The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-06-30
WIT IN QUOTATION.
Chambers Journal.

to most persons than that which con- sists of the witty use of quotations. A quotation may be apt, yet not witty; but it is impossible for witty quo- tation not to be apt. Some persons seem to have swallowed, but not wholly assimilated two or three dic- tionaries of quotations, so full are they of "extracts from the best authors" and although their mass of allusions and quotations are freqently apt and to the point, they yet fall short of be- ing witty. No writer ever succeeded in making use of so many witty quo- tations as Braham, of "Ingoldsby Le- gends" fame. Hood, perhaps, comes next; and many examples can be found in the writings of Sydney Smith, Theodore Hook, Byron, and others. Curran, the brilliant Irish advocate, also made use of many quotations. A stock of good quotations and knowl- edge of the instances in which certain uncommon words or phrases have been used are frequently of much service. Thus, when an advocate was arguing against the use of the word "min- strel," and urging that before his cli- ent could be called by that term it must be proved that several persons played together, the judge made him collapse by asking: "Then W hat about Sir Walter Scott's Lay of the Last Minstrel?'" At a dinner given by an American banker a few years ago, somebody asked Lord Houghton it he would take his duck rare. "Rare rare!" said his lordship "now, there is another of your Americanisms which make it so difficult to under stand you. And, pray, what do you mean by 'rare?'" An American pres ident piped out from the other end of the table: "We mean by 'rare,' my lord, what Dryden meant when he wrote, Roast me quickly an egg, and see that it be rare." Every one flat ters himself that he understands the English language if only he can ex- press his thoughts with tolerable clear ness. But this is popular error. Lord Houghton should have known that the word "rare," in the sense of underdone, was frequently used in Elizabethan literature; and to this day it is to be heard in many parts of England, from Yorkshire to Devon shire. Credit is due to the American who so quickly and effectually re- sponded to his lordship and at the same time taught him good English word. Scott, too, once distinguished himself in somewhat similar manner. A fellow-scholar of his, on being asked, w That part of speech is 'with2'" answered, "A substantive" The rec tor, alter a short pause, thought it worth while to ask, "Is with ever a substantive?" but all were silent until Scott's turn came. He instantly re- sponded by quoting verse of the Book of Judges: "And Samson said unto her (Delilah), if they bind me with seven green s0iths that were never dried, then shall be weak and be as another man." Readers of Lockhart's admirable biography will remember that there are also several other simi- lar stories told of Scott, and all of these are characteristic, ingenious, and illustrative of his fertility of resource. An interesting phase of wit in quota tion is seen when certain we'll known phrases are happily used under differ ent circumstances from those with which they are usually associated. Thus, a professor of the Edinburgh University, having asked Christopher North for the hand of his daughter Jane, Christopher fixed small ticket to Miss Jane's chest, and announced his decision by thus presenting the young Iad du t0 hn xuh "With the authors compliments" Witty, also, was the letter addressed to the owner of pair of clogs which had been.left at the office of Ctntury Magazine, New York. Dear madam," the editor wrote, without expressing any opinion as to the literary merit of the accompanying articles, permit us to say that we think them unsuita- ble for insertion in our magazine.0 ? Every body remembers Hoods witty metamorphosis of the national anthem, "A pint of beer among four of us.' Still better was the line in an adver- tisement written by H. J. Byron, at time when there was much disturb ance in Liverpool regarding the book ing-fees at theatres: "Of with the bob; so much for booking 'em." Bib- lical quotations are frequently used wittily. Although many persons naturally think the language of the bible should not be used for the pur- pose, no exception can be taken to the retort of the man who, on entering a barber's shop, at once seated himself in the chair, and, in response to the approximations of the customers, qui- etly retorted: I've are told, the Last shall be first.'" Sydney Smith, again, in reply to Landseer's invitation to him to sit for his portrait, exclaimed, in al llIna fn ha nl