Quintilian Quotes & Sayings

Lately we have had many losses. — Quintilian

Whilst we deliberate how to begin a thing, it grows too late to begin it. — Quintilian

While we ponder when to begin, it becomes too late to do. — Quintilian

It seldom happens that a premature shoot of genius ever arrives at maturity. — Quintilian

Prune what is turgid, elevate what is commonplace, arrange what is disorderly, introduce rhythm where the language is harsh, modify where it is too absolute. — Quintilian

Conscience is a thousand witnesses. — Quintilian

Ambition is a vice, but it may be the father of virtue. — Quintilian

Nothing is more dangerous to men than a sudden change of fortune. — Quintilian

That which prematurely arrives at perfection soon perishes. — Quintilian

It is the nurse that the child first hears, and her words that he will first attempt to imitate. — Quintilian

It is worth while too to warn the teacher that undue severity in correcting faults is liable at times to discourage a boy's mind from effort. — Quintilian

Give bread to a stranger, in the name of the universal brotherhood which binds together all men under the common father of nature. — Quintilian

Nature herself has never attempted to effect great changes rapidly. — Quintilian

Though ambition in itself is a vice, yet it is often the parent of virtues. — Quintilian

Sayings designed to raise a laugh are generally untrue and never complimentary. Laughter is never far removed from derision. — Quintilian

Vain hopes are like certain dreams of those who wake. — Quintilian

An evil-speaker differs from an evil-doer only in the want of opportunity. — Quintilian

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

By writing quickly we are not brought to write well, but by writing well we are brought to write quickly. — Quintilian

It is the heart which inspires eloquence. — Quintilian

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. — Quintilian

The obscurity of a writer is generally in proportion to his incapacity. — Quintilian

Nothing can be pleasing which is not also becoming. — Quintilian

Fear of the future is worse than one's present fortune. — Quintilian

Though ambition itself be a vice, yet it is often times the cause of virtues. — Quintilian

If you direct your whole thought to work itself, none of the things which invade eyes or ears will reach the mind. — Quintilian

Our minds are like our stomaches; they are whetted by the change of their food, and variety supplies both with fresh appetite. — Quintilian

That which offends the ear will not easily gain admission to the mind. — Quintilian

Men, even when alone, lighten their labors by song, however rude it may be. — Quintilian

It is fitting that a liar should be a man of good memory. — Quintilian

We must form our minds by reading deep rather than wide. — Quintilian

Suffering itself does less afflict the senses than the apprehension of suffering. — Quintilian

While we are examining into everything we sometimes find truth where we least expected it. — Quintilian

A man who tries to surpass another may perhaps succeed in equaling inot actually surpassing him, but one who merely follows can never quite come up with him: a follower, necessarily, is always behind. — Quintilian

Virtue, though she gets her beginning from nature, yet receives her finishing touches from learning. — Quintilian

While we are making up our minds as to when we shall begin, the opportunity is lost. — Quintilian

A liar ought to have a good memory. — Quintilian

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. — Quintilian

For it would have been better that man should have been born dumb, nay, void of all reason, rather than that he should employ the gifts of Providence to the destruction of his neighbor. — Quintilian

Study depends on the goodwill of the student, a quality that cannot be secured by compulsion. — Quintilian

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

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

The mind is exercised by the variety and multiplicity of the subject matter, while the character is moulded by the contemplation of virtue and vice. — Quintilian

Consequently the student who is devoid of talent will derive no more profit from this work than barren soil from a treatise on agriculture. — Quintilian

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

A religion without mystics is a philosophy. — Quintilian

To swear, except when necessary, is becoming to an honorable man. — Quintilian

Without natural gifts technical rules are useless. — Quintilian

When we cannot hope to win, it is an advantage to yield. — Quintilian

Medicine for the dead is too late — Quintilian

A laugh, if purchased at the expense of propriety, costs too much. — Quintilian

The pretended admission of a fault on our part creates an excellent impression. — Quintilian

As regards parents, I should like to see them as highly educated as possible, and I do not restrict this remark to fathers alone. — Quintilian

For all the best teachers pride themselves on having a large number of pupils and think themselves worthy of a bigger audience. — Quintilian

To my mind the boy who gives least promise is one in whom the critical faculty develops in advance of the imagination. — Quintilian

In a crowd, on a journey, at a banquet even, a line of thought can itself provide its own seclusion. — Quintilian

God, that all-powerful Creator of nature and architect of the world, has impressed man with no character so proper to distinguish him from other animals, as by the faculty of speech. — Quintilian

A mediocre speech supported by all the power of delivery will be more impressive than the best speech unaccompanied by such power. — Quintilian

The perfection of art is to conceal art. — Quintilian

Though ambition may be a fault in itself, it is often the mother of virtues. — Quintilian

She abounds with lucious faults. — Quintilian

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. — Quintilian

Satiety is a neighbor to continued pleasures.
[Lat., Continuis voluptatibus vicina satietas.] — Quintilian

Those who wish to appear learned to fools, appear as fools to the learned. — Quintilian

In almost everything, experience is more valuable than precept. — Quintilian

He who speaks evil only differs from his who does evil in that he lacks opportunity. — Quintilian

It is much easier to try one's hand at many things than to concentrate one's powers on one thing. — Quintilian

Everything that has a beginning comes to an end. — Quintilian

We excuse our sloth under the pretext of difficulty. — Quintilian

Usage is the best language teacher. — Quintilian

For the mind is all the easier to teach before it is set. — Quintilian

A laugh costs too much when bought at the expense of virtue. — Quintilian

Verse satire indeed is entirely our own. — Quintilian

Let us never adopt the maxim, Rather lose our friend than our jest. — Quintilian

For comic writers charge Socrates with making the worse appear the better reason. — Quintilian

The gifts of nature are infinite in their variety, and mind differs from mind almost as much as body from body. — Quintilian

Men of quality are in the wrong to undervalue, as they often do, the practise of a fair and quick hand in writing; for it is no immaterial accomplishment. — Quintilian

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. — Quintilian

Where evil habits are once settled, they are more easily broken than mended. — Quintilian

Forbidden pleasures alone are loved immoderately; when lawful, they do not excite desire. — Quintilian

When defeat is inevitable, it is wisest to yield. — Quintilian

The prosperous can not easily form a right idea of misery. — Quintilian

One should aim not at being possible to understand, but at being impossible to misunderstand. — Quintilian