Explore "Les Miserables, Wilbour Translation" by Victor Hugo on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
MEANTIME, while some were singing, the rest were all noisily talking at the same time. There was a perfect uproar. Tholomyes interfered.
-"Do not talk at random, nor too fast! " exclaimed he; " we must take time for reflection, if we would be brilliant. Too much improvisation leaves the mind stupidly void. Running beer gathers no foam. Gentlemen, no haste. Mingle dignity with festivity, eat with deliberation, feast slowly. Take your time. See the spring; if it hastens forward, it is ruined; that is, frozen. Excess of zeal kills peach and apricot trees. Excess' of zeal kills the grace and joy of good dinners. No zeal, gentlemen! Grimod de la Reyniere is of Talleyrand's opinion."