Seneca the Younger to Lucilius
Quoted by Kennedy in A New History of Classical Rhetoric:You have the words under control. The language does not carry you off nor draw you further than you intended. There are many who are summoned by the charm of some pleasing word to write something which they had not planned, but this does not happen to you. Everything is compact and suited to the subject. You say as much as you wish and mean more ... Read Morethan you say. This is indicative of a rather great subject. It is clear that you mind as well has nothing empty, nothing vainly puffed out.
I wish someone would say that about my writing.
I wish someone would say that about my writing.