Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-01-21
NO. 1S.
miscellaneous.
SAYINGS AND VINO FIRST SAID THEM.

MANY of our common savings, SO tritc
and pithy. are used without the least idea
from whose mouth or pen they first origi-
mated. Probably the works of Shakes
peare furnish us with more of these famil-
lar maNims than any other writer. for to
him we owe: "All is not gokl that gilt
ters," Make virtue of necessity"
.'Screw your courage to sticking place"
(not point They laugh that win, ""This
is the short and long of it. "Compari-
sons are odious." AS merry as the day
is long" "A Daniel came to Judgment"
"Frailty. thy name is Woman" and hosts
of others.
Washington Irving gives us 1.-The Al
mighty Dollar " Thomas Norton queried
long ago What will Mrs. Grundy say?"
while Goldsmith answers. Ask me no
questions and III tell Won no fibs." Chas.
&. Pinkney millions for defence. but net
one cent for tribute" First in war. first
in peace. and first in the hearts of his fell
low-citizens'' (not countrymen,) appeared
in the resolutions presented to the House
of Representatives in December, 1870.
prepared by Gen. Henry Lee.
From the same we Gull. Make asSur-
ance doubly sure. christmas comes but
once II year. Count their chickens ere
they are hatched." and Look before you
leap"
Thomas Tasscr. writer of the sixteenth
century, gives rs. Its an i'll wind turns
no good Better late than never"
Look ere YOU leap and ..rhc stone that
is rolling can gather no moss" ''All cry
and no wool, is found in Buffers "lIub!-
bras"
DRYDEN SAYS: "None but the brave de-
served the fair Men are but children
of larger growth. Through thick and
thin NO pent-up Utica contracts our
power" declared Jonathan Sewell."
when Greeks Join Greeks then was
the tug of war" Nathaniel Lee. 1892.
"Of two evils have chosen the least"
and The end must justify the means"
are from Matthew Prior. We are indebt-
ed to Collev Cihhcr for the agreeable ir-
'clligencc that Richard is himself again.
Johnson tells us of "A good hater,' and
Macintosh in 1891. the phrase often at.
'ributed TO John Randolph. Wise and
mastery inactivity
'.Narictv's the very spice of liie," and
"Not much the worse for wear" Cowper.
"Alan proposes, but God disposes.n - Thom-
as 4. Kcmpis.
Christopher NARROW gave forth the invi.
tation So often repeated by his brothers in
a less public way, "Lnvc me little love
me long" Edward Cooke was of tie
opinion that "A mans house is his cas-
tlc.r To Milton we owe ''The paradise
of FOOLS "A wilderness oi sweets"
and "Moping melancholy and moonstruck
madness"
Edward Young tells us ''Dcaih loves
shining mark. "A fool at forty is n fool
indeed but. alas. for his knowledge of
human nature when he tells us MAN
wants but little. nor that little long"
From Bacon comes knowledge is
power" and Thomas Southerne reminds
us that "Pity's akin to love" Dean
Swift thought that BREAD is the staff of
life" Campbell found that Coming
events cast their shadows before" and
"'Tis distance lends euchantment to the
view" "A thing of beanty is a Joy for
ever" is from Keats. Franklin said,
God helps them who helps themselves"
and Lawrence Sterne comforts us with the
thought. 'God tempers the wind to the
shOrn lamb
Even some of the slang phrases of
the day have a legitimate origin. Put
ting your foot in it," is certainly not very
elegant made Of expression. but, accord
ing TO the "Asiatic Researches" )" il Is quite
a fine point Of law; when the title 10 land
is disputed in Hindostan, two holes are
dug in the ground and used to incase "a
limb of each lawyer ('), and the one who
tired first lost his clients case. Fancy. if
you can. some of our famous Limbs Of the
law pleading in such manner, It is
generally the client who "puts his foot in
it,
When things are in disorder they are
often said to be turned topsy turvy; this
expression is derived from the way in
which turf used for fuel is placed to dry,
the turf being turned downward; and the
expression then means top-sidc turfway.
Plutarch. in his life of Argesileus, King
of Sparta. gives us the origin of quaint
and familiar expression.
On certain occasion an ambassador
from Epirus. Oh diplomatic mission,
was shown by the king over his capital
The ambassador knew of the monarch's
fame-knew that though only nominally
king of Sparta, he was yet ruler of Greece
and he had looked to see massive walls
rearing aloft their embattled towers for the
defence Of the town: but he found nothing
OF the kind. He marveled at this,
and spoke Of it to the king.
Sire" he said, II have visited most
Of the principal towns. and find no walls
reared for defence. Why is this ?''
''Indeed, Sir Ambassador" replied An
gesileus, ''tbou canst not have looked
carefully. Come with ME tomorrow
morning, and will show you the walls of
Sparta"
Accordingly on the following morning
the king led his guest out upon the plains
where his army was drawn up in full bat
tie array. and pointing proudly to the
serried hosts, he said:
There, thou beholdest the walls of
Sparta-ten thousand men, and every
l.