The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-10-07
FAMOUS EpIGRAAmArIsrs.
People Who had the knacl of Saying Smart
Things In q short Way,


George Eliot had inired something Of
the knack, but hcr epigyams, even in her
eGrlier,works, were more cumbrous and less
ncisiye than the phrases which, from the
days of ST. Eyremond TO those of Lord Bea-
Constield, were the chief flowers IN the
crown Of literary men and women Of the
world. Even Thackeray, despite his extra
ordinary genius, fell somewhat short Of the
form ofthe epigram proper; and not the
least noteworthy point about the famous
carioature in "Endymiop" is the way in
which writer, inferior on the whole from the
point of view OF strict literature, has sue
ceeded in polishing and sharpening the form
Of Thackeray'S utterance, while retaining
and sometimes eXaggerating in spirit In
literature and politics alike the actual gen
GRAFTON of to-day fails TO attain this peculiar
gift. Lord Randolph Churchill and Mr..
Mallock are on the whole a change for the
worse from the Disraeli and the Peacock
whom our fathers knew We look in other
directions almost in vain for any sign OF
the true epigrammatist or table-talker in
politics or literature, the man who can give
to a political or.literary sentiment the form
which takes it ont of the regions Of argu-
ment and controversy, and makes 1t pos
session for the time if not forever.
The multiplication Of political business
and the fertility demanded Of modern men
Of letters may perhaps be blamed for some
thing of this. All the famous epigramma-
fists and maxim-makers have been persons
who were comparatively idle. Joubert
spent a life prolonged, despite his ill+health,
to the full stretch of ordinary man in work
ing up q couple Of small octave volumes.
Rocheioucauld has but his tiny bundle OF
maxiIns and his memoirs to show. st.
Evremond spread dozen volumes over
nearly century of life. Chamfort
and Rivarol, though they were not
long-liyed men, and though each has left
u certain bulk of work, obviously de-
voted little pains or trouble To anything but
the handful of sayings which alone with
great wisdom posterity has agreed to recog-
nize. 1t is true that Lord Beaconsfield' {
literary production was considerable and
that his occupations in the last half Of his
life were manifold. But it is, we believe
sufficiently notorious that he had a power
of detachment which enabled him to ignore
the mere details of official work, and the
extreme Inequality of his published books
practically makes him an exception which
does not invalidate the rule. II q
sonnet, according to the famous say
ing, is worth a long poem, an epigran
is worth a plump octave, not merely IN
value, but in actual trouble of production
There is probably at the present day a
greater amount Of epigram in the rough
than there ever was. But epigram in the
rough is not epigram. 1t is like the casual
pebble of the seashore, very pretty to look
at, but flying into shivers at the touch Of the
lapidary's wheel, \ true epigram or
aphorism is always hard TO distinguish from
Il false one. Perhaps it is because there is
SO much Of the false variety about that
those who can produce the true are shy
of doing so. More probably the eSplana-
ton is to he found, as already limited
in the altered circumstances Of modern life
Speakers and printers are too busy to
fashion the complete cpigram, their audi.
ences are too busy or too little cultivated 10
distinguish it. The benevolent and up.
preciative audiences for epigram and
aphorism Of the old kind are Cliques Of
scholars all educated in the same way, and
ready TO respond to the same illusions
select classes OF society priding themselves
on their allertncss to recognize certain form:
ofintellectual proficiency; assemblies, like
the older house of commons, governed by
rigid rules Of convention and etiquette
clubs, colleges, chapters, close societies o
every kind. No man. said tho greatest
of English whist players, sis a good player
among men whom he meets for the first
time" The epigram is exactly like thC
sublimer and more esoteric strokes Of the
whist table. 1t depends on an intimate
knowledge OF the audience and Of their In
dividual pecuarities.