Cornelius O'Dowd Upon Men And Women And Other Things In General

Cornelius O’Dowd Upon Men And Women And Other Things In General is a book by Charles Lever. The contents list has pieces on Italian Traits and Characteristics, The Decline of Whist and Foreign Clubs, among others. The writer cites the German adage, “Speech is silver, but silence is gold,” and says that listening, if we did but know it, sits more gracefully on us than speech. The writer says that, next to holding their tongues, there is another thing he wishes the English would do abroad, which is to dress like sane and responsible people.

The writer says he does like doubtful company, that is, that he is immensely interested by all that class of people which the world calls adventurers. The text says Byron’s rank and station gained him a ready acceptance where the masses of our travelling countrymen would not be received, for the Italians love rank and respect all its gradations. The writer says he does not want to decry the study of languages, and simply desires to affirm that linguists, meaning colloquial linguists, are for the most part poor creatures.