Quintilian
Quintilian
Marcus Fabius Quintilianuswas a Roman rhetorician from Hispania, widely referred to in medieval schools of rhetoric and in Renaissance writing. In English translation, he is usually referred to as Quintilian, although the alternate spellings of Quintillian and Quinctilian are occasionally seen, the latter in older texts...
NationalityRoman
ProfessionEducator
great-change effects
Nature herself has never attempted to effect great changes rapidly.
natural-gifts useless natural
Without natural gifts technical rules are useless.
broken-heart evil broken-promises
Where evil habits are once settled, they are more easily broken than mended.
pride taught knows
There is no one who would not rather appear to know than to be taught.
experience valuable
In almost everything, experience is more valuable than precept.
fortune fear-of-the-future
Fear of the future is worse than one's present fortune.
neighbor pleasure satiety
Satiety is a neighbor to continued pleasures. [Lat., Continuis voluptatibus vicina satietas.]
too-late pondering late
While we ponder when to begin, it becomes too late to do.
laughing too-much cost
A laugh costs too much when bought at the expense of virtue.
obscurity incapacity proportion
The obscurity of a writer is generally in proportion to his incapacity.
satire verses
Verse satire indeed is entirely our own.
beginning deliberate late ready
While we deliberate about beginning it is all ready too late to begin
among appear seem
Those who wish to appear wise among fools, among the wise seem foolish.
purchased quotes
A laugh, if purchased at the expense of propriety, costs too much.