"Bluster, sputter, question, cavil; but be sure your argument be intricate enough to confound the court"
- William Wycherley
About this Quote
In this quote, William Wycherley is urging the reader to utilize smart and complicated arguments in order to confuse and outsmart the court. The use of words like "bluster" and "sputter" suggest a sense of hostility and disappointment, suggesting that the speaker is attending to someone who may be resistant to their ideas. The word "cavil" suggests nitpicking and finding fault, further stressing the need for a strong and complex argument. By utilizing these words, Wycherley is highlighting the value of being strategic and cunning in one's arguments, particularly when dealing with an effective entity like a court. In general, the quote highlights the significance of utilizing intelligence and wit to sway the opinions of others.
"If the present Congress errs in too much talking, how can it be otherwise in a body to which the people send one hundred and fifty lawyers, whose trade it is to question everything, yield nothing, and talk by the hour?"
