that it is fatal to truckle to what one conceives to be popular taste.

Yup, I've started reading word of the day. Not daily of course. But still.... flummery is nice, but truckle is even better.

Truckle is from truckle in truckle bed (a low bed on wheels that may be pushed under another bed; also called a trundle bed), in reference to the fact that the truckle bed on which the pupil slept was rolled under the large bed of the master. The ultimate source of the word is Greek trokhos, "a wheel."

So it could actually be fatal to trundle to popular taste. A good lesson for all. Also, I thought trundle beds were just for friends sleeping over... who knew they were for pupils and masters?