That horrible regenerationist literature, almost all of it an imposture, which the loss of our last American colonies provoked, led us into the pedantry of extolling persevering and silent effort-and this with great vociferation, vociferating silence-of extolling prudence, exactitude, moderation, spiritual fortitude, synteresis, equanimity, the social virtues, and the chiefest advocates of them were those of us who lacked them most. Almost all of us Spaniards fell into this ridiculous mode of literature, some more and some less.
Literatura birsortzaile lazgarri hark, ia guztia gezur hutsa, gure azken kolonia amerikarren galera eragin zuenak, ekinezko lan ixilaz hitz egiteko pedantekeria ekarri zigun-hori bai, hura boz goraz aldarrikatuz, ixiltasunaz aldarrikatuz-, eta zuhurtziaz, zehaztasunaz, moderazioaz, izpirituzko sendotasunaz, sinderesiaz, orekatasunaz, bertute sozialez mintzatzeko, batez ere, horiek falta ditugunongan.