Note 116 — Chapter III · ANCESTRY OF SHAKESPEARE’S ROMAN PLAYS

Espineux et ferré (ii. iv.). Perhaps ferré should be rendered difficult rather than crabbed. But even thorny and difficult are hardly words that one would apply to Plutarch. Montaigne’s meaning may perhaps be illustrated by the criticism of Paley: “Plutarch’s Greek is not like Lucian’s, fluent and easy, nor even clear.” He uses many words not in the ordinary Greek vocabulary; and he too often constructs long sentences, the thread of which separately as well as the connection cannot be traced without close attention. Hence he is unattractive as a writer.