Obiter Dicta

An obiter dictum, in the language of the law, is a gratuitous opinion, an individual impertinence, which, whether it be wise or foolish, right or wrong, bindeth none, not even the lips that utter it. Augustine Birrell published this story to portray the imaginary lives of both fictional and real-life characters, from Falstaff to Thomas Carlyle. Though a short book, it introduced the topic of opinion pieces in a skillful way.