And yet, we know how fatal the pursuit of liveliness may be: it may result in … tiresome acrobatics. … Flashy effects distract the mind. They destroy their persuasiveness; you would not believe a man was very intent on ploughing a furrow if he carried a hoop with him and jumped through it at every other step. … When virtuosity gets the upper hand of your theme, or is better than your idea, it is time to quit.
