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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
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