[132]
Our mental operations, moreover, are of two
[p. 135]
kinds: some have to do with thought, others with
impulse. Thought is occupied chiefly with the discovery of truth; impulse prompts to action. We
must be careful, therefore, to employ our thoughts
on themes as elevating as possible and to keep our
impulses under the control of reason.
37. The power of speech in the attainment1
of propriety is great, and its function is twofold: the
first is oratory; the second, conversation. Oratory
is the kind of discourse to be employed in pleadings in
court and speeches in popular assemblies and in the
senate; conversation should find its natural place in
social gatherings, in informal discussions, and in intercourse with friends; it should also seek admission at
dinners. There are rules for oratory laid down by
rhetoricians; there are none for conversation; and
yet I do not know why there should not be. But
where there are students to learn, teachers are
found; there are, however, none who make conversation a subject of study, whereas pupils throng
about the rhetoricians everywhere. And yet the
same rules that we have for words and sentences in
rhetoric will apply also to conversation.
1 Propriety in speech: oratory and conversation.
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