Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-03-13

PROVERBS.
BY HENRY WARD BEECHER.

Proverbs are excellent things. They save
deal of thinking, being general results
applicable to the daily necessities OF men.
They often throw light upon perplexity;
solve problem in morals express criti-
cism upon current events throw beam OF
wit or humor upon some dark spot. As
general thing, newspapers tend to destroy
proverbs: "A reading and intelligent peo-
pie are likely to form their own opinions,
and give expression to them in their own
way. An intelligent but not reading
people betake themselves to proverbs
Every nation has its own proverbs, though
some proverbs run through all languages.
Precisely the same sentiment is express
ed by very different forms Thus while
one says, They that live in glass houses
should not throw stones," another ex-
presses the same notion more quantity:
''Folks that have straw tails should not
play with fire.
"A bird in the hand, etc, has an equiv
alent in "Better one bird in the nest than
flock in the air."
The number Of proverbs is simply enor-
nous. The Spanish have, in one collcc-
ton, twenty-four thousand. and there have
been gathered from all languages some
one hundred thousand. Many of them
are hardly worth keeping, many syno.
nyms; but after all the sitting, the mum.
Der is very great, and there is hardly
side of human life and experience that has
not some shrewd proverb.
\ few of those not common among us
may be worth quoting:
Thy secret is thy prisoner; ii thou let
test go, thou art its prisoner
Thy friend hath friend, and thy
friends friend hath friend; therefore, II
thou hast secret, reveal it not unto q
friend"
Attention TO business has given rise to
many thrifty proverbs:
"One eye of the master sees more than
four Of the servant"
| Not to oversee workmen is to leave
| your purse open"
The masters eye makes the horse fat
The Greeks had the proverbs before US.
Perses being asked what was the best
thing to make horse fat, replied, The
masters eye;" and what was the best
manure. "Tbe masters foot" The same
idea is expressed by Gellinus: "A fat man
riding upon lean horse was asked how it
came to pass that himself was so fat, and
self; my servant feeds my horse"
n,
proverbs swarm on that matter. "Give q
man luck and throw him into the sea, and
he will come up with fish in his mouth"
Thiais probably an Egyptian proverb Of
very great antiquity, as its most ancient
form was, Throw him into the Nile"
"A drop of luck is worth cask of Wis.,
DOM This is proverb that exemplifes
the fact that proverbs are true in special
cases, but false when made of general ap-
plication. Some men of great wisdom
are not so successful in many elements Of
life As men of very little sa9acity. We
see men stumble into fortunes which 9TH
er men of ten times their shrewdness seek
in vain ior scores of years, and the prov-
erb hits these cases; yet every one knows
that on the whole, success goes with the
painstaking and wise.
Proverbs abound about reputation:
He that hath an i'll name is halt
hanged"
when all men say you are an ass, it is
high time to bray
"A wild goose never laid tame egg"
is another rendering of do men gather
grapes OF thorns, or figs of thistles p
The Italians have singular proverb as
TO preparation for success. '.Hc that
would travel safely through the world
should have hawks eye, an ASS cara,
an apes face. a merchants words, cam
els back, u hogs mouth. and a harts
| legs
There are no end of sarcastic hits at the
various trades and professions.
The devil would have been weaver
but for the lawyers"
Put miller, a weaver and u tailor in
a bag and shake them up; the frst one
that comes out is thief"
IAN honest miller has golden thumb
Three dear years will earn bakers
daughters marriage portion"
This must suffice for this week. hut
many of the old proverbs might afford
text for an essay well worth writing and
reading.