
E-text prepared by Barbara Tozier, Bill Tozier, Stephanie Eason,
TALKERS: - With Illustrations.
BY - JOHN BATE,
LONDON: ELLIOT STOCK, 62, PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C.; AND SOLD AT 66, PATERNOSTER ROW. 1878.
Hazell, Watson, and Viney, Printers, London and Aylesbury.
PREFACE.
I. THE MONOPOLIST.
II. THE FALSE HUMOURIST.
III. THE FLATTERER.
IV. THE BRAWLER.
The book treats the simple act of speaking as a double‑edged tool, capable of bringing profit or ruin depending on the wisdom behind it. Drawing on historical anecdotes and everyday scenes, the author shows how careless words have sparked family feuds, church scandals, and even the downfall of empires. Vivid illustrations accompany each vignette, letting listeners picture the consequences as clearly as if they were watching a tableau.
While the tone is unmistakably Victorian, the moral focus is timeless: a reminder that the tongue can ignite both kindness and chaos. The author presents a gallery of character sketches—some familiar, some exaggerated—to demonstrate how habits of speech form and can be reshaped in youth. Readers are invited to reflect on their own language, hoping to inspire more thoughtful conversation before the patterns harden.
Language
en
Duration
~8 hours (465K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
Jan 31, 2010
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

Best known for a lively 1634 book of experiments and practical tricks, this early English writer brought together waterworks, fireworks, drawing techniques, and household curiosities in one memorable volume. Little is known about his life, but his work has fascinated readers for centuries and is often linked with the culture of early popular science.
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