The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-08-04
A FEW FAMOUS REBUKEs.
Notes from Few Secular Rec ,reis and Conn
paratively Modern Instances.

Notes from a Few Secular Rec ,rds and Conn
paratively Modern Instances.
All the Year Round.
Edmund Kean was won't to say of himself
that he could. see a sneer across Salisbury
Plain, and his career gave special signifl-
canoe to the expression. He had the sensi-
tive temperament indicated by his hyper
bol!e saying. and in his earlier years be had.
20 greater degree than most other men of
whose lives we have record, suffered from the
slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.
Nober than any of the rebukss directed
against those who had wounded his feelings
in the days of his poverty, was that which,
when fame and fortune were smiling upon
him, he administered to the Earl of Essex.
That nobleman, who was one OF his most ar
dent admirers, demonstrated with him for be-
ing seen arm-in-arm with Incledon, the sing
er, telling him that it would initiate against
his being received in aristocratic circles.
Kean replied: MY lord. Mr. Incledon was
my friend in the strictest sense of the word,
when had scarcely another friend in the
world; and if 1 should now desert him in
the decline of his popularity, or fall of his
fortune, l should little deserve the friend
ship of any man, and be quite unworthy the
favorable opinion your lordship has done me
the honor to entertain of me-"
As of Edmund Kean so of the brilliant wit
and orator, John Philpot Curran, it may be
readily believed that his delivery of a rebuke
was specially effective. Once when engaged
in case that was being tried before Fitzgib-
bon, ths Irish Chancellor that functionary
had brought On to the bench with him a
large Newfoundland dog, to which he was
ostentatiously attentive while the advocate
was addressing elaborate argument to
him. At a critical point of the speech the
judge turned quite away, and ap-
peared to be wholly engrossed with the dog.
Curran ceased to speak. go on, go on, Mr..
Curran," exclaimed the Chancellor. "Oh,
beg your pardon" said Curran, II was under
the impression that your lordships were in
consultation" But far more scathing re-
buke was that with which Curran ''set
down" Judge Robinson. The last-named
parsonage was the author of number of ILL
written but INSCRIPTIONS and scurrilous
pamphlets in favor of the government of the
day. As he was not known to have any
other recommendation, it was more than
suspected that he had been raised to the
judicial bench solely in reward for political
hack-work. AT tune when Curran, though
rising into notice was still poor and strug-
Cling man, he was speaking in the court over
which Robinson presided. Touching upon
some opinion that had been put forward by
the opposing counsel, he remarked that he
| had examined all his books, and could not
find single case that supported the conten-
ton of the other side.
THAT may be, Mr. Curran," sneered Rob-
inson, "but l suspect your law library is
rather limited" For a moment Curran
eyed the purse-proud toady of the political
powers that were, and then broke forth: sit
is very true my lord, that / am poor, and
this circumstance has certainly rather cur
tailed my library. My books are not nu-
merous, but they are select, and hope have
been perused with proper dispositions.
have prepared myself for this high profess
sion rather by the study of few good books
thar no nj a ms
bad ones I am not ashamed of my poverty,
but | should be ashamed of my wealth il
could stoep to acquire 1t by servility and cor
ruption. If l rise not to rank, l shall at
least be honest, and should l ever cease to be
So many an example shows me that an i'll.
acquired elevation, by making me more con-
spcuous would only make me the more
universally and VIGOROUSLY contemplate"
Very neat and characteristic, in the way of
practical rebukes, was that of Talleyrand to
a faithful but too inquisitive confidential
servant whom he saw from the window of his
apartment coolly reading letter intrusted to
him to deliver. On the next day a similar
commission was confided to the servant
and to the second letter was added post
script couched in the following terms: "You
can send verbal answer by the bearer. He
is perfectly well acquainted with the whole
affair, having taken the precaution to read
this previous to its delivery"
Not bad in its way either was Lord Ches-
terfelds practically humorous rebuke of the
craze for having far-reaching portrait gale
RES of ancestors. In his own gallery he
placed two old heads, inscribed respectively
Adam de Stanhope and Eve de Stanhope.
OF the rebuke indirect one of the finest
examples is that attributed to DIR. South
Once when preaching before Charles II he
observed that the monarch and several of
his attendants had fallen asleep. Presently
one of the latter began to snore, .whereupon
- IL. l.1l-s rff -
claimed: Lord Lauderdale. am sorry to in
terrupt your repose, but let me entreat you
not to snore SO loud lest you awaken his
Majesty"
Incisive and dry as becomes its nationality,
was the rebuke of the Scotch shepherd to
Lord Cockburn, of Boualy. That noblemsn
was sitting on the hillside with the shepherd,
and observing the sheep reposng in the cold
est situation, he said to him: John, if
were sheep would lie on the other side OF
the hill" The shepherd answered: AVE,
my Lord, but if We had been sheep We
would hae had mair sense"