I don't have answers for all of the list but think
that(b) is most probably Daniel Defoe who was
pilloried in July 1703.
(e) is Francois Villon (or Francois de Moncorbier) who
was hanged in 1463.
Incidentally, the identity of (a) is confirmed by RK
as John Bunyan in his poem 'The Holy War' from "The
Years Between".
I am sorry but I can't think of anyone for (d)
Regards, David Page
--- Alastair Wilson <[log in to unmask]>
wrote: > In a speech to the Royal Acdemy in May 1906,
> reprinted in 'A Book of Words', Kipling refers to:
> a."a tinker in Bedford jail",
> b."a pamphleteering shopkeeper, pilloried in
> London",
> c." a muzzy Scot",
> d. "a despised German jew",
> e. "a condemned French thief", and
> f. "an English Admiralty official with a taste for
> letters",
> all as being men having the gift of words.
>
> I can do (a) & (e) easily enough, and I suppose (c)
> is Boswell?, but who are (b), (d), and (e), please?
> I would assume that (b) is one of the Augustans, but
> my Eng. Lit. is not good enough to be sure, and my
> Ger. Lit. is non-existent, while my Fr. Lit. is only
> marginally better - and both are incapable of
> providing the answer.
>
> Help!
> Alastair Wilson
>
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