Birthday Of Gouty Man Of Letters

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today is the 291^st birthday of Horace Walpole, as fine a letter-writer as ever lived. Walpole coined a number of words in his time, some of which are in general usage (serendipity) and others which damned well ought to be (bewolfenbuddlement).

“The whole secret of life is to be interested in one thing profoundly and in a thousand things well.”