Theodorus of Gadara

Slips of this sort are made by those who, aiming at brilliancy, polish, and especially attractiveness, are landed in paltriness and silly affectation.

Closely associated with this is a third sort of vice, in dealing with the passions, which Theodorus used to call false sentiment, meaning by that an ill-timed and empty display of emotion, where no emotion is called for, or of greater emotion than the situation warrants.

Thus we often see an author hurried by the tumult of his mind into tedious displays of mere personal feeling, which has no connection with the subject.

Yet how justly ridiculous must an author appear whose most violent transports leave his readers quite cold.