3 , ▁V ives ▁wrote ▁De ▁cons cri b end is ▁ep ist olis ▁for ▁Al onso ▁Id i á quez , ▁secretary ▁to ▁Emperor ▁Charles ▁V ▁of ▁Spain . ▁On ▁the ▁surface , ▁V ives ▁sought ▁to ▁help ▁Id i á quez ▁avoid ▁what ▁V ives ▁saw ▁as ▁a ▁popular ▁misunder standing ▁of ▁how ▁successful ▁letters ▁should ▁be ▁written . ▁Because ▁this ▁work ▁was ▁also ▁published , ▁it ▁seems ▁safe ▁to ▁assume ▁V ives ▁wanted ▁to ▁rect ify ▁the ▁dict amen ▁on ▁a ▁large ▁scale . ▁Since ▁the ▁early ▁days ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire , ▁letter ▁writers ▁had ▁attempted ▁to ▁apply ▁the ▁principles ▁of ▁or atory ▁wh oles ale ▁to ▁ep istol ary ▁composition . ▁This ▁approach ▁remained ▁popular ▁well ▁into ▁the ▁Renaissance . ▁The ▁result ▁was ▁a ▁society ▁of ▁writers ▁who ▁did ▁not ▁observe ▁practical ▁decor um ▁in ▁their ▁letters . ▁V ives ▁war ns ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁easy ▁for ▁a ▁writer ▁to ▁s lip ▁into ▁"... ▁imp ud ence ▁or ▁ar rog ance ▁or ▁lo qu acity ▁or ▁ost entation ▁or ▁c unning ▁or ▁ped antic ▁affect ation ▁or ▁excess ive ▁and ▁par as it ical ▁fl atter y ▁or ▁ignor ance ▁or ▁impr ud ence ." ▁ ▁The ▁current ▁authority ▁on ▁De ▁cons cri b end is ▁ep ist olis , ▁Charles ▁Fant az zi ▁traces ▁this ▁ep istol ary ▁r ena issance ▁to ▁the ▁redis cover y ▁of ▁Cic ero ’ s ▁letters ▁to ▁Att icus , ▁Quint us ▁Cic ero , ▁and ▁Br ut us . ▁