The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-05-30
SOME TURKISH PROVERBS.
lI.oadea SpeesAsot,l


 quest ct lndo- European FAcesp Os has tt been case ot "ies heAnx espFits Sc re- contrenss" For instance we 6nd You shall not look a gih-horse in the mouth, ? in exactly the same words, as we'll as He that Is born to be hanged will never be drowned" the Turkish verxioa Aaving the advantage oi being expressed in ,wo words. The change of words is but slight in Troubled waters suit the tSAAer r "One flower does not make q summer s and The robe does no, make the der. wish; while in Turkey it is not DO, that says to kettle, but negro to negro, that his face Is black. We are disposed to prefer The nail saved the shoe, the shoe the horse. the horse the man, the man the kingdom" to our somewhat numbering For want of nall the shoe was lost" esc. Wake DO, the sleepsn dog has as corro,laTy $ Step aot oa the sleeping serpent :" aud we arc warned that there is~ No rose withou, a thorn. nor love without a rival" One instance in which our proverblal wisdom is op- posed 10 the Turkish is 10 be found In the expression "To kill two birds with one stone" The attempt to do this Is condemened by sundry proverbs, such AS One arrow does not oTing down two birds, and You cannot knock down nine walnuts with one stone"
 Often VIC arc reminded of scripturAl proverbs and aphorixmS. Nothing un. heard ol In the world" sounds Solomo- nian enough, while "Out with the eve that profits me not" The negro does no, whiien with washing and That which thou sowest, that also shalt thou reap" are strikingly like New Tes,amen, teaching. Again and again we ind ex- pressed n other words lessons oi charity, considerateness, and justice tha, would not be unworthy Of a Christian teacher. as" The Tanget prayer IS heard" The hearts testimony Is stronger than A thousand witnesses" Among the blind, close your eyes" " In truth Is right Justice IS hall rsligion,", '" Neigh. Dor right, Gods r,ghs."
 The heading under which, perhaps. the largest number of proverbs can be grouped Is that oi oppouune speech and silence If the Turk, As has been sad talks well, he also knows how to hold hls tongue. He looks down with the greatest contempt on the idle chatterer, and does not even think that good manners re quire him to make small talk when he has nothing to say. ln fact, when on visit to a well-bred Turk, with whom you have no common subjects of interest to discuss, after exhausting those suggested by politeness his health. your own, that of your family. the Seathes, and the water Ia mos, interesting topic in the east - you may safely fall back upon tha, golden silence which their proverb, like ours, rates above silver speech. Hear his com ments on the chatterer; "rhere is no ass but brays;" The dog bafks, the caravan passes "" Fool IS he who alone talks, and is his only listener [" The fool wears his heart on his tongue, the ~;se man keeps his tongue In hls heart" and Many words, an unsound heart" He warns us oi the mischief of evil speak ing, "The kniie's wound heals, the tongues never;" "The tongue stays more than the swosd,r and |" The tongue Is boneiess, bu, it breaks bones" Agaiu, he feels keenIy the danger of free speech under a corrupt and despo,ic rule . while he ertols honesty and good faith and generally condemns lying. The la,- ter is condoned .n certain cases, for. Some lies are better than truth" and we may" Lle, but with measure The suppressio veiI is even strongly recom- mended, for is not the Truth-teller ban ished out of nine cities z" while He who holds his tongue saves his head" and i There IS no better answer than this, l know not, 1 saw not"
 But 10 turn to something pleasanteT, ~e will quote few sayings x,ill familiar in our Turks mouth, which have survived the corruption of the palace and official kings, and seems still to breathe the hardy and independent, spirit of the old days, when courage and enterprise were the only passports 10 the highest places m a conquefing empire. Then it could be said that "Thc horse Is to him who mounts, the sword to him who girds II on "The brave mans word is coa, of mail, ,"" Fortune is not far from the brave mans head, "" The hero Is known on the battlefield" and "Eear not tomorrow s mischance-" Who but a aconquering race could have produced such proverb as Power on my head, of the raven on my corpse :" and who can fail to hear trucr ring in Peasant erect is taller than noble on ben ded knee" or "I am the slave oi him who regards me the king of him who disregaTds me"
 Almsgiving is crediiabte, for The hand which gives Is above that which takes T and 1t ofes temporary advantages Al we'll as spiritual. ln this world " No one cuts the hand that gives" and WA:: thou givest tha, shalt the u take with thee Ito the next Bat beware Of accepting self-respect and "Accep, the lafgess oi thy friend as if thou vert an enemy"
 Crea, is the power of wealth; Even the mountains fear the rich man." Ii covers multitude of faiiings, and avers many ills. "n q mans money is white, no matter if his face be black "The knife cuts no hand of gold" Bot then the disadvantages and dangers of it In | land where empty treasuries are filled by the suppression of a few rich men ana the eonhscation of their property! Truly | tho xA%yse4 s1t~t4x ha& tkM hASs~x xt