The weekly Columbian., 1857-04-04
4 seeend.Hand Werd Market.

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a-days, on the subject of quotations. No
man uses his own language in addressing
you; he quotes two-thirds of his speech
from the modern drama or the British
Essayists. The era ofcheap editions has
made the American world literary old
clothes street, where you are offered the
verbal old clothes of other people SO
cheap that you cannot afford to wear
your own Thus it is that we all go
! about in the buskins and spangles Of
classic times, though our own broadcloth
and patent feathers would bejust as good,
and if not so brilliant costume for our
thoughts, would be one savoring far
| more of independence.
This habit of using the second hand ap-
pearl of speech, in fact. has become SO
common that it is hard to say whether
some men, esteemed eloquent. have any
verbal wardrobe of their own at all. If
they have, they keep it, as they do their
dressing gowns, for use in the domestic
circle. Time was when to be familiar
with Shakespeare was an honor; now, the
excessive familiarity oft thing brings
it in to compar ative contempt. Every
man esteems himself Hazlitt in these
quotative times. AS for Theobalds and
Stevens, johnson and even Golfers, you
may meet with them in every candy shop,
every hotel. every corner grocery, every
crib and gass' house. A magistrate
cannot be alluded to, except as man,
vain man, drest in little brief authority
A frail creature who pliers watch while
pretending only to steal furtive en-
brace, is spoken of as one more sinned
against than sinning;' while the man who
insists upon convincing us that he has
forged negotiable paper to the extent Of
twenty millions, is pointed at as one who
needs something that can minister to
mind diseased;' or is pitied that he has
to bear the insolence of Office, and the
spurns which patient merit Of the un-
worthy takes and thus be 'cabin'd, crib d,
confn' d. when he should be free as air,
to blow on whom he pleases.
Odd as it may seem, even the pulpit
cannot escape the contagion, and pious
sentiments reach us through the instru-
mentality of quotations from what was
once considered slightly profane authori-
ty. The preacher tells us that we are in
itiated into the world scarce half made
up that we are rushing with unseemly
haste towards that bourne whence no
traveller returns and that happy is he
of whom it may be said, when he has de-
parted: Take him all in all, we ne'er
shall look upon his like again The po-
| lltical adventurer entiCes US to his schemes
by declaring that our doubts are traitors,
and make US lose the good we oft might
win, by fearing to attempt; and we are
told that it is pernicious when the native
hue ofresolution is sicklied DER with the
pale cast of thought In this way we
are asked MT to seek lodge in some
vast wilderness, some boundless contigui-
ty of shade; but to pass the Rubicon,
and dash forth into the battle of life
with soul in arms and eager for the
| fray
We need give no more specimens
they are to be met with everywhere, i'll
all ranks of life aud among all professions.
An ordinary conversation has become,
through this passion for quotation. harle-
quinade of dction. and the most fellcitous
orator appears TO be one who has been
to feast ofauthors and picked up all the
scraps. If we could only listen at once
to all that is uttered by the crowd in
private party, we might easily fancy it
grand vocal fancy ball, where every other
idea has stepped forth in garments not its
own, and every othersentence appears to
have supplieditselffrom the property room
of the theater. tits paltry ambition.at the
best to wish to strut about in the cast off ha-
biliments of great and mighty minds, vain
ly imagining that we can be mistaken for
their proprietors. The lions skin may
conceal the ears, but will never sufficient
ly disguise the voice Of the donkeyism it
envelops. Let us hope, therefore, that
good taste as well as good sense will. in
time, correct this evil, and that day
will yet come when originality, however
plain. will be far more esteemed than all
theatrical beauty arising from the verbal
pink saucers, lilly whites and poudres sab
tiles extracted from dead mems intellects.
PAT's T's'DREAM.-Twos sons of the green
and glorious isle met day or two since,
and thus colloquized: "Good morning
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