One of them was an
antiquarian. He had discovered in an excavation in London some Roman
remains. This had led him on to the study of the position and
boundaries of the Roman city. He had become an authority upon this
subject, and had lectured upon it. He came; but as we were utterly
ignorant, and could not, with all our efforts, manifest any sympathy
which he valued at the worth of a pin, he soon departed, and departed
for ever. The second was a student of Elizabethan literature, and I
rashly concluded at once that he must be most delightful. He
likewise came. I showed him my few poor books, which he condemned,
and I found that such observations as I could make he considered as
mere twaddle. I knew nothing, or next to nothing, about the editions
or the curiosities, or the proposed emendations of obscure passages,
and he, too, departed abruptly. I began to think after he had gone
that my study of Shakespeare was mere dilettantism but I afterwards
came to the conclusion that if a man wishes to spoil himself for
Shakespeare, the best thing he can do is to turn Shakespearian
critic.
My worst enemy at this time was ill health, and it was more
distressing than it otherwise would have been, because I had such
responsibilities upon me.
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