THE AUTHENTIC PORTRAIT
SIR,—In his brief comments on my book, Harold Wilson: The Authentic Portrait, David Watt in- cludes an extract—out of context, of course, and with the clear aim of deriding the subject as much as the book. But he should at least do his readers, and me, the courtesy of quoting me correctly. In writing of the young Wilson's activities as school captain I described his enthusiasm for organising others as 'mounting'—not as 'mighty.'
Maybe words are not Mr. Watt's strong point. He calls my book 'this ineffable work.' Although modesty would certainly determine a different in- terpretation, my recollection of derivations obliges me to accept contentedly the dictionary definition: 'too great for words.'
[David Watt writes: '1 apologise to Mr. Smith for the misquotation, which was due to my faulty diction as I hesitantly inflicted his paragraph on_my secre- tary. My chief objection to his "ineffable" ("un- speakable," vide OED) book is that by indiscrimin- ate praise and saccharine anecdote it discredits the real virtues and abilities of its subject.'—Editor, Spectator.]
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