Tuesday, October 09, 2012

 

A Fantastical Scholar

John Webster (1580-1634), The Duchess of Malfi 3.3.40-46:
I knew him in Padua, a fantastical scholar, like such who study to know how many knots was in Hercules' club, of what colour Achilles' beard was, or whether Hector were not troubled with the tooth-ache. He hath studied himself half blear-eyed to know the true symmetry of Caesar's nose by a shoeing-horn; and this he did to gain the name of a speculative man.

J.J. Grandville, Le Bibliomane

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