ut a private individual and a plain man." According
to Hartman, "A. X. N." p. 350, "ridicule detorquet Hesiodeum":

{outos men panaristos os auto panta noese esthlos d' au kakeinos os eu
eiponti pithetai}.

(7) Al. "in true sophistic style." The writer seems to say: "I lack
subtlety of expression (nor is that at all my object); what I do
aim at is to trace with some exactness, to present with the
lucidity appropriate to them, certain thoughts demanded by persons
well educated in the school of virtue."

Nor am I singular in thus reproaching the modern type of sophist (not
the true philosopher, be it understood); it is a general reproach that
the wisdom he professes consists in word-subtleties, not in ideas. (8)
Certainly it does not escape my notice that an orderly sequence of ideas
adds beauty to the composition: (9) I mean it will be easy to find fault
with what is written incorrectly. (10) Nevertheless, I warrant it is
written in this fashion with an eye to rectitude, to make the reader
wise and good, not more sophistical. For I would wish my writings not to
seem but rather to be useful. I would have them stand the test of ages
in their blamelessness. (11)

(8) {onomasi}, "in names"; {noemasi}, "thoughts and ideas."

(9) Or, "I am alive to the advantage to be got from methodic, orderly
expression artistically and morally."

(10) This passage, since H. Estienne (Stephanus) first wrote against
it "huic loco meae conjecturae succumbunt," has been a puzzle to
all commentators. The words run: {ou lanthanei de me oti kalos kai
exes gegraphthai} ({gegraptai} in the margin of one MS.) {radion
gar estai autois takhu me orthos mempsasthai' kaitoi gegraptai ge
outos k.t.l.} For {takhu me orthos} (1) {takhu ti me orthos}, (2)
{to} (or {ta}) {me orthos}, have been suggested. It is not clear
whether {autois} = {tois sophistais} (e.g. "it will be easy for
these people to lay a finger at once on blots, however unfairly"),
or = {tois suggrammasi} (sc. my(?) compositions; so {auta}, S. 7
below, {ou gar dokein auta boulomai k.t.l.}) (e.g. "since it will
be easy offhand to find fault with them incorrectly") (or if {ta
me orthos}, "what is incorrect in them"). I append the three
translations of Gail, Lenz, and Talbot. "Je sais combien il est
avantageux de presenter des ouvrages methodiquement ecrits; aussi
par le meme sera-t-il plus facile de p