Chapter 3 [III]—The Eloquence of Vincentius, Its Dangers and Its Tolerableness.

For he has an eloquence by which he is able to explain what he thinks. He must, therefore, be dealt with accordingly; and we must hope that he may entertain right sentiments, and that he may not turn useless things into objects of desire; that he may not seem to have propounded as true whatever he may have expressed with eloquence. But in his very outspokenness he may have much to correct, and to prune of redundant verbiage. And this characteristic of his has actually given offence to you, who are a person of gravity, as your own writings indicate. This fault, however, is either easily corrected, or, if it be resorted to with fondness by light minds, and borne with by serious ones, it is not attended with any injury to their faith. For we have already amongst us men who are frothy in speech, but sound in the faith. We need not then despair that this quality even in him (it might be endurable, however, even if it proved permanent) may be tempered and cleansed—in fact, may be either extended or recalled to an entire and solid criterion; especially as he is said to be young, so that diligence may supply to him whatever defect his inexperience may possess, and ripeness of age may digest what crude loquacity finds indigestible. The troublesome, dangerous, and pernicious thing is, when folly is set off by the commendation which is accorded to eloquence, and when a poisonous draught is drunk out of a precious goblet.

CAPUT III.

3. Habet enim eloquium, quo possit explicare quae sentit. Unde cum illo agendum est, eique optandum ut recta sentiat, ne faciat esse delectabilia quae sunt inutilia, et quae diserta dixerit, vera dixisse videatur. Quamvis et in ipso eloquio habeat multa emendanda, et a nimia exundantia reprimenda. Quod in illo tibi quoque, ut viro gravi, sicut tua indicant scripta, displicuit. Sed hoc vel facile corrigitur, vel sine detrimento fidei a levibus mentibus amatur, toleratur a gravibus. Habemus enim jam quosdam spumeos in sermone, sed in fide sanos. Non itaque desperandum est, etiam hoc in isto (quamvis sit tolerabile, si permanserit), posse tamen expurgari et temperari, atque ad integrum et solidum vel perduci, vel revocari modum: praesertim quia juvenis esse perhibetur, ut quod minus habet peritia, suppleat diligentia; et quod cruditas loquacitatis eructat, aetatis maturitas decoquat. Illud est molestum et periculosum 0477 vel perniciosum, si cum laudatur eloquentia, persuadeatur insipientia, et in pretioso poculo bibatur pestifera potio.