The Words Of Fools

Initium verborum ejus insipientia, et novissimum oris ejus error pessimus. Et stultus multiplicat verba. Ignorat homo quid sit, quod factum est: et quod futurum est post eum, quis annuntiabit ei? Adhuc ei de stulto disputatio est, cujus labia praecipitant sapientem, sive juxta aliam interpretationem, stultum ipsum corruere faciunt. Initium enim sermonis ejus et finis stultitia est error pessimus; sive, ut Symmachus transtulit, tumultus, et quaedam verborum inconstantia; dum non manet in sententia, sed putat in multiplicatione sermonum effugere se posse peccatum. Cum enim nec praeteritorum meminerit, nec futura cognoscat, et in ignorantia et tenebris volutetur, falsam sibi scientiam repromittens; in eo doctum, in eo se putat esse sapientem, si verba multiplicet. Potest hoc et de haereticis accipi, qui prudentium virorum dicta non capiunt; sed se ad disputationes contrarias praeparantes, et initium et finem loquendi vanitate, tumultu, errore convolvunt: et cum nihil sicant, loquuntur plura quam norunt. Sanctus Hieronymous, Commentarius Ecclesiasten, Cap X Source: Migne PL 23 1152b-d

The beginning of his words is foolishness and the end of his speech is the worst error. A fool multiplies words. A man is ignorant of what is, what has been, and who can tell him what will be after him? 1 There is yet debate concerning this fool, whose lips cast down wisdom, 2 whether, according to another translation, they make the ruin of the fool himself, 'The beginning of his speech and the end is foolishness, the worst error,' or as Symmachus translates, 'the disorder' is a certain inconstancy of words, when he does not stand in reason, but thinks that in the multiplication of words he will be able to escape from fault. For indeed when he does not remember what has come before, nor does he know the future, he tumbles about in ignorance and darkness, taking himself to false wisdom, in which he is educated, in which he thinks himself wise if he heaps up words. It is possible to understand this of heretics, who do not grasp the sayings of the wise but are ever prepared for contentious disputes, and the beginning and end of their speech is embroiled in vanity, confusion and error, and knowing nothing they yet speak the many things which they have learned. Saint Jerome, from the Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chap 10 1 Eccles 10.13-14 2 Eccles 10.12