Ivory Black
Feb. 12th, 2012 10:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
todayiamadaisyA propos Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions: As I mentioned yesterday, the recounting of the Mississippi bubble had Parisians chatting in basic French, then changing to English for the complicated stuff. Now the book has moved on to the South Sea Bubble and the action has moved to London, where we learn that English people speak English, except when they want to have a deep thought, which they think in Latin. As it says:
This was a great disappointment to the Earl of Oxford and his party, who were reminded much oftener than they found agreeable of the "Parturiunt montes, nascitur ridiculous mus".
Righty-o then.
That turns out to be a quote from Horace: The mountains will be in labour, and a ridiculous mouse will be brought forth. That's what the Earl of Oxford and his party spent a lot of time thinking about. Really?
This was a great disappointment to the Earl of Oxford and his party, who were reminded much oftener than they found agreeable of the "Parturiunt montes, nascitur ridiculous mus".
Righty-o then.
That turns out to be a quote from Horace: The mountains will be in labour, and a ridiculous mouse will be brought forth. That's what the Earl of Oxford and his party spent a lot of time thinking about. Really?