Helen

But as it is, their conduct resembles that of an athlete who, although pretending to be the best of all athletes, enters a contest in which no one would condescend to meet him. For what sensible man would undertake to praise misfortunes? No, it is obvious that they take refuge in such topics because of weakness.

Such compositions follow one set road and this road is neither difficult to find, nor to learn, nor to imitate. On the other hand, discourses that are of general import, those that are trustworthy, and all of similar nature, are devised and expressed through the medium of a variety of forms and occasions of discourse whose opportune use is hard to learn, and their composition is more difficult as it is more arduous to practise dignity than buffoonery and seriousness than levity. The strongest proof is this:

no one who has chosen to praise bumble-bees and salt[*](Cf. Plat. Sym. 177b, where there is reference to an Encomium of Salt by an unknown writer. See Isoc. 12.135. Cf. Lucian's comic encomium, Praise of the Fly(see L.C.L. Lucian, Vol. I, pp. 81 ff.).) and kindred topics has never been at a loss for words, yet those who have essayed to speak on subjects recognized as good or noble, or of superior moral worth have all fallen far short of the possibilities which these subjects offer.