[9]
For it is a
dog's eloquence, as Appius says, to undertake the
task of abusing one's opponent,1 and they who do so
should steel themselves in advance to the prospect
of being targets for like abuse themselves, since
those who adopt this style of pleading are frequently
attacked themselves, and there can at any rate be
no doubt that the litigant pays dearly for the violence
[p. 443]
of his advocate. But such faults are less serious than
that which lies deep in the soul itself, making the
evil speaker to differ from the evil doer only in
respect of opportunity.
1 A cognitor is one who represents another. The litigant may abuse his opponent, but that does not justify his advocate in doing so.
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