Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1890-06-07
FAMOUS REPARTEEs.
Great Men whose wit Formed Part o
Their Greatness

Great Men Whose wit Formed Part Of
Their Greatness
A friend Of Socrates once babe him
give his nature full play and be himself
oh! yes, replied the sage, land, whom
ever ! show my face out OF doors, have
Ill the urchins OF Athens at my heels
houting, Wonder goes the biggest
liackguard in Greece unhungl'"
Apelles. the greatest OF Greek paint
RS, used to hide himself behind his
pictures TO hear what folks would say
u them In his absence. And. far from
lespising the criticism Of outsiders,
ne rather invited 1t; indeed, cordially
welcomed IL SO long as he felt sure that
hey knew what they were talking
about. Thus, on one occasion, he gladly
accepted the structures Of a shoemaker.
who found fault with the painting of
sandal In one Of his pictures but when
the man of leather began 10 critieise the
leg, Apelles promptly shut him up by
saying, "Cobbler, stick to the shoe."
IL is an open secret that the poet Pope
possessed but smattering OF Greek
Hence, when he undertook to translate
the "lliad, he often found IL useful 10
consult the friends whom he was won't
to meet at his fayorite haunt, Buttons
coffee-house. ON one OF these occasions.
however, certain passage proved more
than match for all the assembled pun
dts. While they were vainly cudgel-
ing their brains, a young guardsman.
who happened to be present ventured
10 suggest that note OF Interrogation.
iudiciously supplied, would remove the
difficulty. Now every schuoi-boy knows
that in Greek the note Of Interrogation
is represented by semicOlon. But
Pope, eager 10 show his knowledge OF
that tongue, and at the same time %
take the shine out of the young officer
who had presumed to teach him his
trade, rashly assumed him to be ignor.
ant Of that eleme ntary rule Of punctua-
tion. SO, thinking he had the guards
man fairly or the hip, the poet-who,
besides being searfully deformed. stood
barely four feet six in his stockings
sneeringly inquired, "Pray. sir. are Won
scholar enough 10 inform the company
what Greek note Of Interrogation Is?
Yes, sir, said the son Of Mars, with a
frightful glance at Pope's puny and
misshapen figure; II am perfectly vel
aware that It's crooked little thing
which sometimes asks most impertinent
questions.
In one of Drydcn's unequal dramas, in
which sense and nonsense seem contend.
ing for the mastery and It's hard to say
which wins, ranting lover il made 10
exclaim, My wound is great because it
is So small" Immediately on hearing
this bit Of fustian. the witty duke Of
buckingham capped II with the strictly
logical and rhyming conclusion: Then
twouid be greater were II none at ally"
A nobleman. notorious for his un-
nunctnality, having kept George IN.
waiting for him for upwards OF three
quarters Of an hour. came busting into
the royal presence. exclaiming. with sim
pering smile, "Ah, sire. better late than
never May replied the king. a
think the words of that proyerb should
be transposed, "bettcr never than late,
At holly contested election for the
borough OF Cambridge. one of the mob
dnng rotten egg. which found and
made its mark--in the face OF Thomas
bapAak toh h3eduitNf hHon an Nnuer-
graduate. II humbly beg your pardon,
sir, " pleaded the offender. "Didn't mean
70 hit you, Aimed at someone else.'
$50 he IL, calmly replied the future
historian. only, the next timo you
throw shall be better pleased by your
aiming At me and hitting someone olse.'
What's going on?" asked an iutoler.
tblO bore. button holing Theodore Hook
Is he mot him In the street. Qnoth the
celebrated wit shaking himself free, Il
,m!" and on he went, Boys Own Paper.