PATRICK HENRY DELIVERING HIS CELEBRATED SPEECH
[CHAPTER II]
“AM I A GENIUS?”
True merit is like a river, the deeper it is the less noise it makes.—Halifax.
You hope, and perchance believe, no doubt, that when you have a full opportunity to show the world what sort of timber you are made of that it will look upon you as being a “genius.” Almost every boy cherishes some such aspiration. And why not? Such a trend of thought is to be encouraged. It is proper and commendable. We would all be geniuses if we could.
We know what we are, but not what we may be.—Shakespeare.
The world admires a genius. If he is the genuine article it seeks his autograph, prints his picture in books and newspapers, and when he passes away it is likely to build a monument over his remains.
Vacillation is the prominent feature of weakness of character.—Voltaire.
And can we all be geniuses? Some say we can and some say we cannot, quite. Some say geniuses are born and some say they are self-made.