Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-02-05
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1.-THE Spectator

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The Spectator
George HIS sayings are, like Lis own
image, stamped on copper, poor in ex-
preston, but very strongly stamped. IT
was the same with Madame de Pcmpa-
dours celebrated expression of reckless
ness: APres nous, lie deluge," saying
'h''h has become part of history, partly
r''ti'<.'~ r'lib, partly from its vivid ex-
~ the selfshness and recklessness
Vt'f'' 'a''!e it historical. And it is this
''''> II personal expressiveness which.
- ca re cittracter so stamped is not Door.
our has anything magnificent or noble in
ta''e intakes great saying take rank
"itL IL great deed. Louis XYI's declara-
ton on his death-bed to Madame de Main
tenon. Il imagined it more difficuit Tn
die" as though his departure at least must
have involved conclusion of nature: aad
Fits grand farewell to power when he re-
turned, dying, from Bath, Fold up the
map OF Europe" are excellent specimens
of the sort OF sayings which, though con-
tanning no thought at all, yet impress us
more than the most vivid wisdom or the
most poignant wit. This is why dignity
tells for so much in saying OF this kind.
for so much more, indeed, than even
truth. Burke's grand sentence on the hust-
lngs, when referring to the death OF an
other candidate: "What shadows we are.
and what shadows we pursuer' makes
an even greater impression
on the imagination than the 9th
er sentence: Il do not know
how to draw up an Indictment against a
whole people," not because it embodies
half the political wisdom of the second
sentence. but because it recalls Burke and
his soaring Imagination more impressively
to the mind. Even Lord Chesterfield. with
all his thinness and superfcielity, makes
his mark upon us directly he begins to de-
Ineate himself There is certain dignity
to be kept up in pleasures, as well as in
business" and knowledge may give
weight, but accomplishments give Iuster,
and many more people see than weigh"
paint :" execily man thoughtfully and
ca ie3'iY anxious about appear
= c. ;at they impress Us almost as
diI ( a. one of DIR. Johnson's
'it'd Representatives, of much nobler
k''i. l"iee, they impress Us not only
"i'ii-'~t ny mnch, but for nearly the same
REASON, hat rs imaging the man who lived
IN appearances, they threw up in strong
relief on our minds the Recollection of
men to whom mere appearances were
naught.
Savings, however excellent, which do not
convey in them any -portraiture are
seldom wildly associated with their true
authors. How many of our readers viii
remember who it was that said. Nothing
is certain but death and taxes;'' or. ''We
must all hang together else we shall all
hang separately" or, even, ut is better
to wear out than rust out" which
last does represent the energy of
certain kind of temperament, but energy
so common that it marks rather a class
than an individual. Benjamin Franklin
said the two first sayings, and Bishop Cum
berland the last, but we should be surprised
to find any one in the company of literary
men who could have pronounced on the
spot to whom any one of the three was to
be attributed. On the contrary we seldom
inappropriate sayings containing much
less that it is worth while to remember, if
only they wildly portray a memo1 able fig
ure-llke Frederick the Greats indignant
wolff ihr INNER leben?" do YOU fell
lows want to live forever?) when MS sol
diers showed some Discrimination to being
shot down; or Gambetta's peremptory III
faudra on Sc soumettre on Sc de-
METRE" of Marshal MacMahon's Govern
ment of Combat" Thus. the most impress
slve OF all sayings are probably those of
great rulers who contriYed to embody the
profound confidence they felt that life of
command was before them, in a few
wei5hty words. julius Caesars ''Veni,
yidi, vici.' and his question to the skipper
who feared for the loss of his boat, What
dost thou fear, when Caesar is on board!''
or his disdainful apology for an unjust di-
vorce, Caesars wife ought to be free even
from Suspicion are likely to be in every
ones mouth as long as the world lasts.
And so, perhaps, is Napoleon's II succeeded
not Louis XIV, but Charlemagne," and
the same great mans remark, "Imagina-
ton rules the world,'' and Il ought to have
died at Waterloo
But the most influential of all great saw
ings are those which combine great force
express or implied. Thus, Cavour's re-
markable prophecy, written seven-and-
twenty years before its fullflment. sin
my dreams, see myself already minister,
of the Kingdom of Italy,"-the most im-
pressive of all precepts to have faith in
great national craYings'-or, again, his ex-
pressive saying, SIN politics, nothing is so
absurd as rancor;'' or, II will have no state
of siege; anyone can govern with state of
SIEGE" will do more to keep Italy united,
to keep her governments statesmanlike,
and to keep her people free, than reams of
argument from men less memorable and
less potent.