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
memories liars good-memories
A liar must have a good memory. -Mendacem oportet esse memorem
war mean iron
(Slaughter) means blood and iron. [Lat., Coedes videtur significare sanguinem et ferrum.]
writing doe results
From writing rapidly it does not result that one writes well, but from writing well it results that one writes rapidly.
soul rust obscurity
The soul languishing in obscurity contracts a kind of rust, or abandons itself to the chimera of presumption; for it is natural for it to acquire something, even when separated from any one.
thousand witness conscience
Conscience is a thousand witnesses.
virtue impetus
Although virtue receives some of its excellencies from nature, yet it is perfected by education. [Lat., Virtus, etiamsi quosdam impetus a natura sumit, tamen perficienda doctrina est.]
hands trying easier
It is much easier to try one's hand at many things than to concentrate one's powers on one thing.
writing writing-well wells
By writing quickly we are not brought to write well, but by writing well we are brought to write quickly.
friendship jest maxims
Let us never adopt the maxim, Rather lose our friend than our jest.
laughter laughing raises
Sayings designed to raise a laugh are generally untrue and never complimentary. Laughter is never far removed from derision.
natural capacity efficacy
One thing, however, I must premise, that without the assistance of natural capacity, rules and precepts are of no efficacy.
boys imagination giving
To my mind the boy who gives least promise is one in whom the critical faculty develops in advance of the imagination.
opportunity evil want
An evil-speaker differs from an evil-doer only in the want of opportunity.
agriculture soil students
Consequently the student who is devoid of talent will derive no more profit from this work than barren soil from a treatise on agriculture.