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Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Tit for Tat; Jowett & Tennyson

1860.


Tennyson was invited to Oxford and read a poem to Benjamin Jowett, a distinguished classicist, friend of Tennyson and who was becoming formidable by that time.


J gravely said after the recital;


"I think I wouldn't publish that, if I were you, Tennyson"


After a moment of frigid silence Tennyson retorted;


"If it come to that, Master(Jowett was the Master of Balliol), the sherry you gave us at luncheon was beastly"

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