The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-11-17
QUOTATIONS.
BY JULIAN HAWTHORNE.

man, and the more highly civilized
man is he who knows and can ap-
ply, in the most catholic de-
gree, the results of mankinds study
and experience. Now, q large por7
ton of these results have found ex-
preston in literature in the shape
of brief sentences, apothegms, cpl
grams, parodoxes, and maxims,
which, by reason of their truth, in
sight, breadth or wit, have been
adopted by human thought as the best
exposition of the ideas or conclusions
that they convey. Whenever, there
fore, we find ourselves in position
analogous to that of the author of the
maxim or what not, we repeat his
statement Gf we happen to be ac-
quainted with it); and these quotations
form a considerable part of the elegant
equipment of educated men.
Man'festly, however, it is of strict
importance that the quotation shall
be accurate. The words. quoted may
be assumed to have been carefully
chosen by the original author as the
most nearly perfect expression of his
thought, and to give an inaccurate
version of it is not only to misrepre-
sent the thought, but indicates that
the quoter has picked up his quotation
by hearsay, instead of discovering it,
or verifying it, by the original passage
as it stands in its native environment.
There are few better tests of the 80
lidity and sincerity of q mans scholar
ship than his accuracy in quotation.
The charlatan is betrayed by his slip
shoddiness, so to speak, in this partic-
ular. A volume, therefore, which pur-
ports to offer faithful transcripts of the
best quotations, classified and arranged
for the use of schools, is likely to be
widely studied and used; and the
adthor of such a volume is under an
obligation to be accurate, hundred
thousand fold greater, at least, than
that of any one who merely quotes on
his own responsibility. For his readers
will take it for granted that he has
used every pains to verify his quota
tons, and, if he goes wrong, all his
readers will go wrong like him.
The purpose of this paper is to hold
up to public Indignation and distrust
person by the name of George Wash
ington Hoss, master of arts and doctor
learned in the law and professor of
English classics and oratory in Baker
University, Kansas. This person is
the author of a work which he calls
"a Primer of Memory Gems, Designed
Especially for Schools" and my copy
of this publication is described as the
"Third Edition, Revised and Much
Enlarged" Mr.. George Washington
Hoss is, 80 far as the testimony of his
book goes, a charlatan of the most I'M
mitigated stamp, unworthy of the re-
sponsible position which he says he
holds, and to be execrated by all those
who value the integrity of literature.
This is severe arraignment, but it
is only too easily justified. 1t is to be
observed, in the first place, that a
large number of the quotations are OF
little or no value or significance. They
are selected by a man who does not
know the difference between a good
thought and q commonplace one.
Many of these it would be tedious to
verify; they may be given accurately,
or they may not but in all cases of
this kind l have given Mr.. Hoss the
benefit of the doubt. But, of the quo
tations that / have verified, 1877 are
accurate, and the enormous number of
ninety three are wrong. Such pro-
portion, in q book designed for
schools" which has undergone revis-
ion in no less than three editions, is en-
tirely inexcusable. This master Of arts
and professor of English classics has
not even been at the pains Of consult
ing the commonest books Of reference
and anthologies; he II incapable Of
understanding the simplest rules OF
rhythm and versifcation; his very
orthography is defective, and he shows
himself In all respects an iIiterate and
vulgar pretender.
/ can give here only . very few
specimens Of his misdeeds; but the
reader may surmise the unseen from
the seen. In the very first line of the
book we have absence makes the
heart grow fonder, }" credited to Moore
instead of to its true author, Haynes
Bayly. On page Is we have this verse
from Byron's "Giaour" (the correct
reading is inserted In brackets:
Who hath not NE wAs Aashl beat him Ger ths
Ere the Srse day Of deAsA h asdsf.]
The arst dark day Of netaingns.s.
49, ~ Ia ss . "a: sSac - SsSsrs -
Have swept tbs lines whsre ssaNty aiAgers.
Mr.. Hos omits the fourth line alto
vefher On nara ~ n m 0xaAu30 a