Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-02-01
FACTS ABOUT PROVERBS.
How Some OF the Worlds Pithiest
Sayings Originated.

SuIkD8D VII
a proVerb is a common and pithy saying,
in which more is designed than usually
meets the ear. Adopted alike by the
learned and illiterste, il is not to be copsid-
cred the Insignificant trile of school-boy
or the croaking of an old woman. The
learned among the ancients recorded prov
erbs that they might be enjoyed by their
successors. Plato, Plutarch, and many
others regarded the knowledge of proverbs
an honorable study; and Aristotle went
further by CHASING them among undeniable
testimonies of truth.
Solomon compiled book on this subject,
the object of which is to show that pro-
verb is the Interpretation of the wise.
Provb., C. /, V. g.: 'To understand pro-
verb, and their Interpretation; the words of
the wise, and their dark sayings"
The understanding of an adage is not
half so difficult as its proper applica ion;
still, there are many proverbs ''familiar as
household words" the origin and real
meaning of which are not generally known.
An instance of this We have, in part, in
the oft-repeated tempers the wind
to the shorp lamb'-a quotation equally
accredited to the Bible and to Shakespeare,
but belonging to neither, having originated
with Sterne.
"Man proposes, but God disposes''-
words in the hearts and mouths Of all; yet
few are aware that Thomas aKempis is the
man to whom we are indebted for them.
sold friends are best" Jim Selden told
the world, some time during the fifteenth
century. Goldsmith, later, said: "I love
everything that's old-old friends, old times,
old manners, old books, old wine"
For "The almighty dollar" we have to
thank Washington Irving, as the expires
sion was first found in his "Creole Viii
lage." -.. liz ...-
"Where the shoe pinches." Piutarch re-
lates, in the "Life of Emilius Paulus," the
story of Roman who obtained divorce
from his wife without any apparent reason
for so doing. Being questioned by his
friends regarding her faults and his motives,
he held out his foot-which was dressed in
a new and neat-ftting boot-and asked
them to tell where the shoe pinched.
Benjamin Franklin gave Us the proven b,
"God helps them that help themselves"
also, the equally familiar and true one of
"Three moves are as bad as one fire."
Likewise:
"Vessels large may venture more,
But little bo&ts should keep near Shore"
We quote from Oliver Goldsmith:
s'For he who fights and runs away,
May live to fight another day.
But, previous, Butler, in "Hudibras,"
gave us:
"For those that fly may fight again
Which he can never do that's slain.'
Still earlier, we had the Latin proYerb,
by Erasmus:
tThat same man that runn'th aWaie
Male again fight another daie."
"Hobson's choice" arose from one To-
bias Hobson, who was the first man in
England that kept horses to hire. When a
customer came for horse he led him into
q stable where there was a great choice,
but obliged him to take the one standing
next to the stable door. So every one was
the saying when anything was forced upon
one, 'Hobson's choice"
s'All that glistens is not gold,' we find in
the ssMerchant of Venice" Chaucar gave
in substance the same idea in his "Yeo- |
mans Tale"
'But all things, which that shineth as the gold,
Ne is no gold, as have herd it told"
Spencer, in his "Fairie Queen" furnishes |
still another variation: ave find all as they |
say that glitters is not gold"
HSpeech is silver; silence is gold," is a
German Proverb full of truth and beauty. |
In Scottish proverbs we have: "a baw-
bee cat may look at king" "a man at five |
may be fool at fifteen;" "Auld men are |
twice bairns;" s'Blood's thicker than water;''
'sFaint heart ne'er won fair LADY," "He that
Is born to be hanged will never be |
drowned" and "Ae Dird i the hand is |
worth ten flying" which last we have in
Hebrew, "One bird in net is better than |
4 hundred flying" Later, !
Zone bird in the hand is better fan
Than two that in the bushes are"
Among later proverbs, we find ibe sama
dea as, "Better have an egg io-daV than q
hen tomorrow"
Again; "A living dog is better than a |
lead lion.'
The Danes express the shortness of life
n their proverh, To-day gold-to-morrow
iirt."
The Finlanders repeat the meaning in
To-day well, tomorrow cold in the
mouth" "Better bend the neck than
oruise the forehead" comes from the same
source, and we notice it because the sug-
,estlon 1t contains is particularly valuable
)ne.
"To cast water into the Thames" inn
1lies giving to them who had plenty be-
ore, which is too often the charity of the
world.
"They agree like the clocks of London"
s found among both the French and italian
for an instance of disagreement.
"John Bull" name commonly used to
dgnify an Englishman. 1t was adopted
rom Swift's ludicrous history of Europe,
lnder which appellation the people of Eng
and are therein personifed.
Of all the proverbs we can recall, we
znow OF none containing better advice, or
ringing more contentment and happiness,
only observed, than the Persian one, of
Never crossing bridge until you come to
l;n or, as Horace expressed it. MSeek not |