rhetoric, the art of fine speaking, is all show, grounded in nothing but its own empty preten-sions, unsupported by any relation to truth.

That is, he draws attention to his appearance, to his surface, and the suggestion of superficiality (a word to be understood in its literal meaning) extends to the word "act"; that is, that which can be seen.

When argument is taken as display or presentation, then it eventually becomes a matter of my poster against yours, with the prize to the slickest performanc

Inversely, it is within the general domain of writ-ing, defined in this way, that the effects of se-mantic communication can be determined as ef-fects that are particular, secondary, inscribed, and supplement

Would we penetrate fur-ther, and agitate the soul, we must exhibit only some vivid strokes, some expressive features, not decorated as for show (all ostentation being both despicable and hurtful here), but such as appear the natural exposition of those bright and deep impressions, made by the subject upon the speaker's mind; for here the end is not pleasure, but emotion.