He Greek and Latin speaks with greater ease
Than hogs eat acorns, and tame pigeons peas.

He Greek and Latin speaks with greater ease
Than hogs eat acorns, and tame pigeons peas.

For though to smatter ends of Greek
Or Latin be the rhetoric
Of pedants counted, and vain-glorious,
read more

For though to smatter ends of Greek
Or Latin be the rhetoric
Of pedants counted, and vain-glorious,
To smatter French is meritorious.
- Samuel Butler (1),

But those that understood him smiled at one another and shook
their heads; but for mine own part, if read more

But those that understood him smiled at one another and shook
their heads; but for mine own part, if was Greek to me.

It is Hebrew to me.
[Fr., C'est de l'hebreu pour moi.]

It is Hebrew to me.
[Fr., C'est de l'hebreu pour moi.]

. . . Philologists, who chase
A painting syllable through time and space
Start it at home, read more

. . . Philologists, who chase
A painting syllable through time and space
Start it at home, and hunt it in the dark,
To Gaul, to Greece, and into Noah's Ark.

Egad, I think the interpreter is the hardest to be understood of
the two!

Egad, I think the interpreter is the hardest to be understood of
the two!

Lash'd into Latin by the tingling rod.

Lash'd into Latin by the tingling rod.

Small Latin, and less Greek.

Small Latin, and less Greek.

Away with him, away with him! He speaks Latin.

Away with him, away with him! He speaks Latin.