Be not caught by the cunning of those who appear in a disguise.

The more a man denies himself, the more shall he obtain from God.

Despise not sweet inviting love-making nor the merry dance.

He who studies to imitate the poet Pindar, O Julius, relies on artificial wings fastened on with wax, and is sure to give his name to a glassy sea.

Hired mourners at a funeral say and do - A little more than they whose grief is true

Sometimes even excellent Homer nods.

The aim of the poet is to inform or delight, or to combine together, in what he says, both pleasure and applicability to life. In instructing, be brief in what you say in order that your readers may grasp it quickly and retain it faithfully. Superfluous words simply spill out when the mind is already full. Fiction invented in order to please should remain close to reality.