The Jewish advance. (Chicago, Ill.) 1878-1881, 1881-08-12

WlC, CO cIaSSlIy roughly, IS CWOfOl0.
There is the lightning wit that flashes of
short sentence or an apt reply, and
there is the lambent wit that sparkles
either by description or dialogue We
shall begin with instances Of the first.
And here there is scarcely need to quote.
Every one knows his aphorisms. The
hanson cab, the gondola of London"
and the critics, the men who have fail
ed";* Tadpole's TORY men and Wing
measures" and Rigby's Little words in
great capitals; "'Don JUAN the style
of the House of Commons, Paradise
Lost that of the House of Lords; All
the great things have been done by the
little nations" and "Our young queen
and our old Constitution, THE Wings
bathing" and, we may add, London, the
key of India ARE household words.
1t is in "Coningsby" and "Lothair"
that perhaps the best Of his apothegms
are found. Thence spring "The govern
ment of great measures, or little men of
humbug or humdrum" and Youth, the
trustees of postery"; "The Austrians.
the Chinese of Europe; and Diploma
lists the Hebrews of politics.; "Paris,
the university of the world; and "St.
James's Square, the Faubourg St. Ger.
main Of London; The gentleman who
played with billiard balls games that
were not billiards.; and "The lady who
sacrificed even her lovers to her friends;
Most women are vain, some men are
not: and the lawyer who was not an
intellectual Cresus, but had his pockets
full of sixpences" Pantheism, Atheism
in domino; and Books, the curse of
the human race Pearls are like girls
and "Malt-tax is madness; of Austria
two things made her nation-she was
German and she was Catholic, and now
she is neither; and Of the Reform Bill,
1t gave to Manchester bishop and to
Birmingham a dandy" But, indeed,
words fully as good as these are to be
found throughout 1t is time to recall
Lord Squib's definition of the value Of
money, very dear: and Count Mirabel's
CD DOrsays) pleasantly, Coffee and CON
fdence Essper Georges Like all
great travellers, | have seen more tfIarr ( (
refnenbersand remembered more than
have seen s and Popanilla, The most
dandlhed OF sayages and the most savage
OF dandies,; Venus, the goddess Of
watering places; / and Burlington,
with his old loves and new dancesn;s
Good fortune with good management.
no country house, and no children, is
Aladdin's lamp; and the Treatise on
a subject in which everybody is interes-
ted, in style no one understands".T
the French actress who AYERS at supper,
mo language makes you so thirsty as
French ;;** and the English tradesmen,
who console themselves for not getting
their bills paid by inviting their custom
ers to dinner" The utilitarian, whose
dogma was, Rules are general, feelings
are general, and property should be gen
eral'; and the definition of liberty, "Do
as others do, and never knock men
down. IT There has been scarcely time
to forget the advice in ''Lothair, to ego
into the country for the first note of the
nightingale and return to town for the
first note of the muffin-bell'' or perhaps
to remember Zenobia in 'Endymion,"
who liked handsome people, even hand
some women" and Mr.. Ferrars, who
committed suicide from "want of i'm
agination." A brace of very witty sim
lies should not be here omitted. The one
"a comparison of the parliament-built
region OF Harley Street to "a large fam
lily Of plain children, with Portland Place
and Portman Square for their respect
able parents";;* the other, that Of the
detached breakfast t-tables at Brentham
to "a cluster of Greek or Italic republics.
instead of a great metropolitan table like
a central government, absorbing all the
genius and resources of society";t nor
should the Heinesque lyric on Charm
ing Bignetta, y with it's witty close. be
suffered to die away unreechoed:
Charming Bignetta, charming Bignetta,
what a wicked young rogue is charming Big
She laughs at my shyness, and f1irts with His
Yet still she is charming that charming Big
netta!
What dear little girl is charming Bignetta!
'Thlnk me only sister, said she trembling
kissed her.
What charming young sister is charming
Bignetta!'
*Compare ''The Internal Marriage. ."-"Ixion
Are there any critics in hell?' Myrads,' re-
Joined the ex-King of Lydia"
S''The Young Duke" t"Vivian Grey"
1Son .Fanered d Heaven h9 Nvian Yo@SngDnke" @nsI
** "The Young Duke" r. "Popanilia."
*"Tancred.% +"Lothair,r
+"Tne Young Duke