I opened a much-too-young vintage from
Graves - a favorite appellation - the
other night, and I told my excellent
wine merchant that I'd spend a little
time revisiting the writings of one
of its earliest vignerons. My impetu-
osity in tampering with a 2012 was
only doubly edified, in samplings of
sound and balanced discernment.
Where possible, I take that style of
commentary on our time as a favorite.
Several days ago, in a country house where
I was staying, I came upon two scholars who
enjoy a wide reputation here. Their charac-
ter struck me as admirable. The conversa-
tion of the first, when properly weighed,
came down to this: "What I said is true be-
cause I said it." The conversation of the
second dealt with other matters: "What I
did not say is not true because I didn't
say it."
I rather liked the first man: that a man
should be opinionated doesn't bother me
at all; but that he should be impertinent,
that does bother me, and a lot. The first
man defends his own ideas; they are his own
wealth. The second attacks the opinion of
others, and that constitutes the wealth of
everyone.
Oh, my dear Uzbek, how badly vanity serves
men who have a stronger dose of it than
they need for the preservation of nature.
Those fellows seek to be admired by dint
of displeasing. They strive to be super-
ior; they are not even equal.
Charles de Secondat
Baron de la Brède et
de Montesquieu
The Persian Letters
144: Rica to Uzbek
1720
J. Robert Loy
editor & translator
World, 1961©
1 Château de la Brède
iii 5th Avenue
from the St Regis
1905
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