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THE

LAFAYETTE MONTHLY.

Editors for December—J. R. HENDerson, W. S. HeTRICK, J. E. HOFFMAN,

VOL. V.

DECEMBER, 1874.

PROVERBS.

NUMBER 4.

BY ELEDA.

Although Lord Chesterfield asserts that a man of fashion never has recourse to proverbs and vulgar aphorisms, still it cannot be denied that in these are found references and allusions which lay open to us the prejudices and preferences, the follies and wisdom of the people to whom they owe their origin. Lord Bacon says, "the genius, wit, and spirit of a nation, is discovered in its proverbs." Proverbs now-a-days are more especially the language of the street; though they are the concentrated wit of ages, we hear them coming more frequently from the lips of the servant than from those of the

master.

Proverbs have an universal application. Those which were quoted centuries ago are living still, those applicable to certain of the then vices, lose none of their point and pertinency when applied to the various species of corruption of the present enlightened age. It is often a matter of the greatest difficulty to classify proverbs, giving to each its proper origin,—a proof that human nature is the same the world over, the same in time present as in time past. Why else do we find proverbs so nearly allied in all languages? Many of the seemingly most original Scotch and English proverbs trace their origin to the Orient, which is preeminently a land of maxims.

For

example the famous old saw "to carry coals to Newcastle," is a version of the Persian saying "to carry pepper to Hindostan," and also closely related to the Hebrew proverb, "to carry oil to the city of Olives." In the Scotch proverb, "a begun turn is half ended," we have an echoing of that passage of Horace, so full of truth and so often quoted, "Dimidium facti, qui coepit, habet," "He who has begun, has finished half," Epis. I, II, 40. Lock your door that you may keep your neighbor honest, seems a near relative of the French "L'occasion, fait le larrou," "Opportunity makes the thief."

The proverbs of Spain are in advance of those of all other countries in point of number, originality, and elegance. To "The Sayings of old Wives by the Fireside," the Book of Proverbs of the Spanish, is attributed a greater antiquity than is claimed for any written document in their language.

The speech of Odin in the "Edda," contains many sayings which are characteristic of the life of the ancient Scandinavians. It may also be said of these proverbs that their sentiment is much more noted for the spirit of cunning and artifice, than for that of virtue. Among the various precepts contained in this book of poems (the "Edda "), are "Dwell not too long with one host; he may tire of thee, "One may keep a secret, not two,'

"That which three men know can not be a secret." These last two are analogous to the Scotch, "Three can keep a secret, when twa are away."

Proverbs are often the language of emergencies. Robert Bruce in endeavoring to persuade the Scottish yeomanry that the woods and hills afforded them their safest bulwarks of defence against the English, said: "It were better to hear the lark sing than the mouse cheep." Words from the lips of a great man,they have come down to us never to pass into oblivion. teresting. They reveal to us the and the modes of national action. indicate their nice young men : translated, reads, "He scratches i. e. that he may not muss his hair.

66

National proverbs are always inoperations of national thought The Romans had a proverb to Unico digitulo, scalpit caput, which his head with one little finger,"

"The spirit of a nation is discovered in its proverbs." Some one may doubt the truth of Lord Bacon's proposition. If so, let him read the following and change his mind: blows is a master, he who gives none is a dog."

"He who gives

What but a low