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BOOK I, CHAPTER XXVI
229

him: "Play those tricks with children, and do not divert the serious thoughts of grown men to such things."[1] (a) If these foolish quibbles, (c) contorta et aculeata sophismata,[2] (a) should lead him to believe what is false, that is dangerous; but if they remain without effect, and move him only to laughter, I see not why he should be on his guard against them. Some persons are so foolish that they will go far out of their way[3] to run after a witty remark; (c) aut qui non verba rebus aptant, sed res extrinsecus arcessunt, quibus verba conveniant.[4] And this other: Sunt qui alicujus verbi decore placentis vocentur, ad id quod non proposuerant scribere.[5] I much more readily twist a fine saying in order to fasten it to me,[6] than I twist the thread of my own thought to go in search of it. (a) On the contrary, it is for words to do service and to follow; and let Gascon come to the front if French can not get there. I would have the subject predominate and so fill the imagination of him who listens that he shall have no remembrance of the words. The way of speaking that I like is a simple and natural speech, the same on paper as on the lips; astyle pithy, sinewy, brief, and concise, (c) not so refined and smooth[7] as vehement and quick, —

Hæc demum sapiet dictio, quæ feriet,[8] —

(a) more rough than tedious, far removed from affectation, free, loose, and bold: let each fragment have its own form; not pedant-like, not friar-like, not lawyer-like, but rather soldier-like, as Suetonius calls that of Julius Cesar; (c) but indeed I do not well understand why he calls it so.[9]

  1. ↑ See Diogenes Laertius, Life of Chrysippus.
  2. ↑ Involved and subtle fallacies. — Cicero, Academica, II, 24.
  3. ↑ Qui se destournent de leur voye un quart de lieue.
  4. ↑ Or who do not fit words to their subject, but seek out irrelevant subjects for which their words may be suitable. — Quintilian, De Inst. Orat., VIII, 3.
  5. ↑ There are those who are drawn by the charm of some pleasing word to a subject they had not proposed to write about. — Seneca, Epistle 59.5.
  6. ↑ Pour la coudre sur moi.
  7. ↑ Peigné.
  8. ↑ That word is wise that strikes a blow. — Epitaph of Lucan, found in many sixteenth-century editions of his works.
  9. ↑ The following passage of the editions of 1580 and 1582 was omitted in all later editions: Qu'on luy reproche hardiment ce qu'on reprochoit à Seneque, que son langage estoit de chaux vive, mais que le sable en estoit a dire.
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