Void of repute and unheeded beneath the clouds it is scattered.2For although they can incline and turn vessels properly to receive any liquid which is being poured into them, in order that there may actually be a filling and not a spilling, they never learn to apply themselves to a speaker and to accord attention to [p. 213] his lecture so that none of its good points may escape them. But here is the most ridiculous thing in the world : if they chance upon somebody who is giving an account of a dinner or a procession or a dream or a wordy brawl which he has had with another man, they listen in silence, and importune him to continue ; yet if anybody draws them to one side and tries to impart something useful, or to advise them of some duty, or to admonish them when in the wrong, or to mollify them when incensed, they have no patience with him ; but, eager to get the better of him if they can, they fight against what he says, or else they beat a hasty retreat in search of other foolish talk, filling their ears like worthless and rotten vessels with anything rather than the things they need. As skilful horse-trainers give us horses with a good mouth for the bit, so too skilful educators give us children with a good ear for speech, by teaching them to hear much and speak little. Indeed, Spintharus a declared in commendation of Epameinondas that it was not easy to find a man who knew more and spoke less. And it is a common saying that nature has given to each of us two ears and one tongue, because we ought to do less talking than listening.
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Therefore, since listening to lectures is attended
by great benefit, but by no less danger, to the young,
I think it is a good thing to discuss the matter
continually both with oneself and with another
person. The reason for so doing is because we
observe that a poor use is made of this by the great
majority of persons, who practise speaking before
they have acquired the habit of listening. They
think that there must be study and practice in
discourse, but as for hearing, benefit will come
however it be used. It is true that, in the case of
persons playing ball, learning to throw and learning
to catch take place at the same time ; but in the use
of discourse its proper reception comes before its
delivery, just as conception and pregnancy come
before parturition. It is said that when fowls labour
and bring forth wind-eggs,1 these result from some
imperfect and infertile residue from conception;
and if young men have not the power to listen, or
the habit of getting some profit through listening, the
speech brought forth by them is windy indeed, and