he contrary, it is ruin to him; for he can not display his own powers
but through something of a corresponding power in the resistance of his
antagonist. A brilliant fencer is lost and confounded in playing with a
novice; and the same thing takes place in playing at ball, or
battledore, or in dancing, where a powerless partner does not enable you
to shine the more, but reduces you to mere helplessness, and takes the
wind altogether out of your sails. Now, if by some rare good luck the
great talker, the protagonist, of the evening has been provided with a
commensurate second, it is just possible that something like a brilliant
"passage of arms" may be the result,--though much even in that case will
depend on the chances of the moment for furnishing a fortunate theme,
and even then, amongst the superior part of the company, a feeling of
deep vulgarity and of mountebank display is inseparable from such an
ostentatious duel of wit. On the other hand, supposing your great talker
to be received like any other visitor, and turned loose upon the
company, then he must do one of two things: either he will talk upon
_outre_ subjects specially tabooed to his own private use,--in which
case the great man has the air of a quack-doctor addressing a mob from a
street stage; or else he will talk like ordinary people upon popular
topics,--in which case the company, out of natural politeness, that they
may not seem to be staring at him as a lion, will hasten to meet him in
the same style, the conversation will become general, the great man
will seem reasonable and well-bred, but at the same time, we grieve to
say it, the great man will have been extinguished by being drawn off
from his exclusive ground. The dilemma, in short, is this:--If the great
talker attempts the plan of showing off by firing cannon-shot when
everybody else is content with musketry, then undoubtedly he produces an
impression, but at the expense of insulating himself from the sympathies
of the company, and standing aloof as a sort of monster hired to play
tricks of funambulism for the night. Yet, again, if he contents himself
with a musket like other people, then for us, from whom he modestly
hides his talents under a bushel, in what respect is he different from
the man who has no such talent?

--_De Quincey._

* * * * *

Some, in their discourse, desire rather commendation of wit, in being
able to hold all arguments, than of judgment,