§2.12.1ne hoc quidem negaverim, sequi plerumque hanc opinionem, ut fortius dicere videantur indocti; primum vitio male iudicantium, qui maiorem habere vim credunt ea, quae non habent artem, ut effringere quam aperire, rumpere quam solvere, trahere quam ducere putant robustius.
Nor would I deny even this, that the opinion generally follows that the unlearned seem to speak more forcefully; first, by the fault of those who judge badly, who believe that those things which have no art have greater force, just as they think it is more robust to break open than to open, to rupture than to untie, to drag than to lead.
§2.12.2nam et gladiator, qui armorum inscius in rixam ruit, et luctator, qui totius corporis nisu in id, quod semel invasit, incumbit, fortior ab his vocatur; cum interim et hic frequenter suis viribus ipse prosternitur, et illum vehementis impetus excipit adversarii mollis articulus.
For both the gladiator who rushes into a brawl ignorant of arms, and the wrestler who leans with the strain of his whole body upon that which he has once attacked, are called more brave by these people; while in the meantime both the latter is frequently prostrated by his own strength, and the supple joint of his opponent parries the violent onslaughts of the former.
§2.12.3sed sunt in hac parte, quae imperitos etiam naturaliter fallant; nam et divisio, cum plurimum valeat in causis, speciem virium minuit, et rudia politis maiora et sparsa compositis numerosiora creduntur.
But there are in this matter things which naturally deceive even the inexperienced; for even division, although it is of the greatest value in cases, diminishes the appearance of strength, and rude things are believed to be larger than polished ones, and scattered things more numerous than arranged ones.
§2.12.4est praeterea quaedam virtutum vitiorumque vicinia, qua maledicus pro libero, temerarius pro forti, effusus pro copioso accipitur.
There is, moreover, a certain proximity of virtues and vices, by which the slanderous man is taken for free-spoken, the rash for brave, and the prodigal for copious.
maledicit autem ineruditus apertius et saepius vel cum periculo suscepti litigatoris, frequenter etiam suo.
But the uneducated man slanders more openly and more frequently, even with danger to the litigant he has undertaken to represent, and frequently also to his own.
§2.12.5adfert et ista res opinionem, quia libentissime homines audiunt ea, quae dicere ipsi noluissent.
This circumstance also produces that opinion, because men listen most gladly to those things which they themselves would not have wished to say.
illud quoque alterum quod est in elocutione ipsa periculum minus vitat conaturque perdite, unde evenit nonnunquam, ut aliquid grande inveniat qui semper quaerit quod nimium est; verum id et raro provenit, et cetera vitia non pensat.
He also less avoids that other danger which lies in expression itself, and attempts it desperately, whence it sometimes happens that he who always seeks what is excessive finds something grand; but that occurs rarely, and does not compensate for his other faults.
§2.12.6propter hoc quoque interdum videntur indocti copiam habere maiorem, quod dicunt omnia; doctis est et electio et modus.
On this account also the unlearned sometimes seem to have greater abundance, because they say everything; to the learned there is both selection and moderation.
his accedit, quod a cura docendi quod intenderunt recedunt.
To this is added that they withdraw from the care of proving what they have intended.
itaque illud quaestionum et argumentorum apud corrupta iudicia frigus evitant nihilque aliud, quam quod vel pravis voluptatibus aures assistentium permulceat, quaerunt.
Therefore, before corrupt tribunals, they avoid that coldness of questions and arguments, and seek nothing else than what may soothe the ears of the bystanders, even with depraved pleasures.
§2.12.7sententiae quoque ipsae, quas solas petunt, magis eminent, cum omnia circa illas sordida et abiecta sunt; ut lumina non inter umbras, quemadmodum Cicero dicit, sed plane in tenebris clariora sunt.
The sentences themselves also, which alone they seek, stand out more when all things around them are mean and abject; just as lights, as Cicero says, are clearer not among shadows, but plainly in darkness.
itaque ingeniosi vocentur, ut libet, dum tamen constet contumeliose sic laudari disertum.
Therefore, let them be called ingenious, as people please, provided only it is clear that it is an insult for an eloquent man to be praised in this way.
§2.12.8nihilominus confitendum est etiam detrahere doctrinam aliquid, ut limam rudibus et cotes hebetibus et vino vetustatem, sed vitia detrahit, atque eo solo minus est, quod litterae perpolierunt, quo melius.
Nevertheless, it must be confessed that learning also detracts something, as the file from rude things, whetstones from blunt things, and age from wine; but it detracts vices, and that which literature has polished is less only in this respect, that it is the better for it.
§2.12.9verum hi pronuntiatione quoque famam dicendi fortius quaerunt.
But these men also seek a reputation for speaking more forcefully by their delivery.
nam et clamant ubique et omnia levata, ut ipsi vocant, manu emugiunt, multo discursu, anhelitu, iactatione gestus, motu capitis furentes.
For they both shout everywhere and bellow out everything with a "raised" hand, as they themselves call it, with much running about, panting, wild gesturing, and shaking of the head like madmen.
§2.12.10iam collidere manus, terrae pedem incutere, femur, pectus, frontem caedere, mire ad pullatum circulum facit; cum ille eruditus, ut in oratione multa summittere, variare, disponere, ita etiam in pronuntiando suum cuique eorum, quae dicet, colori accommodare actum sciat, et, si quid sit perpetua observatione dignum, modestus et esse et videri malit.
Moreover, to clap the hands, to stamp the foot on the ground, to slap the thigh, the breast, and the forehead, works wonderfully upon the dark-coated crowd; whereas the learned man, just as he knows how to lower, vary, and arrange many parts in his speech, so also in delivery he knows how to adapt his action to the proper tone of each of those things which he will say, and, if there is anything worthy of constant observation, he prefers both to be and to seem modest.
§2.12.11at illi hanc vim appellant, quae est potius violentia; cum interim non actores modo aliquos invenias sed, quod est turpius, praeceptores etiam, qui brevem dicendi exercitationem consecuti omissa ratione ut tulit impetus, passim tumultuentur eosque, qui plus honoris litteris tribuerunt, ineptos et ieiunos et trepidos et infirmos, ut quodque verbum contumeliosissimum occurrit, appellent.
But they call this force, which is rather violence; while in the meantime you may find not only some actors but, what is more shameful, even teachers, who, having obtained a brief exercise in speaking, abandoning reason, tumultuate everywhere as impulse carries them, and call those who have attributed more honor to literature, inept, jejune, fearful, and weak, according as each most insulting word occurs to them.
§2.12.12verum illis quidem gratulemur sine labor, sine ratione, sine disciplina disertis; nos, quando et praecipiendi munus iam pridem deprecati sumus et in foro quoque dicendi, quia honestissimum finem putabamus desinere dum desideraremur, inquirendo scribendoque talia consolemur otium nostrum, quae futura usui bonae mentis iuvenibus arbitramur, nobis certe sunt voluptati.
But indeed let us congratulate those who are eloquent without labor, without reason, and without discipline; as for us, since we have long since declined the duty of teaching, and also of speaking in the forum, because we thought it the most honorable end to cease while we were still missed, let us console our leisure by inquiring into and writing such things as we judge will be of use to young men of good mind, and which are certainly a pleasure to ourselves.