Q:

What is the meaning of "spoken of" in the last of a sentence?

I am reading a book, in which there is the following sentence.

Some 150 of them are in the native Army, and beyond being quoted as somewhat dull, are very highly spoken of.

What does spoken of mean, in that sentence?

A:

To be highly spoken of means to be "spoken of in a way that shows admiration or appreciation", "to be held in high esteem". When people are speaking about you in a certain way, that shows their opinion of you. If they speak highly of you, that means their opinion of you is high, i.e. good.

