“And, what is worse, the reader often shares the writer's prejudices, and is far too well pleased with his conclusions to examine either his premises or his reasoning. Stand on a barrel in the streets of Bagdad, and say in a loud voice, 'Twice two is four, and ginger is hot in the mouth, therefore Mohammed is the prophet of God', and your logic will probably escape criticism; or, if anyone should by chance criticise it, you could easily silence him by calling him a Christian dog.”

— A.E. Housman

"The Application of Thought to Textual Criticism", a lecture delivered on August 4, 1921

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A.E. Housman 69

English classical scholar and poet 1859–1936

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A.E. Housman 69

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