How we cite our quotes: (Chapter, Paragraph)
Quote #4
"I see, I see. But of course you read Tacitus in order to aid you in understanding human nature—as if truth was ever got at by libel." (5, 15)
Weeds has his own axe to grind when he picks up Tacitus, but we're more interested in the accidental philosophizing he gets into regarding what a classical education is. For him, it's the study of human nature—as opposed to, say, the study of natural science or engineering or something like that.
Quote #5
Years ago, a grave American savant, being in London, observed at an evening party there, a certain coxcombical fellow, as he thought, an absurd ribbon in his lapel, and full of smart persiflage, whisking about to the admiration of as many as were disposed to admire. Great was the savan's disdain; but, chancing ere long to find himself in a corner with the jackanapes, got into conversation with him, when he was somewhat ill-prepared for the good sense of the jackanapes, but was altogether thrown aback, upon subsequently being whispered by a friend that the jackanapes was almost as great a savan as himself, being no less a personage than Sir Humphrey Davy. (13, 1)
These lines are mainly about not being a snob before you've got all the facts. (We'd like to say don't be a snob, because, ew, don't be a snob—but close enough.) Anyway, we'd just like to take a moment to say that here, being "cool" means being an intellectual prodigy. That is something Shmoop can get behind. Also, name drop: Sir Humphrey Davy was a super-famous British chemist from the late 18th and early 19th centuries. How embarrassing for the grim American student who thought Sir Davy was too flashy to be sensible.
Quote #6
When the merchant, strange to say, opposed views so calm and impartial, and again, with some warmth, deplored the case of the unfortunate man, his companion, not without seriousness, checked him, saying, that this would never do; that, though but in the most exceptional case, to admit the existence of unmerited misery, more particularly if alleged to have been brought about by unhindered arts of the wicked, such an admission was, to say the least, not prudent; since, with some, it might unfavorably bias their most important persuasions. (13, 6)
Sometimes the most important education comes from life itself. Tassel is trying to school the country merchant about not getting carried away by his emotions. You may have the best of intentions, he says, but if you tie your opinions to strong emotions, you'll end up missing facts. That kind of bias will backfire by giving you bad information, and it will make you seem ridiculous. This is great advice to scholars (and educators and politicians and literally anybody everywhere), because you need to keep a cool head and a detached approach in a debate or when learning new things—otherwise you'll let your sadness or anger or giddiness or glee keep you in the dark.