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One thing, however, I must premise, that without the assistance of natural capacity, rules and precepts are of no efficacy.

Quintilian

Without natural gifts technical rules are useless.
QUINTILIAN

Gift Natural Rule Technical
We should not speak so that it is possible for the audience to understand us, but so that it is impossible for them to misunderstand us.
QUINTILIAN

Impossible Misunderstand Possible Talk Understand
He who speaks evil only differs from his who does evil in that he lacks opportunity.
QUINTILIAN

Evil Himself Opportunity Talk
Our minds are like our stomaches; they are whetted by the change of their food, and variety supplies both with fresh appetite.
QUINTILIAN

Change Food Fresh Mindset Stomach
If you direct your whole thought to work itself, none of the things which invade eyes or ears will reach the mind.
QUINTILIAN

Direct Eyes Mindset Reach Work
Though ambition in itself is a vice, yet it is often the parent of virtues.
QUINTILIAN

Ambition Parent Vice Virtue
Those who wish to appear wise among fools, among the wise seem foolish.
QUINTILIAN

Appearance Fools Virtue Wisdom
The gifts of nature are infinite in their variety, and mind differs from mind almost as much as body from body.
QUINTILIAN

Body Infinite Mindset Nature
For the mind is all the easier to teach before it is set.
QUINTILIAN

Easy Mindset Teaching
We excuse our sloth under the pretext of difficulty.
QUINTILIAN

Difficult Excuse Ourselves
Medicine for the dead is too late.
QUINTILIAN

Death Medicine One Liner
A mediocre speech supported by all the power of delivery will be more impressive than the best speech unaccompanied by such power.
QUINTILIAN

Accompany Average Impression Support
It seldom happens that a premature shoot of genius ever arrives at maturity.
QUINTILIAN

Arrival Genius Maturity
Consequently the student who is devoid of talent will derive no more profit from this work than barren soil from a treatise on agriculture.
QUINTILIAN

Agriculture Profit Student Talent Work
Verse satire indeed is entirely our own.
QUINTILIAN

Ourselves Verse
Lately we have had many losses.
QUINTILIAN

Late Lose One Liner

One thing, however, I must premise, that without the assistance of natural capacity, rules and precepts are of no efficacy.

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One thing, however, I must premise, that without the assistance of natural capacity, rules and precepts are of no efficacy.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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