“ To talk in public, to think in solitude, to read and to hear, to inquire and answer inquiries, is the business of a scholar. ”
Samuel Johnson, The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia (1759). copy citation
| Author | Samuel Johnson |
|---|---|
| Source | The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia |
| Topic | reading talk scholar |
| Date | 1759 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/652/652-h/652-h.htm |
Context
“Rasselas then called for his companion, and required him to begin the story of his life.
«Sir,» said Imlac, «my history will not be long: the life that is devoted to knowledge passes silently away, and is very little diversified by events. To talk in public, to think in solitude, to read and to hear, to inquire and answer inquiries, is the business of a scholar. He wanders about the world without pomp or terror, and is neither known nor valued but by men like himself.
«I was born in the kingdom of Goiama, at no great distance from the fountain of the Nile.” source
«Sir,» said Imlac, «my history will not be long: the life that is devoted to knowledge passes silently away, and is very little diversified by events. To talk in public, to think in solitude, to read and to hear, to inquire and answer inquiries, is the business of a scholar. He wanders about the world without pomp or terror, and is neither known nor valued but by men like himself.
«I was born in the kingdom of Goiama, at no great distance from the fountain of the Nile.” source
Meaning and analysis
