, II.12: Miserable man with all his wit cannot in effect goe beyond it: he is embraced, and engaged, and as other creatures of his ranke are, he is subjected in like bondes, and without any prerogative or essential pre-excellencie [translating praeexcellence], what ever Privilege he assume unto himselfe, he is of very meane condition.

As Philodemus indicated in antiquity, encomia of Busiris [by Isocrates] belong to this category of paradoxical or adoxographic treatises, which flourished in nearly all periods of ancient Greek literature. These were speeches written in the encomiastic style on subjects that were immediately recognizable to ancient audiences as vile, trivial, ridiculous, or otherwise unsuited to praise.

They had an expensive, well-cut air which was like a uniform, and their conversation was all about people with names like Terence and Geoffrey, Philippa and Vivien, who lived in London and County Wicklow and who were terribly amusing.

The commanders all came on board and the council sat in the coach.