Silent Poetry, Speaking Painting

TO THE READER

—[feared], lest as the poet says, while
Horace Quintus Horatius Flaccus (65–8 BCE), a leading Roman lyric poet. This quote is from his Ars Poetica.

he strives to be brief, he becomes obscure. original: "dum brevis esse laborat, obscurus fieret." Indeed, there has never existed anyone among writers who did not find it necessary to repeatedly make use of that saying of Aristotle, who asked his readers
At the end of the Sophistical Refutations original: "in fin. Elench." This refers to the conclusion of Aristotle's Sophistici Elenchi, where he discusses the development of his logical system.

to grant pardon for what has been omitted from the system, but to feel great gratitude for what has been discovered. original: "τοῖς μὲν παραλελειμμένοις τῆς μεθόδου συγγνώμην, τοῖς δ' εὑρημένοις πολλὴν χάριν ἔχειν." This is so they might grant pardon for any carelessness in the writing (should there be any), but might pursue what was skillfully devised with many expressions of gratitude. But I also do not trust that I can imitate the Lesbian rule The "Lesbian rule" (Lesbia regula) was a flexible leaden ruler used by ancient builders on the island of Lesbos. Metaphorically, it refers to a standard that is adapted to suit the work, rather than a rigid one., so that just as—