5.
We shall not fail to see what sort of man he is and how large a man he is, if only he is one and the same.
Our words should aim not to please, but to help.
If, however, you can attain eloquence without painstaking, and if you either are naturally gifted or can gain eloquence at slight cost, make the most of it and apply it to the noblest uses.
But let it be of such a kind that it displays facts rather than itself.
It and the other arts are wholly concerned with cleverness; but our business here is the soul.
Book: Moral Letters Vol II
Subtitle: Seneca's timeless letters of advice and wisdom.
Author: Seneca
Chapter: On the diseases of the soul
Location: Chapter 75, Section 5
Content:
5.
We shall not fail to see what sort of man he is and how large a man he is, if only he is one and the same.
Our words should aim not to please, but to help.
If, however, you can attain eloquence without painstaking, and if you either are naturally gifted or can gain eloquence at slight cost, make the most of it and apply it to the noblest uses.
But let it be of such a kind that it displays facts rather than itself.
It and the other arts are wholly concerned with cleverness; but our business here is the soul.