He would be a consul no doubt by and by, at some foreign port, of the language of which he was ignorant; though if ignorance of language were a qualification he might have been a consul at home.

Summary

This quote suggests that the individual being described lacks sufficient skills or knowledge to hold a position of consul, which typically requires proficiency in multiple languages. However, the quote ironically states that if language ignorance were actually a qualification, the person could have easily become a consul in their own country. It satirically reflects on the flawed selection processes and qualifications in certain political systems where merit and expertise may not always be valued or taken into account.

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