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Quote#Speech

I have seldom known a man cunning with his brush who was not simple…

Quote byThomas Hardy · 1840–1928

Commonly attributed — not confirmed in an authoritative edition. Cited on Wikiquote to: The Hand of Ethelberta (1876), Ch. 20.

English (original)

I have seldom known a man cunning with his brush who was not simple with his tongue; or, indeed, any skill in particular that was not allied to general stupidity.

— Thomas Hardy

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