Corneille did not speak correctly the language of which he was such a master. Descares was silent in mixed company. When asked to play on a lute, Themistocles said, "I cannot fiddle, but I can make a little village or a great city." Addison was unable to converse in company. Virgil was heavy colloquially. La Fontaine was coarse and etupid when surrounded by men. The Countess .of Pembroke said of Chaucer that his silence was more agreeable to her than Jus conversation. Socrates, celebrated for his written orations, was so timid that he never ventured to speak in public. Dryden said that he was unfit for company. Henco, it has been remarked, "Mediocrity can talk; it is for genius to observe."
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Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 125, 28 May 1932, Page 9 (Supplement)
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121Untitled Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 125, 28 May 1932, Page 9 (Supplement)
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