Samuel Butler

The truest characters of ignorance are vanity, and pride and arrogance.

The truest characters of ignorance are vanity, and pride and arrogance.

Cheered up himself with ends of verse
And sayings of philosophers.

Cheered up himself with ends of verse
And sayings of philosophers.

He who does not make his words rather serve to conceal than
discover the sense of his heart deserves read more

He who does not make his words rather serve to conceal than
discover the sense of his heart deserves to have it pulled out
like a traitor's and shown publicly to the rabble.

But still his tongue ran on, the less
Of weight it bore, with greater ease.

But still his tongue ran on, the less
Of weight it bore, with greater ease.

Some have been beaten till they know
What wood a cudgel's of by th' blow:
Some kick'd read more

Some have been beaten till they know
What wood a cudgel's of by th' blow:
Some kick'd until they can feel whether
A shoe be Spanish or neat's leather.