"A small stock of ideas is more easily managed, and sooner displayed than a great quantity crowded together"
— Smollett, Tobias (1721-1777)
Author
Work Title
Place of Publication
Dublin
Publisher
Printed for A. Leathley, J. Exshaw, H. Saunders
Date
1771
Metaphor
"A small stock of ideas is more easily managed, and sooner displayed than a great quantity crowded together"
Metaphor in Context
DEAR PHILLIPS,
In my last, I mentioned my having spent an evening with a society of authors, who seemed to be jealous and afraid of one another. My uncle was not at all surprised to hear me say I was disappointed in their conversation. "A man may be very entertaining and instructive upon paper, (said he) and exceedingly dull in common discourse. I have observed, that those who shine most in private company, are but secondary stars in the constellation of genius--A small stock of ideas is more easily managed, and sooner displayed than a great quantity crowded together. There is very seldom any thing extraordinary in the appearance and address of a good writer; whereas a dull author generally distinguishes himself by some oddity or extravagance. For this reason, I fancy, that an assembly of Grubs must be very diverting."
In my last, I mentioned my having spent an evening with a society of authors, who seemed to be jealous and afraid of one another. My uncle was not at all surprised to hear me say I was disappointed in their conversation. "A man may be very entertaining and instructive upon paper, (said he) and exceedingly dull in common discourse. I have observed, that those who shine most in private company, are but secondary stars in the constellation of genius--A small stock of ideas is more easily managed, and sooner displayed than a great quantity crowded together. There is very seldom any thing extraordinary in the appearance and address of a good writer; whereas a dull author generally distinguishes himself by some oddity or extravagance. For this reason, I fancy, that an assembly of Grubs must be very diverting."
Categories
Provenance
Searching "idea" and "crowd" in HDIS (Prose)
Citation
At least 29 entries in the ESTC (1771, 1772, 1774, 1775, 1776, 1779, 1781, 1783, 1784, 1785, 1788, 1790, 1792, 1793, 1794, 1795, 1799, 1800).
See The Expedition of Humphry Clinker. By the Author of Roderick Random. In Two Volumes. (Dublin: Printed for A. Leathley, J. Exshaw, H. Saunders, 1771).
See The Expedition of Humphry Clinker. By the Author of Roderick Random. In Two Volumes. (Dublin: Printed for A. Leathley, J. Exshaw, H. Saunders, 1771).
Date of Entry
03/13/2006
