Tuesday, June 22, 2004
Survey of Ancient Literature
Ben Jonson, Epicoene; or, The Silent Woman, Act 2:
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SIR JOHN DAW: There's Aristotle, a mere common-place fellow; Plato, a discourser; Thucydides and Livy, tedious and dry; Tacitus, an entire knot: sometimes worth the untying, very seldom.A 'currier' is one who curries (softens with fat) and dresses leather, after it is tanned.
NED CLERIMONT: What do you think of the poets, Sir John?
SIR JOHN DAW: Not worthy to be named for authors. Homer, an old tedious, prolix ass, talks of curriers, and chines of beef. Virgil of dunging of land, and bees. Horace, of I know not what.
