what he desires and did not support the old brothers against the new and did not do justice to the bored and distant from the exotic and close and did not fear that habit would attract him and nature would control him so let him draw their arguments and depict their pictures in a single book or an audible word then present them to the masters of meanings and doctors of diseases of the minds on the condition that he does not choose except one who does not know which of the two types he seeks and which of them he defends and which of them is his medicine and which of them is his disease. if he does not use that with what is left to him from the intoxication of bad habit he will not cease to be involved in error immersed in blame.
ما يهواه، ولم ينصر تالد الإخوان على الطارف، ولم ينصف المملول المبعد من المستطرف المقرب، ولم يخف أن تجتذبه العادة، وتتحكم عليه الطبيعة، فليرسم حججهما، ويصور صورهما، في كتاب مفرد أو لفظ مسموع، ثم يعرضهما على جهابذة المعاني وأطباء أدواء العقول، على ألا يختار إلا من لا يدري أي النوعين يبغي، وعلى أيهما يحامي، وأيهما دواؤه وأيهما داؤه. فإن لم يستعمل ذلك بما فضل له من سكر سوء العادة، لم يزل متورطا في الخطاء مغمورا بالذم.