Talent of His Taciturnity
on April 22, 2023
One more, from the response:
I admire the Correctness of your history of the ten talents committed to the Subject of your letter. Upon the talent of his taciturnity Mr Liston gave me the following Anecdote, “that he was the only person he had ever known (and he had conversed with several crowned heads and many of the first nobility in Europe) who made no reply of any kind to a question that he did not chuse to Answer.”—
From Benjamin rush to John Adams, December 15, 1807 (Source.)
↓ Transcript
Panel 1:
Caption: George Washington's "Ten Talents." The word "ten" has been crossed out and edited as "eleven."
John Adams reads an email off of his smart phone: ""Benjamin Rush wrote back. “I admire the Correctness of your history of the ten talents" of George Washington."
Panel 2:
Adams: "He even added one more: “he is the only person who made no reply of any kind to a question that he did not choose to Answer.”"
Panel 3:
A stoic George Washington enters.
Adams: "Is that true, Washington? Do you also have a talent for taciturnity?"
Panel 4:
Washington remains silent, slightly turning his head up.
Caption: George Washington's "Ten Talents." The word "ten" has been crossed out and edited as "eleven."
John Adams reads an email off of his smart phone: ""Benjamin Rush wrote back. “I admire the Correctness of your history of the ten talents" of George Washington."
Panel 2:
Adams: "He even added one more: “he is the only person who made no reply of any kind to a question that he did not choose to Answer.”"
Panel 3:
A stoic George Washington enters.
Adams: "Is that true, Washington? Do you also have a talent for taciturnity?"
Panel 4:
Washington remains silent, slightly turning his head up.
