Prev | Current Page 342 | Next

Bennett, Arnold, 1867-1931

"English Prose A Series of Related Essays for the Discussion and Practice"

It is for this reason
that talk depends so wholly on our company. We should like to introduce
Falstaff and Mercutio, or Falstaff and Sir Toby; but Falstaff in talk
with Cordelia seems even painful. Most of us, by the Protean quality of
man, can talk to some degree with all; but the true talk, that strikes
out all the slumbering best of us, comes only with the peculiar
brethren of our spirits, is founded as deep as love in the constitution
of our being, and is a thing to relish with all our energy, while yet we
have it, and to be grateful for forever.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 38: The first of two papers on this subject written in 1881-2;
reprinted here, by permission of the publishers, from "Memories and
Portraits" in the Biographical Edition of Stevenson's Works, Charles
Scribner's Sons, 1907.]
[Footnote 39: Kudos (Greek): glory.]
[Footnote 40: Court of love: a mediaeval institution for the discussion
of questions of chivalry.]
[Footnote 41: The Late Fleeming Jenkin--Author's note.]
[Footnote 42: Proxime accessit: he comes very close to it.


Pages:
330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354