The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-01-19

study OF geography general ana tuf-
thering instruction in that science in
educational institutions.
Origin Of Some Well-Kn0wn Phrases.
Bool-A corruption of Bah, the name
of fierce Gothic general, the son of
Odin, the mention of whose name
spread q panic among his enemies.
Nine tditorS make a man. - This
phrase originated in the following inci-
dent: In 1742 an orphan boy applied al
fashionable tail.r shop in London, in
which nine journeymen were employed.
His interesting appearance opened the
hearts of the benevolent tailors, who
Immediately contributed nine shillings
for the relief of the little stranger.
With this capital he purchased fruit,
which he retailed at apr fit. Time passed
on, and wealth and honor smiled upon
the young tradesman, SO that when he
set up his carriage, instead of troubling
the college OF heraldry for a crest he
paint ed the following motto on the
panel of his carriage door: "Nine tail
ors made me man.
SS.-The abbreviation SS. is contrac.
tion of the Latin Scikicet, itself con-
tracted from Scire Licet, and equivalent
to the old English ''to wit" The de-
sign of the word was simply to call at
tention to what follows, and in modern
Typography it might be represented by
the index gels~ or its equivalent. 1t is
enormously supposed by many to mean
"place of the seal"
But better hal they ne'er been born
etc:
Within this awful volume lies
The mystery of mysteries.
Oh, happiest they of human race,
To whom our God has given grace
To hear, TO read, to fear, to pray,
To lift the latch and force the way;
But better had they ne'er been born
Who read to doubt, or read 10 scorn.
The above lines, though originally
written in pencil marks in a fy-leaf of
copy of a Bible owned by Lord Byron,
and in consequence credited to him, it
has been shown were written there by
his friend and contemporary, Sir Walter
Scott.
This mark, the sign of equality,
was introduced into algebra by r bert
Recorde, the first English author on
his subject, some time about 1851 In
his treatise on algebra, called "Wbet-
stone of Witte," he says "To avoide the
tedious repetition of these words, sis
equal to- will settle as doe often in
works use, apair OF parallel lines of one
lengthe, thus - because no 2 thynges
can be more equalle."
"JVhe1 yOu 90 to Rome do as Rome
dOeS."-In the time of st. Augustine
the question respecting Saturday being
in it's infancy, that great theologist was
in the habit of dining upon Saturday as
upon Sunday; but his mother, Monica,
being puzzled with the different prac-
tices there prevailing-for they had be-
gun to fast at Rome on Saturday-ap-
piled to her son for solution of the
difficulty. He in retnrn went to Milan
on purpose to consult st. Ambrose on
the subject. Now at Milan they did not
fast on Saturday, and the answer OF the
Milan saint to the Hippo saint was this:
"When I go to Rome 1 fast on Satur-
day as they do at Rome; but when I am
here L do not"-an advice that is cur
rent among us to this day--"When you
go to Rome do as Rome does"
He that fights
He that fights and runs away
May live to fight another day.
Inese lines, usually ascrlDed TO Huul-
bras, are really much older. They are
to be found in book published in 1856.
The same idea is, however, expressed
in couplet published in 1912, while
one of the few fragments of Menander,
the Greek writer, that have been pre-
served, embodies the same idea in q
single line. The couplet in Hudibras is:
For those that fly may fight again,
Which he can never do that's slain.
Whistting girls, etc.
Whistling girls and Growing hens
Always come to some bad end.
In one of the curious Chinese books,
recently translated and published in
Paris, this proverb occurs in substan-
TALLY the same words. 1t is also an in
junction of the Chinese priesthood, and
carefully observed household custom,
to kill every hen that crows as pre-
ventive against the misfortunes which
the circumstance is supposed to iudi-
cate. The same practice prevails
throughout many portions of the United
States.