Institutio Oratoria (Quintilian)

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	Institutio Oratoria Author: Quintilian	Translator: Harold Edgeworth Butler
3041	Nam et ingenii plurimum est in eo et acerbitas mira , et urbanitas et fervor ; sed plus stomacho quam consilio dedit . Praeterea ut amari sales , ita frequenter amaritudo ipsa ridicule est .	he would deserve a place among the greatest. For his natural talents are great, his gift of bitterness, wit and passion remarkable, but he allowed the sharpness of his temper to prevail over his judgment. Moreover, though his jests are pungent enough, this very pungency often turned the laugh against himself.
3042	Sunt alii multi diserti , ( quos persequi longum est . Eorum quos uiderim Domitius Afer et Iulius Africanus longe praestantissimi . Arte ille et toto genere dicendi praeferendus et quem in numero veterum habere non timeas ; hic concitatior , sed in cura verborum nimius et compositione nonnunquam longior et translationibus parum modicus . Erant clara et nuper ingenia .	There are many other clever speakers, but it would be a long task to deal with them all. Domitius Afer and Julius Africanus are by far the most distinguished. The former is superior in art and in every department of oratory, indeed he may he ranked with the old orators without fear of contradiction. The latter shows greater energy, but is too great a precisian in the choice of words, prone to tediously long periods and somewhat extravagant in his metaphors. There have been distinguished talents even of more recent date.
3043	Nam et Trachalus plerumque sublimis et satis apertus fuit et quem velle optima crederes , auditus tamen maior ; nam et vocis , quantam in nullo cognovi , felicitas et pronuntiatio vel scenis suffectura et decor , omnia denique ei , quae sunt extra , superfuerunt ; et Vibius Crispus compositus et iucundus et delectationi natus , privatis tamen causis quam publicis melior .	For example, Trachalus was, as a rule, elevated and sufficiently clear in his language: one realised that his aims were high, but he was better to listen to than to read. For his voice was, in my experience, unique in its beauty of tone, while his delivery would have done credit to an actor, his action was full of grace and he possessed every external advantage in profusion. Vibius Crispus, again, was well-balanced, agreeable and born to charm, though he was better in private than in public cases.
3044	Iulio Secundo , si longior contigisset aetas , clarissimum profecto nomen oratoris apud posteros foret . Adiecisset enim atque adiiciebat ceteris virtutibus suis quod desiderari potest ; id est autem , ut esset multo magis pugnax et saepius ad curam rerum ab elocutione respiceret .	Julius Secundus, had he lived longer, would undoubtedly have attained a great and enduring reputation. For he would have acquired, as he was actually acquiring, all that was lacking to his qualities, namely, a far greater pugnacity and a closer attention to substance as well as form.
3045	Ceterum interceptus quoque magnum sibi vindicat locum ; ea est facundia , tanta in explicando quod velit gratia , tam candidum et leve et speciosum dicendi genus , tanta verborum etiam quae adsumpta sunt proprietas , tanta in quibusdam ex periculo petitis significantia .	But, in spite of the untimeliness of his end, he occupies a high place, thanks to his fluency, the grace with which he set forth whatever he desired, the lucidity, smoothness and beauty of his speech, the propriety revealed in the use of words, even when employed figuratively, and the point which characterises even his most hazardous expressions.
3046	Habebunt , qui post nos de oratoribus scribent , magnam eos , qui nunc vigent , materiam vere laudandi . Sunt enim summa hodie , quibus illustratur forum , ingenia . Namque et consummati iam patroni veteribus aemulantur et eos iuvenum ad optima tendentium imitatur ac sequitur industria .	Subsequent writers on the history of oratory will find abundant material for praise among the orators who flourish to-day: for the law courts can boast a glorious wealth of talent. Indeed, the consummate advocates of the present day are serious rivals of the ancients, while enthusiastic effort and lofty ideals lead many a young student to tread in their footsteps and imitate their excellence.
3047	Supersunt qui de philosophia scripserint , quo in genere paucissimos adhuc eloquentes litterae Romanae tulerunt . Idem igitur M . Tullius , qui ubique , etiam in hoc opere Platonis aemulus exstitit . Egregius vero multoque quam in orationibus praestantior Brutus suffecit ponderi rerum ; scias eum sentire quae dicit .	I have still to deal with writers on philosophy, of whom Rome has so far produced but few who are distinguished for their style. But Cicero, who is great in every department of literature, stands out as the rival of Plato in this department as well. Brutus was an admirable writer on such themes, in which he distinguished himself far more than in his speeches: he is equal to the serious nature of his subject, and the reader realises that he feels what he says.
3048	Scripsit non parum multa Cornelius Celsus , Sextios secutus , non sine cultu ac nitore . Plautus in Stoicis rerum cognitioni utilis . In Epicureis levis quidem , sed non iniucundus tamen auctor est Catius .	Cornelius Celsus, a follower of the Sextii, wrote a number of philosophical works, which have considerable grace and polish. Among the Stoics Plautus is useful as giving a knowledge of the subject.
3049	Ex industria Senecam in omni genere eloquentiae distuli propter vulgatam falso de me opinionem , qua damnare eum et invisum quoque habere sum creditus . Quod accidit mihi , dum corruptum et omnibus vitiis fractum dicendi genus revocare ad severiora iudicia contendo .	Among the Epicureans Catius is agreeable to read, though lacking in weight. I have deliberately postponed the discussion of Seneca in connexion with the various departments of literature owing to the fact that there is a general, though false, impression that I condemn and even detest him. It is true that I had occasion to pass censure upon him when I was endeavouring to recall students from a depraved style, weakened by every kind of error, to a severer standard of taste.
3050	Tum autem solus hic fere in manibus adolescentium fuit . Quem non equidem omnino conabar excutere , sed potioribus praeferri non sinebam , quos ille non destiterat incessere , cum diversi sibi conscius generis placere se in dicendo posse iis , quibus illi placent , diffideret . Amabant autem eum magis quam imitabantur , tantumque ab eo defluebant , quantum ille ab antiquis descenderat .	But at that time Seneca's works were in the hands of every young man, and my aim was not to ban his reading altogether, but to prevent his being preferred to authors superior to himself, but whom he was never tired of disparaging; for, being conscious of the fact that his own style was very different from theirs, he was afraid that he would fail to please those who admired them. But the young men loved him rather than imitated him, and fell as far below him as he fell below the ancients.
3051	Foret enim optandum pares ac saltem proximos illi viro fieri . Sed placebat propter sola vitia et ad ea se quisque dirigebat effingenda quae poterat ; deinde cum se iactaret eodem modo dicere , Senecam infamabat .	For I only wish they had equalled or at least approached his level. But he pleased them for his faults alone, and each individual sought to imitate such of those faults as lay within his capacity to reproduce: and then brought reproach on his master by boasting that he spoke in the genuine Senecan manner.
3052	Cuius e multae alioqui et magnae virtutes fuerunt , ingenium facile et copiosum , plurimum studii , multa rerum cognitio ; in qua tamen aliquando ab his , quibus inquirenda quaedam mandabat , deceptus est .	Seneca had many excellent qualities, a quick and fertile intelligence with great industry and wide knowledge, though as regards the last quality he was often led into error by those whom he had entrusted with the task of investigating certain subjects on his behalf.
3053	Tractavit etiam omnem fere studiorum materiam . Nam et orationes eius et poemata et epistolae et dialogi feruntur . In philosophia parum diligens , egregius tamen vitiorum insectator fuit . Multae in eo claraeque sententiae , multa etiam morum gratia legenda ; sed in eloquendo corrupta pleraque atque eo perniciosissima , quod abundant dulcibus vitiis .	He dealt with almost every department of knowledge; for speeches, poems, letters and dialogues all circulate under his name. In philosophy he showed a lack of critical power, but was none the less quite admirable in his denunciations of vice. His works contain a number of striking general reflexions and much that is worth reading for edification; but his style is for the most part corrupt and exceedingly dangerous, for the very reason that its vices are so many and attractive.
3054	Velles eum suo ingenio dixisse , alieno iudicio . Nam si oblique contempsisset , si parum recta non concupisset , si non omnia sua amasset , si rerum pondera minutissimis sententiis non fregisset , consensus potius eruditorum quam puerorum amore comprobaretur .	One could wish that, while he relied on his own intelligence, he had allowed himself to be guided by the taste of others. For if he had only despised all unnatural expressions and had not been so passionately fond of all that was incorrect, if he had not felt such affection for all that was his own, and had not impaired the solidity of his matter by striving after epigrammatic brevity, he would have won the approval of the learned instead of the enthusiasm of boys.
3055	Verum sic quoque iam robustis et severiore genere satis firmatis legendus vel ideo quod exercere potest utrinque iudicium . Multa enim , ut dixi , probanda in eo , multa etiam admiranda sunt , eligere modo curae sit ; quod utinam ipse fecisset . Digna enim fuit illa natura , quae meliora vellet ; quod voluit effecit .	But even as it is, he deserves to be read by those whose powers have been formed and firmly moulded on the standards of a severer taste, if only because he will exercise their critical faculties in distinguishing between his merits and his defects. For, as I have said, there is much in him which we may approve, much even that we may admire. Only we must be careful in our selection: would he had been as careful himself. For his genius deserved to be devoted to better aims, since what it does actually aim at, it succeeds in achieving.
3056	Ex his ceterisque lectione dignis auctoribus et verborum sumenda copia est et varietas figurarum et componendi ratio , tum ad exemplum virtutum omnium mens dirigenda . Neque enim dubitari potest , quin artis pars magna contineatur imitatione . Nam ut invenire primum fuit estque praecipuum , sic ea , quae bene inventa sunt , utile sequi .	II. It is from these and other authors worthy of our study that we must draw our stock of words, the variety of our figures and our methods of composition, while we must form our minds on the model of every excellence. For there can be no doubt that in art no small portion of our task lies in imitation, since, although invention came first and is all-important, it is expedient to imitate whatever has been invented with success.
3057	Atque omnis vitae ratio sic constat , ut quae probamus in aliis facere ipsi velimus . Sic litterarum ductus , ut scribendi fiat usus , pueri sequuntur , sic musici vocem docentium , pictores opera priorum , rustici probatam experimento culturam in exemplum intuentur ; omnis denique disciplinae initia ad propositum sibi praescriptum formari videmus .	And it is a universal rule of life that we should wish to copy what we approve in others. It is for this reason that boys copy the shapes of letters that they may learn to write, and that musicians take the voices of their teachers, painters the works of their predecessors, and peasants the principles of agriculture which have been proved in practice, as models for their imitation. In fact, we may note that the elementary study of every branch of learning is directed by reference to some definite standard that is placed before the learner.
3058	Et hercule necesse est aut similes aut dissimiles bonis sirus . Similem raro natura praestat , frequenter imitatio . Sed hoc ipsum , quod tanto faciliorem nobis rationem rerum omnium facit quam fuit iis , qui nihil quod sequerentur habuerunt , nisi caute et cum iudicio apprehenditur , nocet .	We must, in fact, either be like or unlike those who have proved their excellence. It is rare for nature to produce such resemblance, which is more often the result of imitation. But the very fact that in every subject the procedure to be followed is so much more easy for us than it was for those who had no model to guide them, is a positive drawback, unless we use this dubious advantage with caution and judgment.
3059	Ante omnia igitur imitatio per se ipsa non sufficit , vel quia pigri est ingenii contentum esse iis , quae sint ab allis inventa . Quid enim futurum erat temporibus illis , quae sine exemplo fuerunt , si homines nihil , nisi quod iam cognovissent , faciendum sibi aut cogitandum putassent ? Nempe nihil fuisset inventum .	The first point, then, that we must realise is that imitation alone is not sufficient, if only for the reason that a sluggish nature is only too ready to rest content with the inventions of others. For what would have happened in the days when models were not, if men had decided to do and think of nothing that they did not know already? The answer is obvious: nothing would ever have been discovered.
3060	Cur igitur nefas est reperiri aliquid a nobis , quod ante non fuerit ? An illi rudes sola mentis natura ducti sunt in hoc ut tam multa generarent , nos ad quaerendum non eo ipso concitemur , quod certe scimus invenisse eos qui quaesierunt ?	Why, then, is it a crime for us to discover something new? Were primitive men led to make so many discoveries simply by the natural force of their imagination, and shall we not then be spurred on to search for novelty by the very knowledge that those who sought of old were rewarded by success?
3061	Et 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 ? Quemadmodum quidam pictores in id solum student , ut describere tabulas mensuris ac lineis sciant .	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?
3062	Turpe etiam illud est , contentum esse id consequi quod imiteris . Nam rursus quid erat futurum , si nemo plus effecisset eo quem sequebatur ? Nihil 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 .	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.
3063	Ac 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 . Nihil autem crescit sola imitatione .	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.
3064	Quodsi 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 . Sed etiam qui summa non appetent , contendere potius quam sequi debent . Nam qui hoc agit ut prior sit ,	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.
3065	forsitan , etiamsi non transierit , aequabit . Eum vero nemo potest aequare , cuius vestigiis sibi utique insistendum putat ; necesse est enim semper sit posterior qui sequitur . Adde quod plerumque facilius est plus facere quam idem . Tantam 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 .	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.
3066	Adde quod , quidquid alteri simile est , necesse est minus sit eo , quod imitatur , ut umbra corpore et imago facie et actus histrionum veris adfectibus . Quod in orationibus quoque evenit . Namque eis , quae in exemplum adsumimus , subest natura et vera vis ; contra omnis imitatio ficta est et ad alienum propositum accommodatur .	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.
3067	Quod facit , ut minus sanguinis ac virium declamationes habeant quam orationes , quod in illis vera , in his adsimulata materia est . Adde quod ea , quae in oratore maxima sunt , imitabilia non sunt , ingenium , inventio , vis , facilitas et quidquid arte non traditur .	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.
3068	Ideoque 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 .	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.
3069	Quapropter exactissimo iudicio circa hanc partem studiorum examinanda sunt omnia . Primum , quos imitemur ; nam sunt plurimi , qui similitudinem pessimi cuiusque et corruptissimi concupierunt ; tum in ipsis , quos elegerimus , quid sit , ad quod nos efficiendum comparemus .	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.
3070	Nam 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 . Nec 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 .	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.
3071	Hoc 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 .	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.
3072	Ideoque 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 .	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.
3073	Noveram quosdam , qui se pulchre expressisse genus illud caelestis huius in dicendo viri sibi viderentur , si in clausula posuissent Esse videatur . Ergo primum est , ut quod imitaturus est quisque intelligat et quare bonum sit sciat .	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.
3074	Tum in suscipiendo onere consulat suas vires . Nam quaedam sunt imitabilia , quibus aut infirmitas naturae non sufficiat aut diversitas repugnet . Ne , 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 .	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.
3075	Atque 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 .	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.
3076	Difficilius est naturam suam fingere . Sed ne ille quidem doctor , quanquam omnia quae recta sunt velit esse in suis auditoribus quam plenissima , in eo tamen , cui naturam obstare viderit , laborabit . Id quoque vitandum , in quo magna pars errat , ne in oratione poetas nobis et historicos , in illis operibus oratores aut declamatores imitandos putemus .	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.
3077	Sua cuique proposita lex , suus cuique decor est . Nam nec comoedia in cothurnos adsurgit , nec contra tragoedia socco ingreditur . Habet tamen omnis eloquentia aliquid commune ; id imitemur quod commune est .	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.
3078	Etiam 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 .	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.