Richard Lingard was an Anglican priest and academic in Ireland in the seventeenth century."An Impartial Examination of the Fourth Volume of Mr. Daniel Neal's History of the Puritans" Grey, Z. p58: London; J.Bettenham; 1739
Lingard was educated at Trinity College, Dublin."Alumni Dublinenses : a register of the students, graduates, professors and provosts of Trinity College in the University of Dublin (1593–1860)", George Dames Burtchaell/Thomas Ulick Sadleir p503: Dublin, Alex Thom and Co, 1935
He was Dean of Lismore from 1662 to 1670“Fasti Ecclesiae Hibernicae: The succession of the Prelates- Volume 1” Cotton, H p168: Dublin, Hodges, 1848 and Regius Professor of Divinity at TCD from 1670 to 1678.Former Provosts, TCD
In his 1696 pamphlet titled "A Letter of Advice to a Young Gentleman Leaving the University Concerning His Behaviour and Conversation in the World," Lingard wrote, "If you would read a mans [sic] Disposition, see him Game, you will then learn more of him in one hour, than in seven Years Conversation." This appears to be the source of the similar statement "You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation", which has been mis-attributed to Plato since at least as early as the 1950s."FACT CHECK: Did Plato Say, ‘You Can Discover More About A Person In An Hour Of Play Than In A Year Of Conversation’?" Sylvester, Brad 2019-11-06, accessed 2021-10-28
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