Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-06-11
Wit I'm Quotation.

From the Home Journal
Few forms OF wit are more amusing to most per
sons than that which consists OF the witty use o.
quotations. A quotation may be apt, yet moi
witty; but 1t is impossible for witty quotation
not to be apt. Nowriter ever succeeded In making
use of 50 many witty quotations as Barham, d
oIngoldsby Legends" fame. Hood perhaps come!
next; and many examples can be found 10 the
writings of sydney Smith, Theodore HOOK, Byron
and others Curran, the brilliant Irish advocate
also made use OF many witty quotations.
A stock OF good quotations and knowledge 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 minstrel" and urg
ing that before his client could be called by that
term It must oe pfOS S ina. several sew, person:
asking, "1hen what about Sir Walter Scouts Lay
OF the Last Ninstrel?'"
wears ago somebody asked Lord Houghton II be
would take his duck rare. '.Rare! rare!' said his
lordship, "now, there is another OF your Amer.
canisms which make 1t so dlifcult TO understand
YOU. And, pray, what do you mean by 'rare'?'
An American present piped out from the other end
OF the table: I've mean by rare, my lord, what
DRYDEN meant when he wrote. Roast me quickly
an egg and see that 1t be rare
Every one natterS himself that he understands
the Englisn language II only he can express his
thoughSs with tOlerable clearness But this Is u
popular error. Lord Houghton should have known
rhsI the word rare In the sense OF underdone,
was frequently used IN Eliza6ethan literature, and
gland. from Yorkshire to Devonshire. Credit is
due TO the American who SO quickly ana effectu-
ally resp9naeSai him 40 GOOD EnSIisn Mord a. 'ne Sne
Scott TOO once Distinguished himself In q some
what similar manner. A fellow-scholar OF his, on
s ee.HS "A substantive The rector, after
snort pause, thought II worth While TO ash, els
sWith' ever a supstantlve?" out all were silent
until Scott's turn came He instantly responded
NV onoting q verse OF the Book OF Judges: Sand
Samson SAID unto her Deliian), III they bind me
with seven green Wins ihat were never dried
psaders of Lockharts admirable biography will
remember that there are also several other similar
stories told OF Scott ana an OF these are character
tSrc Ingenious and illustrative OF his fertility OF
E,Si,cal quotations are frequently used wittily
~ the Bible should not be used for The pur
no exception be taken 10 the retort OF the
man who on entering BARRIERS shop, at once
seated himself in the chair and In response TO the
exnostulaliOns OF the customers, quietly retorted
awe are told the last shall be hrst." Sydney
Smith, again, In reply 10 Lanoseers invltation 70
him 10 sit for his portrait, exclaimed, in alusion
tn the WelI-Known animal painters ability, ''Is
thv servant dog that he should do this thing.n
several witty ecripturai auotsuons are credted
emit at the conservation OF q church where the
choral narts OF the service had been failure he
he reniied Sat least IL was according to Biblical
precedent: the singers went before, the min
strels followed after.
with him on behalf OF a clergyman who was con-
s1antly I'M debt, and had more than once been in
Solvent. After praising the talents and eiOquence
Of the impecunious parson, the friend wound up
by saving: in fact my lord, he is quite ST Paul"
yea said the bishop, In prisons Off,"
Among the witty Scrptural quotations attr1but-
ed to the Presbyterian preacher, Mr.: Paul. is one
hearing upon his own name. When about TO leave
Ayr he gave farewell sermon expressly 70 the
ladies. and founded IL on the passage, IAN wept
core and fell upon Pauls neck and kissed HIM"
Riblical quotations are only too apt 10 be used
irreyerently and q foreigner who had read some
OF our standard test books might, on reading the
Engsh version OF the Bible for the frst time urge
agsinst II the same argument that the old lady
used against 'Hamlet"-athat there were too
many quotations In II.
10 a comparatively small number Of people quo
tatfops. however witty, AFFORD no food for laugh
ter because they have little or no knowledge OF
literature. This fact, Of course, makes the Laugh
ali the more hearty for those who have. One
does not need an extensive knowledge OF ntera-
ture however 70 understand and appreciate the
uuotatton made by G. 4 Calverley when he, Mr.
lanes Pawn and one or two other gentlemen were
climbing Scafeu from WesCWafer. The party
went up the mountain much too last for Mr.
PAM Who toiled after them In vain 1.-THE
labor we delight In physics Payn," sato Caiver-
lev. nor Is knowledge Of the classics neces-
sary 20 understand the phrase made uso Of BY
Chsries Lambs sister upon seeing the farewell
performance OF the Well-known conic actor, J. g.
Sunden. and this may be cited IN conclusion.
| sWeIl y she said after the curtain hnd 0ruFped
ssWoll &C transit gloria 1unden.'