…I should like those censurers to be more merciful and less severe and not pay so much attention to the motes in the bright sun of the work they criticize, for if aliquando bonus dormitat Homerus (From time to time even Homer nods), they should consider how often he was awake to give a brilliant light to his work with the least amount of shadow possible; and it well may be that what seem defects to them are birthmarks that often increase the beauty of the face where they appear; and so I say that whoever prints a book exposes himself to great danger, since it is utterly impossible to write in a way that will satisfy and please everyone who reads it.
Carrasco in De Cervantes, Miguel (2003.) Don Quixote. (Edith Grossman, Trans.). New York City, NY: Harper Collins (Original work published 1605, 1615) p.479
No comments:
Post a Comment