Institutio Oratoria

What, then, will be the difference between what is written and what is spoken? If I were given a jury of wise men, I should cut down a large number of passages from the speeches not only of Cicero, but even of Demosthenes, who is much more concise.

For with such a jury there would be no need to appeal to the emotions nor to charm and soothe the ears, since according to Aristotle [*](Rhet. iii. 13. ) even exordia are superfluous, if addressed to such persons, as they will have no influence upon judges who are truly wise: it will be sufficient to state the facts with precision and significance and to marshal our array of proofs.