of darkness. Nevertheless, night work, so long as we come to it fiesh and untired, provides by far the best form of privacy.

> Latin: 3.27. enim diligentiae scribendi etiam fatigatio, et abunde, si vacet, lucis spatia sufficiunt; occupatos in noctem necessitas agit. tamen lucubratio, quotiens ad eam integri ac refecti venimus, optimum secreti genus.

[¶49] 3.28. But although silence and seclusion and absolute freedom of mind are devoutly to be desired, they are not always within our power to attain. Consequently we must not fling aside our book at once, if disturbed by some noise, and lament that we have lost a day: on the contrary, we must make a firm stand against such inconveniences, and train ourselves so to concentrate our thoughts as to rise superior to all impediments to study. If only you direct all your attention to the work which you have in hand, no sight or sound will ever penetrate to your mind.

> Latin: 3.28. silentium et secessus et undique liber animus ut sunt maxime optanda, ita non semper possunt contingere, ideoque non statim, si quid obstrepet, abiciendi codices erunt et deplorandus dies; verum incommodis repugnandum et hic faciendus usus, ut omnia quae impedient vincat intentio; quam si tota mente in opus ipsum direxeris, nihil eorum, quae oculis vel auribus incursant, ad animum perveniet.

[¶50] 3.29. If even casual thoughts often occupy us to such an extent that we do not see passers-by, or even stray from our path, surely we can obtain the same result by the exercise of our will. We must not give way to pretexts for sloth. For unless we make up our mind that we must be fresh, cheerful and free from all other care when we approach our studies, we shall always find some excuse for idleness.

> Latin: 3.29. vero frequenter etiam fortuita hoc cogitatio praestat, ut obvios non videamus et itinere deerremus: non consequemur idem, si et voluerimus? est indulgendum causis desidiae. si non nisi refecti, non nisi hilares, non nisi omnibus aliis curis vacantes studendum existimarimus, semper erit propter quod nobis ignoscamus.

[¶51] 3.30. Therefore, whether we be in a crowd, on a journey, or even at some festive gathering, our thoughts should always have some inner sanctuary of their own to which they may retire. Otherwise what shall we do when we are suddenly called upon to deliver a set speech in the midst of the forum, with lawsuits in progress on every side, and with the sound of quarrels and even casual outcries in our ears, if we need absolute privacy to discover the thoughts which we jot down upon our tablets? It was for this reason that Demosthenes, the passionate lover of seclusion, used to study on the seashore amid the roar of the breakers that they might teach him not to be unnerved by the uproar of the public assembly.

> Latin: 3.30. in turba, itinere, conviviis etiam faciat sibi cogitatio ipsa secretum. alioqui fiet, cum in medio foro, tot circumstantibus iudiciis, iurgiis, fortuitis etiam clamoribus, erit subito continua oratione dicendum, si particulas quas ceris mandamus nisi in solitudine reperire non possumus? quae idem ille tantus amator secreti Demosthenes in litore, in quo se maximo cum sono fluctus illideret, meditans consuescebat contionum fremitus non expavescere.

[¶52] 3.31. There are also certain minor details which deserve our attention, for there is nothing too minute for the student. It is best to write on wax owing to the facility which it offers for erasure, though weak sight may make it desirable to employ parchment by preference. The latter, however, although of assistance to the eye, delays the hand and interrupts the stream of thought owing to the frequency with which the pen has to be supplied with ink.

> Latin: 3.31. quoque minora (sed nihil in studiis parvum est) non sunt transeunda: scribi optime ceris, in quibus facillima est ratio delendi, nisi forte visus infirmior membranarum potius usum exiget, quae ut iuvant aciem, ita crebra relatione, quoad intinguntur, calami morantur manum et cogitationis impetum frangunt.

[¶53] 3.32. But whichever we employ, we must leave blank pages that we may be free to make additions when we will. For lack of space at times gives rise to a reluctance to make corrections, or, at any rate, is liable to cause confusion when new matter is inserted. The wax tablets should not be unduly wide; for I have known a young and over-zealous student write his compositions at undue length, because he measured them by the number of lines, a fault which persisted, in spite of frequent admonition, until his tablets were changed, when it disappeared.

> Latin: 3.32. autem in utrolibet genere contra erunt vacuae tabellae, in quibus libera adiiciendo sit excursio. interim pigritiam emendandi angustiae faciunt aut certe novorum interpositione priora confundant. latas quidem ultra modum esse ceras velim, expertus iuvenem studiosum alioqui praelongos habuisse sermones, quia illos numero versuum metiebatur, idque vitium, quod frequenti admonitione corrigi non potuerat, mutatis codicibus esse sublatum.

[¶54] 3.33. Space must also be left for jotting down the thoughts which occur to the writer out of due order, that is to say, which refer to subjects other than those in hand. For sometimes the most admirable thoughts break in upon us which cannot be inserted in what we are writing, but which, on the other hand, it is unsafe to put by, since they are at times forgotten, and at times cling to the memory so persistently as to divert us from some other line of thought. They are, therefore, best kept in store.

> Latin: 3.33. vacare etiam locus, in quo notentur quae scribentibus solent extra ordinem, id est ex aliis, quam qui sunt in manibus loci, occurrere. enim optimi nonnunquam sensus, quos neque inserere oportet neque differre tutum est, quia interim elabuntur, interim memoriae suae intentos ab alia inventione declinant ideoque optime sunt in deposito.

[¶55] 4.1. The next point which we have to consider is the correction of our work, which is by far the most useful portion of our study: for there is good reason for the view that erasure is quite as important a function of the pen as actual writing. Correction takes the form of addition, excision and alteration. But it is a comparatively simple and easy task to decide what is to be added or excised. On the other hand, to prune what is turgid, to elevate what is mean, to repress exuberance, arrange what is disorderly, introduce rhythm where it is lacking, and modify it where it is too emphatic, involves a twofold labour. For we have to condemn what had previously satisfied us and discover what had escaped our notice.

> Latin: 4.1. emendatio, pars studiorum longe utilissima. enim sine causa creditum est stilum non minus agere, cum delet. autem operis est adiicere, detrahere, mutare. facilius in iis simpliciusque iudicium, quae replenda vel deicienda sunt; premere vero tumentia, humilia extollere, luxuriantia adstringere, inordinata digerere, soluta componere, exultantia coercere, duplicis operae. et damnanda sunt quae placuerunt et invenienda quae fugerant.

[¶56] 4.2. There can be no doubt that the best method of correction is to put aside what we have written for a certain time, so that when we return to it after an interval it will have the air of novelty and of being another's handiwork; for thus we may prevent ourselves from regarding our writings with all the affection that we lavish on a newborn child.

> Latin: 4.2. dubium est optimum esse emendandi genus, si scripta in aliquod tempus reponantur, ut ad ea post intervallum velut nova atque aliena redeamus, ne nobis scripta nostra tanquam recentes fetus blandiantur.

[¶57] 4.3. But this is not always possible, especially in the case of an orator who most frequently has to write for immediate use, while some limit, after all, must be set to correction. For there are some who return to everything they write with the presumption that it is full of faults and, assuming that a first draft must necessarily be incorrect, think every change an improvement and make some alteration as often as they have the manuscript in their hands: they are, in fact, like doctors who use the knife even where the flesh is perfectly healthy. The result of their critical activities is that the finished work is full of scars, bloodless, and all the worse for their anxious care.

> Latin: 4.3. neque hoc contingere semper potest praesertim oratori, cui saepius scribere ad praesentes usus necesse est; et ipsa emendatio finem habeat. enim qui ad omnia scripta tanquam vitiosa redeant et, quasi nihil fas sit rectum esse quod primum est, melius existiment quidquid est aliud, idque faciant, quotiens librum in manus resumpserunt, similes medicis etiam integra secantibus. itaque ut cicatricosa sint et exsanguis et cura peiora.

[¶58] 4.4. No! let there be something in all our writing which, if it does not actually please us, at least passes muster, so that the file may only polish our work, not wear it away. There must also be a limit to the time which we spend on its revision. For the fact that Cinna took nine years to write his Smyrna, and that Isocrates required ten years, at the lowest estimate, to complete his Panegyric does not concern the orator, whose assistance will be of no use, if it is so long delayed.

> Latin: 4.4. ergo aliquando quod placeat aut certe quod sufficiat, ut opus poliat lima, non exterat. quoque esse debet modus. quod Cinnae Zmyrnam novem annis accepimus scriptam, et panegyricum Isocratis, qui parcissime, decem annis dicunt elaboratum, ad oratorem nihil pertinet, cuius nullum erit, si tam tardum fuerit, auxilium.

[¶59] 5.1. My next task is to indicate what those should write whose aim is to acquire facility. At this part of my work there is no necessity for me to set forth the subjects which should be selected for writing, or the order in which they should be approached, since I have already done this in the first book, where I prescribed the sequence of studies for boys, and in the second book, where I did the same for young men. The point which concerns me now is to show from what sources copiousness and facility may most easily be derived. Our earlier orators thought highly of translation from Greek into Latin.

> Latin: 5.1. est, ut dicamus, quae praecipue scribenda sint ἕξιν parantibus. est huius quidem operis, ut explicemus quae sint materiae, quae prima aut secunda aut deinceps tractanda sint (nam id factum est etiam primo libro, quo puerorum, et secundo, quo iam robustorum studiis ordinem dedimus) sed de quo nunc agitur, unde copia ac facilitas maxime veniat.

[¶60] 5.2. In the de Oratore of Cicero, Lucius Crassus says that he practised this continually, while Cicero himself advocates it again and again, nay, he actually published translations of Xenophon and Plato, which were the result of this form of exercise. Messala likewise gave it his approval, and we have a number of translations of speeches from his hand; he even succeeded in coping with the delicacy of Hyperides' speech in defence of Phryne, a task of exceeding difficulty for a Roman.

> Latin: 5.2. Graeca in Latinum veteres nostri oratores optimum iudicabant. se L. Crassus in illis Ciceronis de Oratore libris dicit factitasse. Cicero sua ipse persona frequentissime praecipit, quin etiam libros Platonis atque Xenophontis edidit hoc genere translatos. Messalae placuit, multaeque sunt ab eo scriptae ad hunc modum orationes, adeo ut etiam cum illa Hyperidis pro Phryne difficillima Romanis subtilitate contenderet.

[¶61] 5.3. The purpose of this form of exercise is obvious. For Greek authors are conspicuous for the variety of their matter, and there is much art in all their eloquence, while, when we translate them, we are at liberty to use the best words available, since all that we use are our very own. As regards figures, too, which are the chief ornament of oratory, it is necessary to think out a great number and variety for ourselves, since in this respect the Roman idiom differs largely from the Greek.

> Latin: 5.3. manifesta est exercitationis huiusce ratio. et rerum copia Graeci auctores abundant et plurimum artis in eloquentiam intulerunt, et hos transferentibus verbis uti optimis licet, omnibus enim utimur nostris. vero, quibus maxime ornatur oratio, multas ac varias excogitandi etiam necessitas quaedam est, quia plerumque a Graecis Romana dissentiunt.