One only writes to be understood, but it's at least necessary in writing to make beautiful things understood. A person must have pure diction and use words that are proper, it's true; but it's necessary that such fitting terms explain noble, lively, solid thoughts, and reinforce a very beautiful meaning. It makes bad use of purety and clarity of speaking, to pair them with an arid, unfruitful subject, without interest, without use, without novelty. How does it help readers to understand easily and without trouble frivolous and puerile things, sometimes tasteless and common, and to be less uncertain of the thought of an author than annoyed with having read it?  If a person puts some profundity in his writing, if he affects a subtlety of expression and sometimes a too great refinement, it is only because of the good opinion that he has of his readers.