The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-09-10
ARIGIN OF QUOTATIONS.

Mr.. John Timmins, the broker, says
of that stock, "there is wheel within
4 wheel" without giving Paradise Lost,
Young's Night Thoughts, and the
Prophet Ezekiel credit for phrase
which may have saved him some thou
sands; and when he tells his boon com
panions at the club, that as for his wife,
who is rather inclined to be eXtrava
giant, 'he would deny her nothing he
does not say how much he owes to
Samson Agonistes for the words he
makes use of. When he reaches his
house, Mrs. Tmmins takes him to task
{ for coming home at such an hour Of
the night, in such state to which he
replies in gay and festive manner:
MY dear, to err is human-to forgive
divine,' from Pope's Essay on Criti-
cism; to which Mrs. T. answers, in a
snappish way, sTimmins, there is
medium in all things.'' Mr.. T. dislik
inc the tone in which this quotation is
delivered, snatches a fearful joy
(from the code on Distant Prospect
of Eaton College,) by saying he does
not intend, in his house, to have the
gray mare prove the better horse
(from Prior's Epilogue). This only
sadds fuel to the fame from Milton's
Samson y, and Mrs. T. observes that
if could only see ourselves as others
see us (from Bllrns), it would be bet
ter for some people; that ever since he
Joined that club a change had come
over the spirit of her dream (from
Byron); that when she trusted her
happiness to him she had leaned upon
a broken reed from Young's Night
Thoughts III, and Isaiah Sc, g. and
winds up long lecture with the re-
Elections that 'evil communications
corrupt good manners (from 1st
Corinthians Is, 33) The last expires
sion exasperates Mr. Tlmmins, and he
asks Mrs. T., as he takes off his sus-
penders, to whom she alludes p
If we turn from the frescoed bed
chamber of Mrs. Timmins to the white
washed kitchen of Jim Skiver, the shoe
maker, we find language not less ele-
waited. Jim throws a leg of mutton
upon the table and says: 'There,
Mary, l had to take Hobson's choice,'
although Jim had neither read the 5o9th
Spectator, nor knew that Hobson's
epitaph had been written by Milton
Jim. not having the fear of Beaumont
and Fletcher before his eyes Romans
3.1S,) saws, if he can catch that man
wot gave Bill Baxter black eye the
day afore his weddin' he'll 'lamm' him.
e King and No King act v, scene 81
ol fLnnnht
somethin' would happin ; the course
of true love never did run SMOOTH
e Midsummer Nights Dream act l.,
scene 1 } and Jim responds, 'That's so;
and they've put off the weddin' SO
often that it seems kind O. 'hopin' agin'
hope Romans a: 18) Jim thinks
after they've had smack pope and
Dryden), they had better go see the
Siamese' Twins; twins tied by nature;
if they part they die (Young's Night
Thoughts y; put on a hat not much
the worse for wear fJohn Gilpin y,
clashes through thick and thin (same
authority and Hudibras), and after he
has seen the Siamese, requests to see
the 'Liliputian King (from Gullivers
Travels }.
How much language would be LETT
us if these estrays were returned to
their lawful owners is question. How
could we console the dying if we had
to give up to Gays twenty-seventh
Fable the phrase, while there is life
there's hope p and what could we say
to the good in misfortune five had to
restore to Prior's ode Virtue is her
own reward p The shopkeeper who
ends his long list of fancy articles with
And other articles too tedious to
montion,' makes use of a sentence as
old as the Latin language, and we would
take the point from Byron's bit at
sHOlerdge if we were to replace in
,1arrick's Epilogue on Leaving the
otage, "a fellow-feeling makes us
Wondrous kind So, too, must Gold
smiths Hermit lose 'man wants but
lIt little here below if Young's Night
thoughts ", had its own property;