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While we are making up our minds as to when we shall begin. The opportunity is lost.

Quintilian

Without natural gifts technical rules are useless.
QUINTILIAN

Gift Natural Rule Technical
In almost everything, experience is more valuable than precept.
QUINTILIAN

Experience Value
We must form our minds by reading deep rather than wide.
QUINTILIAN

Form Mindset Reading Wide
Virtue, though she gets her beginning from nature, yet receives her finishing touches from learning.
QUINTILIAN

Beginning Herself Learning Nature Touch Virtue
In a crowd, on a journey, at a banquet even, a line of thought can itself provide its own seclusion.
QUINTILIAN

Crowd Journey Seclusion
Nothing can be pleasing which is not also becoming.
QUINTILIAN

Deep Please
When defeat is inevitable, it is wisest to yield.
QUINTILIAN

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

Exception Honor Man Necessary
A man who tries to surpass another may perhaps succeed in equaling in not actually surpassing him, but one who merely follows can never quite come up with him: a follower, necessarily, is always behind.
QUINTILIAN

Equality Follow Himself Man Quite Success
The obscurity of a writer is generally in proportion to his incapacity.
QUINTILIAN

Capacity Writing
The perfection of art is to conceal art.
QUINTILIAN

Art Hide Perfection
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
We excuse our sloth under the pretext of difficulty.
QUINTILIAN

Difficult Excuse Ourselves
Lately we have had many losses.
QUINTILIAN

Late Lose One Liner
While we are examining into everything we sometimes find truth where we least expected it.
QUINTILIAN

Examination Expectation Time
That which offends the ear will not easily gain admission to the mind.
QUINTILIAN

Admission Ear Easy Mindset Offend

While we are making up our minds as to when we shall begin. The opportunity is lost.

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While we are making up our minds as to when we shall begin. The opportunity is lost.

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