Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-02-15
MEN OF FEW WORDS.
Brief Bits of Wisdom.
from the Congrcgatl cnalis;.I

|
| There have been writer's who have I'm
pressed themselves upon the universal mem
DRY, and left their mark upon all time by
some single tcrss sentence, or brief bit O
wisdom which is SO good for its use, that a
milton SAID, "altCr times" shall mot willing
| ly let it die"
| 1t must have been more than three hun
dred years ago that The following couplet wa
irst printed, advising the druukard to-
| clasp his teeth, and not undo 'em,
20 suuer wet d1mnat.On 10 run through en-;
but what o'hcr lines which Cyril Tourncul
| ever wrote are remembered, Or who recall,
anything Of Sir Thomas Oserbury's, but;
lie comes 100 neere that mes 10 be dened7
Or who anything of Richard Tarlton, but
The King Of France, with forty thousand men.
went up hil.-lnl 80 come down ageu,
Or, who keeps much in mind ANYTHING
which the great Kepler ever wrote save only
his humble plea, in advance, for the un.
realablencss of his great book
It may well wait century for reader as God In.
waited SIX thousand 'ears for au observer.
Or, what did Stephen Harvey beoueath ia
all the future beyond his rendering of Ju-
venal:
Ana there's "a lust IN man no charm can tame
~ loudly publishing our neighbours shame:
On eagles wings Immortal scandals ny.
While YlrtuJus actions are hut born ald die
What will the world OF ten thousand wears
hence recall Of Fletcher of Saltoun, but this
know very wise mau that believed that, II n
man were permitted TO make all the ballads he
need not care VINO should make the laws Of a
nation.
And what of Richard Bentley's, beyond
this
1t il! a maxim with me that no man was ever
written Out OF reputation but 10y himself.
So John Norris's angels visits, short and
bright and Thomas SOuthern's PHYS akin
to love- and John Denuis's they steal INV
thunder;' and Susannah Centliyre's The
real Simon Pure and Bolingbroke's
history Is philosophy teaching by cxample;'
and Barton Booths true as the needle to the
pole;' and Louis Theobald's none but
himself can be his PARALLEL aud David
Malletrs how we apples SWIM and James
Merrick's not what we wish, but what we
WANT and Lord Thurlow's the accident
of an accident : and Lord Stowelrs "A
dinner lubricates business; and George
BarrngtOns we left our country for our
country for our country's good; and
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney's millions for
defense, but not one cent for tribute;' and
Touches 1T is more than n crime, 1t is
political FAULT and Thomas Morton's
what will Mrs. Grundy say| and Stephen
DeCatur's our country, right or wrong and
Charles Miners that man has an axe to
grind;' and William l.. Marcy's to the
victors belong the spoilsi and +, S. Bar
rett's last at His cross, and earliest at His
grave and Lord Brougham's pursuit of
under diflicuties;' and w H. |
Stewards irrepressble conflict; aud A. H. |
Layard's the right man to Ill the right |
place ;-theselal, do they not so flash the
light of an intense and burning thought into |
their few containing syllables, that, white |
with the souls heat, the words shine forever
ik stars
Many Of the alb lvc.cited instances remind |
rs how some OF our most voluminous writers |
nave made their deepest mark in single, terse
sentences. Millions confusion worse con-
'ounded,' dark with excessive bright the |
hell within him. evil news rides post,
while good news bats, tomorrow to fresh
woods and pastures news and Dryden's
all delays are dangerous, "a knock down
Irgument; lis but q word and a blow and
foung's AN undevout astronomer is mad"
the course OF nature is the art of God
hold thsir farthing candle to the sun !
nj Pope's order is heavens first law
look through Nature up to natures God,
Just as the twig is bent the trees inclined !
nd Dr. Johnson's words are mems daugh-
ers, but Gods sons are things, TO be Of no