"His impact would have been of transient memory and comparatively small importance, had not that impact occurred at a time and in a way to make it supply particulars from which momentous generalizations can properly be projected"

This quote by Robert Welch is describing the importance of timing and context when it comes to making an effect. He is recommending that if the effect had actually occurred at a different time or in a different way, it would have been forgotten and of little importance. Nevertheless, because it took place at a particular time and in a particular method, it has actually ended up being a source of details from which larger conclusions can be drawn. This emphasizes the importance of timing and context when it concerns making an effect, as it can be the distinction in between a brief memory and a lasting legacy.