104 Quotes by Quintilian

One thing, however, I must premise, that without the assistance of natural capacity, rules and precepts are of no efficacy.

From writing rapidly it does not result that one writes well, but from writing well it results that one writes rapidly.

Verse satire indeed is entirely our own.

It is easier to do many things than to do one thing continuously for a long time.

Conscience is a thousand witnesses.

Give me the boy who rouses when he is praised, who profits when he is encouraged and who cries when he is defeated. Such a boy will be fired by ambition; he will be stung by reproach, and animated by preference; never shall I apprehend any bad consequences from idleness in such a boy.

Minds that are stupid and incapable of science are in the order of nature to be regarded as monsters and other extraordinary phenomena; minds of this sort are rare. Hence I conclude that there are great resources to be found in children, which are suffered to vanish with their years. It is evident, therefore, that it is not of nature, but of our own negligence, we ought to complain.

The learned understand the reason of art; the unlearned feel the pleasure.

A great part of art consists in imitation. For the whole conduct of life is based on this: that what we admire in others we want to do ourselves.