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| The Prince of Humanists *cough* Hans Holbein the Younger, Portrait of Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam (1523) |
"Some teach that boys should keep in the gas of their bellies by compressing their buttocks. But it is not civil to become ill while you are trying to seem polite. If it is possible to leave, let him do it alone, but if not, follow the ancient proverb: Hide the fart with a cough."
Desiderius Erasmus, De civilitate morum puerilium (1530)Signature achievements of Erasmus, Prince of Humanists: groundbreaking scholarship, incisive social criticism, and the rediscovery of ancient fart-concealing techniques.
I'm curious about the source of the "ancient proverb"...citation, please, Erasmus!
ReplyDeleteI believe that, through careful application of the Socratic method, we can determine that indeed he who smelled it dealt it.
ReplyDeleteBut one could also deduce that "He who denied it, supplied it".
DeleteErasmus has a very serious look on his face in that portrait...do you suppose he was compressing his buttocks?
ReplyDeleteThats gotta be painful
ReplyDelete