text_original: Those who knew him insisted that he really was listening with all his might and main ; that he had sat up the whole night before studying the question which he seemed to think so unworthy of any attention ; and that so far from being, like Horace, wholly absorbed in his trifles, he was at very great pains to keep up the appearance of a trifler. A brilliant critic has made a lively and amusing attack on this alleged peculiarity.
text_transcription: THOSE WHO KNEW HIM INSISTED THAT HE REALLY WAS LISTENING WITH ALL HIS MIGHT AND MAIN THAT HE HAD SAT UP THE WHOLE NIGHT BEFORE STUDYING THE QUESTION WHICH HE SEEMED TO THINK SO UNWORTHY OF ANY ATTENTION AND THAT SO FAR FROM BEING LIKE HORACE WHOLLY ABSORBED IN HIS TRIFLES HE WAS AT VERY GREAT PAINS TO KEEP UP THE APPEARANCE OF A TRIFLER A BRILLIANT CRITIC HAS MADE A LIVELY AND AMUSING ATTACK ON THIS ALLEGED PECULIARITY
phonemes: ðoʊz hˌuː nˈuː hˌɪm ɪnsˈɪstᵻd ðæt hiː ɹˈiəli wʌz lˈɪsənɪŋ wɪð ˈɔːl hɪz mˌaɪt ænd mˈeɪn ; ðæt hiː hæd sˈæt ˌʌp ðə hˈoʊl nˈaɪt bᵻfˌɔːɹ stˈʌdiɪŋ ðə kwˈɛstʃən wˌɪtʃ hiː sˈiːmd tə θˈɪŋk sˌoʊ ʌnwˈɜːði ʌv ˌɛni ɐtˈɛnʃən ; ænd ðæt sˈoʊ fˌɑːɹ fɹʌm bˈiːɪŋ, lˈaɪk hˈɔːɹəs, hˈoʊli ɐbsˈɔːɹbd ɪn hɪz tɹˈaɪfəlz, hiː wʌz æt vˈɛɹi ɡɹˈeɪt pˈeɪnz tə kˈiːp ˌʌp ðɪ ɐpˈɪɹəns əvə tɹˈaɪflɚ. ɐ bɹˈɪliənt kɹˈɪɾɪk hɐz mˌeɪd ɐ lˈaɪvli ænd ɐmjˈuːzɪŋ ɐtˈæk ˌɔn ðɪs ɐlˈɛdʒd pɪkjˌuːliˈæɹᵻɾi.