M. CORNELIUS FRONTO
18. Philosophy will tell you what to say, Eloquence how to say it[1] . . . . For, using the language of dialecticians, a writer would speak of a Jove signing, nay rather wheezing, not thundering. Provide yourself rather with speech worthy of the thoughts you draw from philosophy, and the more noble your thoughts, the more impressive will your utterance be. Nay, lift yourself up and stand upright, and shake off with your strong top those tree-twisters who are bending you down, like a fir or stately alder, and lowering you to the level of stunted bushes, and make trial whether you have anywhere swerved from the right way. But summon Eloquence, the handmaid of philosophy, and cast away those crooked, twisted modes of speech . . . .[† 1] which if you took them in, you would despise, and ignore when you have despised them. Tell me, I pray you, do you take anything in from your dialectics? are you proud of taking in anything? You need not confess to me, but think it over with yourself. I prophesy this, though you have kept many of your friends loyal to this teaching . . . .[† 2]
On Eloquence 2
Fronto to Antoninus Augustus.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . in a field previously trod by the foot of no one[2] save Gaius Sallustius alone, you brought to light in a most choice dress and a most becoming setting a
- ↑ The position of this sentence is not certain. Braknmn says it comes two sentences lower down.
- ↑ Lucr. i. 925.
