Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-12-28
H.berbole Of Different Nations

The Spsniards and the GasconS have been the
greatest practicers OF the art OF hyperbole. In
the seventeenth century q little book was pub
Iished with the title "Al-man-s!r. or Rhoiom-
ontades OF the Most Horrible, Terrible. and In
yihciele CAPTAIN SIR Frederick Fight-all." This
contains many OF the gasconades quoted in more
modern jest bOoks. Here Is one OF thess that
has undergone various alterations: " II come
TO thee with my foot viii kick thee so high in
10 The air that had>t thou ten csrtloals OF bread
thou shouldst be in greater fear OF starving than
OF falling" Another is an elaborate description
OF the vsporer's furniture: "My bedstead is
made OF the ribs OF giants, the ticking of NV bed
Is hlled with the mustaches of the masters Of tn
camp TO the Grand Turk" and 20 on. The
more modern versions Of these stories gain much
In form, as IN the fOllowieg instances: A Gascon
while skating, was pushed down by an acquain-
lance; he got mp. and said, in a rage, - Ii Is
very lucky for you sir, that don't dislike fall
ing" An officer hearing some one celebrating
the exploits of a prince who, in two assaults M,
on town, had killed six men with his own
hand, cried out, Bah, L would have you to
know that the very mattresses I sleep on are
stuffed with nothing but the whiSkers of those
whom have sent to siumber in another world"
Another Gascon, in proof of his nobility, as
serted that " in his fathers castle they used no
other hre-wo0d than the batons of the different
marsbals of France of his own family" A sol.
der said =" he had been in so many battles and
had been so battered with bullets. that he syore
he had mine OF lead in his inside.D
The Greeks were great inventors of these saw
lngs. On DienCces, the Spartan, being told he
number OF Aerxes' army was so great that when
they shot forth their arrows the sun would be
darkened by their multitude, he answered, {" If
the Medes darken the sun, we shall have our
hght In the shade" The American humor par
takes slightly OF this same character and extra
yagance, but il ia, nevertheless the growth of
the soil. The vastReSs of the country which is
said to be bounded on the east by the Atlantic
ocean, on the north by the aurora borealis, on
the west by the setting sun, and on the south nv
the day of judgment, and the peculiar circum-
stances in which the people are placed can be
traced in most OF these stories. The hyperboli-
SnpeiPS n icar bup
much IN vogue some years ago, and such stories
az the following were once common: "A man
was so tall that he had to go up ladder TO
shave himself 'anOther was so strong that
his sneeze woulG kill buffalo across the Missis-
sIppl river" "a Massachusetts pig was SO lean
that IL was necessary TO tie knot in its tail 10
prevent 1t getting through the chinks of the
paiing." IAN American artist painted snow
storm so natural that he caught bad cold by
sitting near 1t with his coat OFF," "SOme land
was 80 rich that a squash vine. in its rand
CROWN, overlook drove of pigs" The rea-
son why cream is dear, is that milk has risen SO
nigh that cream can't reach the top" There is
capital story, in which it is related that ga
coach drove through the country so fast, and
the Inile-stOnes passed 20 quickly bv, that the
passengers thought they were ia a church
yard" This coach, however. was beaten by the
'skipPer, which went SO tarnation fast, tn az in
saillng round Long Island she left her shadow
three and halt miles behind her"
Major n, when asked whether he was seri-
ously ln) ured by the explosion of tue boiler OF
the ST Leonard steamer, replied .sthat ne was
so used 10 be blown up by his wife. that a mere
steamer had 10 effect upon him." The evidence
OF witness in liie-insursnce case involved in
the blOwing-up of a steamboat on the Ohio is
droli, just because il is characteristic. The
witness knew the missing man, and saw him on
the deck OF the steamer before the EXPLOSION
when asked by the lawyer, what was the last
TINE You saw him?' he answered, THE very
last time ever set eyes on him was when the
bileT burst, ana was going mp, met him and
the smoke pipe coming down. II is not fair
that the foreigners should have all the lies to
themselves; so we will let the EnRlishman nut
in an appearance. 4 commsr cial traveller
baastng that his firm spent 1890 year for wri-
ung-ink alone, was answered, 'sDuTing the last
twelve months we have saved in that article
alone u 90, by M erely emitting the dots to our
5, anu the crosses to our Is" One of he best
specimens of rhOdOmOntade is the following
story, which we have not seen in print: Two
men, who were famous for their yaporing, laid
wager as to which could tell the biggest lie
One said that he was in ''the mid ocean. far
away from land when he espied man swim
ming. The ship was stopped and preparations
were made for taking the man in, whe q he cried
out, Il am all right, and only want to know the
latitude and longitude, for 1 am swimming TO
England " This seemed sufi ciently improba
bic, but the other capped IL by asking whether
his friend had seen the man again." and being
answered in the negative, said, Then [ am
he.'-BTitiSh Oudrter7y.