Thilo (Über den Ruhm) also observes that usually there belongs to the vulgar herd one more than each of us believes.(Supplements to the Third Book, Chapter XXXI, "On Genius")
I am not sure that I ever considered myself as not vulgar--I remember too much evidence to the contrary. It is true that I seldom consider myself as mistaken. Yet an acquaintance with the history of reputations keeps me from believing too much in the lasting value of my judgments of any given work of art.
I had considered including J.V. Cunningham's epigram on a review of one of his books. I can't find my copy at the moment, but the epigram ends
ReplyDeleteIt is a shudder that affects the saintly.
It is a shudder by which I am faulted:
I like the trivial, vulgar and exalted.