A'n't he an
ignorant coxcomb, doctor?" The physician, ashamed of his companion's
blunder, thought it was necessary, for the honour of his wan
character, to take notice of it before the stranger, and therefore
answered his question by repeating this line from Horace:--
Mutato nomine, de te fabula narratur.
The painter, who was rather more ignorant of Latin than of French,
taking it for granted that this quotation of his friend conveyed an
assent to his opinion, "Very true," said he, "Potato domine date,
this piece is not worth a single potato." Peregrine was astonished
at this surprising perversion of the words and meaning of a Latin
line, which, at first, he could not help thinking was a premeditated
joke; but, upon second thoughts, he saw no reason to doubt that
it was the extemporaneous effect of sheer pertness and ignorance,
at which he broke out into an immoderate fit of laughter. Pallet,
believing that the gentleman's mirth was occasioned by his arch
animadversion upon the work of Sangpree, underwent the same emotion
in a much louder strain, and endeavoured to heighten the jest by
more observations of the same nature; while the doctor, confounded
at his impudence and want of knowledge, reprimanded him in these
words of Homer:--
Siga, me tis allos Achaion touton akouse muthon.
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