Twofold misjudgement. - The misfortune suffered by clear-minded and easily understood writers is that they are taken for shallow and thus little effort is expended on reading them: and the good fortune that attends the obscure is that the reader toils at them and ascribes to them the pleasure he has in fact gained from his own zeal.

Summary

This quote highlights a twofold misjudgement that both clear-minded and easily understood writers, as well as obscure ones, face. Clear-minded writers are often assumed to be shallow, resulting in readers not putting much effort into reading their works. On the other hand, obscure writers are fortunate because readers invest time and effort into understanding their writings. Readers tend to attribute the pleasure they derive from their own diligence in comprehending the obscure writer's work, enhancing the perceived value of the writing itself.

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