I am not good enough as an actor to be a politician.
POLITICIANS
I have never been able to feel any enthusiasm for Spanish politicians.
We hear a great deal about Canovas. Canovas has always impressed me as
being as bad an orator as he was a writer. When I first read his _Bell
of Huesca_, I could not contain myself for laughing. As far as his
speeches are concerned, I have also read a few, and find them horribly
heavy, diffuse, monotonous and deficient in style. I hear that Canovas
is a great historian, but if so, I am not acquainted with that side of
him.
Castelar was unquestionably a man of exceptional gifts as a writer, but
he failed to take advantage of them, and they were utterly dissipated.
He lacked what most Spaniards of the 19th Century lacked with him; that
is, reserve.
When Echegaray was made Minister of Finance, he was already an old man.
A reporter called one day to interview him at the Ministry, and
Echegaray confessed that he was without any very clear idea as to just
what the duties of his office were to be. When the reporter took leave
of the dramatist, he remarked:
"Don Jose, you are not going to be comfortable here; it is cold in the
building. Besides, the air is too fresh."
Echegaray replied:
"Yes, and your description suits me exactly.
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