New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-25


the original FL oonsejo de Ia majv ca POGO, 81 qa
no torad % loco " The counsel Of woman is not
worth much, but he VINO does not take II Is worm
nothing" 49, . ,
curious and interesting work. published about the
end OF the sixteenth century the author, speaking
of the tender heartedness OF the female sex Ia gem
eral alludes to the common proyerD, ~Onia,
will weepe for pitie to see gosling g0e barefoote.
There mist have been a touch Of real hnm0r aD0us
the or giDator of this ancient proverb rdicuilng'
but nevertheless loving. the prodlgaiIty OK tender
ness which caused him such amusement -
Among the notes TO the third chapter Of his HIS
tory of England Lord Macaulay alludes 20 the
vulgar proverb. that the gray mare Is the better
horse" atrbutng its rise 10 the preference gener-
ally given in the seventeenth century, 70 the gray
mares "f Flanders over the finest coach horses OK
England.
In George Herbert's Jacula Prudentum" there
are many proverbs which are descriptive OF tho
lives and qualities OF women Among Others We
select the following: Empty chambers make
foolish maids" proveIb which OF course, like so
many others, only expresses hall truth for we are
willing 10 believe that some very wise little maidens
have grown into wOmanhood like mOOrland bios
SONS which only the grouse. and the adder. and the
humble bee have looked on but foolish Is no doubt
used here in its sllghter significance Of bashfu, IN
which the prOverb is Of course trne one.
A fair wife and n frontier castle breed quarres"
reads like the sigh of some bar0nial BenedIck who
fruitessly thiIsied after qnletuess III the weary
ages of warfare. "Mills and wives ever want"
doubt the mserly conclusion OF some
medieval HarpagOn one can almost recognize the
snap with which it uttered in the laconlc
breyity Of the phrase " Who lets his wife go 70
every feast and his horse drink at every water shall
neither have good wife nor good horse WAS pos
slbly the sef-eXculp patton Of a martinez, who really
objected 10 the extravaganza OF his helpmeets
festal garments, but succeeded In pefsuading him.
self and his acquantances that he was very pat
tern of magnanImity, exercising a Judtcious rule
over the morals of his submissive spouse.
=" In choosing wife aud buying sword ono
ought not to trust another" Here one detects
shade OF bitterness; the proverb was probably
spoken by one who had tried the same exper ment
Milton in his third marriage but without Mil
tons good fortune POSSIBLY owing TO the selection
of a less discreet adviser. In the husband Wis
dom. in the wie genteness.n Here we recognize
a bachelors ideal 1t was evidently composed by
young man who was well assured of his personal
sapence, and DESTROYS of discovering IN his better
half" the high prlestess who should assist him IN
burning perpetual incense before the shrine or
that celestial wisdom.
Choose n house made and wife to make said
some strong minded gentleman. who hattered him
self that he had moulded the character OF the girl
whom ne had married. who very probably all the
while mad gained entire ascendancy over him in
essentials By hatterng his weak point OF moulding
her IL nOn- essentials.