The principle, however, of diction is to speak with propriety; and this consists in five things. And the first indeed, is in conjunctives, if these are disposed in such a way as their nature requires, viz. so as to be placed in an order prior and posterior to each other. Thus for instance the conjunction indeed, and I indeed, require but, and but he. It must be remembered, however, that conjunctions which correspond to each other, should neither be disjoined by a great interval, nor should have so many things interposed between them, that when a conjunction corresponding to a former one is given, the prior conjunction is forgotten; for this is appropriate but in few places. Thus, “But I, after the thing was related to me, for Cleon came begging and entreating, went taking them along with me.” For here, many conjunctions are inserted prior to the conjunction which was to have been assigned. But if there is a great interval between But I, and I went, the sentence becomes obscure. One thing, therefore, requisite to correct diction is a proper disposition in the conjunctions. A second is, to call things by their proper names, and not to circumscribe them by generic and common names. A third is, not to use ambiguous words. But these precepts are to be observed, unless the contraries to them are preferred, which those do, when they have nothing to say, pretend to say something. For men of this kind in poetry, thus speak; as for instance Empedocles. For circumlocution deceives, if it be much, and the auditors are affected in the same manner as the multitude are by those who predict future events, since when they speak ambiguously, the vulgar assent to what they say. “If Crœsus passes over the river Halys, he will destroy a mighty empire.” But the reason why when we have nothing to say, we should use generic terms is because in short, the error will be less, and on this account diviners speak through the genera of a thing. For in the game of even and odd, he will be less likely to err who says that a number is even or odd in general, than if he determines what number is so. And he who predicts that a certain event will be, is less likely to err, if he only says that it will be, than if he assigns the time when it will be. Hence, those who deliver oracles, do not define the time when a thing will happen. All these generic and ambiguous names, therefore, are to be avoided, unless they are adopted for the sake of some such purpose, as we have mentioned. A fourth thing requisite to correct diction is, as Protagoras divided the genera of nouns into masculine, feminine, and instruments or neuter, to employ these rightly; as “She coming and discoursing departed.” A fifth requisite is to denominate rightly in many and few things; and in one thing; as, “But they coming, struck me.” In short, it is requisite that what is written, should be so written as to be read and pronounced with facility. But this is not the case when there are many conjunctions; and when what is written cannot be easily pointed; and such are the writings of Heraclitus. For it is laborious to point the writings of Heraclitus, because it is immanifest what should be conjoined with the prior or posterior part; as in the beginning of his book. For he there says, “Of reason existing always, men are ignorant;” since it is immanifest whether the word always pertains to the prior or to the posterior part. Farther still, a solecism is produced in composition, when to two words, another appropriate word is not conjoined. Thus to noise and colour, seeing is not a common i.e. is not appropriate word; but sensible perception is common. The composition also is rendered obscure, from the insertion of much which is intermediate, unless the part which corresponds to the first part of a sentence, is immediately subjoined, and the rest added; as, “My intention was, after I had mentioned such and such things to him, to go.” But this obscurity would be avoided by saying, ” My intention was, after I had spoken to him, to go;” and then to add, “having mentioned to him such and such things.”
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