[b] In order to form a good style, the sentence should always be closed with variety, strength, and harmony.  The ancient rhetoricians held this to be so essentially requisite, that Quintilian has given it a full discussion.  That, he says, which offends the ear, will not easily gain admission to the mind.  Words should be fitted to their places, so that they may aptly coalesce with one another.  In building, the most ill shapen stones may be conveniently fixed; and in like manner, a good style must have proper words in proper places, all arranged in order, and closing the sentence with grace and harmony. Nihil intrare potest in affectum, quod in aure, velut quodam vestibulo, statim offendit.  Non enim ad pedes verba dimensa sunt; ideoque ex loco transferuntur in locum, ut jungantur quo congruunt maxime; sicut in structura saxorum rudium etiam ipsa enormitas invenit cui applicari, et in quo possit insistere.  Felicissimus tamen sermo est, cui et rectus ordo, et apta junctura, et cum his numerus opportune cadens contingit. Quintil. lib. ix. cap. 4.

Section XXIII.

[a] The remark in this place alludes to a passage in the oration against PISO, where we find a frivolous stroke of false wit.  Cicero reproaches Piso for his dissolute manners, and his scandalous debauchery.  Who, he says, in all that time, saw you sober?  Who beheld you doing any one thing, worthy of a liberal mind?  Did you once appear in public?  The house of your colleague resounded with songs and minstrels:  he himself danced naked in the midst of his wanton company; and while he wheeled about with alacrity in the circular motion of the dance, he never once thought of THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE. Quis te illis diebus sobrium, quis agentem aliquid, quod esset libero dignum?  Quis denique in publico vidit?  Cum collegae tui domus cantu et cymbalis personaret; cumque ipse nudus in convivio saltaret, in quo ne tum quidem, cum illum suum SALTATORIUM VERSARET ORBEM, FORTUNAE ROTAM pertimescebat.  Oratio in Pisonem, prima pars, s. 22.  Delph. edit. vol. iii.

[b] The passage here alluded to, presents us with a double pun.  The word Verres is the name of a man, and also signifies a boar pig, as we read in Horace, Verris obliquum meditantis ictum.  Lib. iii. ode 22.  The word jus is likewise of twofold meaning, importing law and sauce, or broth; tepidumque ligurierit jus.  Lib. i. sat. 3.  The objection to Cicero is, that playing on both the words, and taking advantage of their ambiguous meaning, he says it could not be matter of wonder that the Verrian jus was such bad HOG-SOUP.  The wit (if it deserves that name) is mean enough; but, in justice to Cicero, it should be remembered, that he himself calls it frigid, and says, that the men, who in their anger could be so very facetious, as to blame the priest who did not sacrifice such a hog (Verres), were idle and ridiculous.