על שהרע נוהג לארוב לטוב ל״הThat the Worse is wont to Attack the Better 35
א׳
1[129] Right finely then is it said that speech goes forth to meet the thoughts, yea runs toward them in its anxiety to grasp them, owing to its desire to interpret them. For to each one his proper work is most an object of desire, and speaking is the proper work of speech, and so it hastens to it, taught by nature to treat it as its own. And it rejoices and is glad, when, as though illumined, it sees and fully apprehends the sense of the matter shown to it; for then it lays hands upon it, and gets hold of it, and becomes a perfect interpreter of it.
ב׳
2[130] At all events, we avoid people who, in their verbal expositions, show a lack of complete mastery of the ideas to be expressed. We regard them as prating fellows who never cease talking, stringing together idle, long, and (what is worse) soulless harangues—to give them the epithet they deserve. The speech of such people, disgracing itself as it does, might rightly groan, and so, on the other hand, the speech of that man needs must rejoice, who, after consideration of the mental conceptions, has come adequately equipped to the setting forth of things which he has seen, and of thoughts which he has effectively grasped. Almost all of us are familiar with this from everyday experience.
ג׳
3[131] When we perfectly know the thing we are saying, our speech is glad and joyous, and is rich in words of the utmost vividness and fitness, and using these in ample measure it runs along without hitch or stumbling; and it succeeds, moreover, in presenting the theme which it is expounding clearly and to good purpose. But when apprehension of the thought to be expressed lacks definiteness, eur speech suffers from a grievous dearth of apt terms, strikes a false note, and uses words in an improper sense. The result is that not only is our speech itself plunged into distress and discomfort, as it flounders about not knowing where it is, but also instead of convincing the audience it makes their ears ache.