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The obscurity of a writer is generally in proportion to his incapacity.

Quintilian

To swear, except when necessary, is becoming to an honorable man.
QUINTILIAN

Exception Honor Man Necessary
Study depends on the goodwill of the student, a quality that cannot be secured by compulsion.
QUINTILIAN

Compulsion Goodness Secure Study
For comic writers charge Socrates with making the worse appear the better reason.
QUINTILIAN

Appearance Better Comic Reason Worst Writing
Those who wish to appear wise among fools, among the wise seem foolish.
QUINTILIAN

Appearance Fools Virtue Wisdom
Sayings designed to raise a laugh are generally untrue and never complimentary. Laughter is never far removed from derision.
QUINTILIAN

Complimentary Design Laughter Raise
The mind is exercised by the variety and multiplicity of the subject matter, while the character is moulded by the contemplation of virtue and vice.
QUINTILIAN

Exercise Mindset Subject Vice Virtue
Too exact, and studious of similitude rather than of beauty.
QUINTILIAN

Beautiful Exact Similar
The obscurity of a writer is generally in proportion to his incapacity.
QUINTILIAN

Capacity Writing
Usage is the best language teacher.
QUINTILIAN

Language One Liner Teacher
We must form our minds by reading deep rather than wide.
QUINTILIAN

Form Mindset Reading Wide
It is much easier to try one’s hand at many things than to concentrate one’s powers on one thing.
QUINTILIAN

Easy Hand Oneself Power Try
A Woman who is generous with her money is to be praised; not so, if she is generous with her person.
QUINTILIAN

Generosity Herself Money Person Woman
Verse satire indeed is entirely our own.
QUINTILIAN

Ourselves Verse
Medicine for the dead is too late.
QUINTILIAN

Death Medicine One Liner
The pretended admission of a fault on our part creates an excellent impression.
QUINTILIAN

Admission Creation Excellence Impression Pretend
One should aim not at being possible to understand, but at being impossible to misunderstand.
QUINTILIAN

Goal Perspective Possible

The obscurity of a writer is generally in proportion to his incapacity.

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The obscurity of a writer is generally in proportion to his incapacity.

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Popular Authors

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