Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-09
WISDOM IN PROVERBS
COME SAGE SAYINGS DECLARED
IMMORAL.
Wise Laws That Do Not Embody an
Ethical Precept-Maxims
- That Are Bad.

Mr. F. E. Hume has collated the sayings
OF popular sages in all chimes and GEN.
turtles. The study Of proverbs, he tells US.
shows "how beneath the burning sun of
Bengal or Ashanti, in the tents Of the
Crees or amid the SHOWS of Lapland, the
thoughts OF men on the great problems that
confront the race are striking at one" In
spite OF this assurance Mr. Hume is COM
PEELED, in the course of his discriminating
pages, to show that the thoughts Of men.
as expressed in proverbs, are often dis
ccrdant, and even offensive to his sense of
equity Websters definition Of a proverb
as "a common or pithy expression which
embodies some moral precept or admitted
truth, provokes the remark that some
few Of these popular sayings are not alto
eether moral In their teaching" Admitted
truths IN Lapland may be questioned in a
more complicated society, and the burning
hyperbole distastefui to more temperate
and less populated regions. Lord Chester
neld said that proverbs were beneath the
n notice OF the man of fashion," and Mr..
Hume BUSINESSES this opinion with scant
ceremony. But he may remember that
Poion1us was full of proverbs, and it seems
lndlsputable that Lord Chesterfield had the
clearer head of the two.
Sayings Of Polonius.
1t Is all very well to say that proverbs
are Tor the man of the busy world store
house Of practical WISDOM" but we sus-
pect Shakespeare Of sly suggestion that
they were Of precious little use to the chief
adviser of King Claudius. The busy man
OF the world might pay more heed to them
II they We're of less doubtful utility. Muir
der Will out said Hamlet but he had the
assistance or a ghost, and at.Scotland Yard
that Kind OF detective is not available. The
famous assertion that early bedtime makes
us healthy, wealthy and wise is not cor
roborated by experience, or, as a humorist
remarked lately, the Covent Garden por
tiers would be the wisest and wealthiest Of
men. Rolling stones gather no moss" and
yet there seems to be profit in the travels
OF Mr.. Harry de Windt and the tours of
Sir Henry Irving Let sleeping dogs lie
Is not moro helpful to the reformer than
Lord Melbourne's petulent question, "Why
can't you let it alone?" That "he gives
twice who gives quickly" Is not a saying
that would always make a small and early
remittance memo more I'VE welcome than subse
is French proverb that bad bread Is good
to the hungry, and in rather coarse old
English we are assured that "hungrie dogs
love durae pudding" Many. a man who
has had to choose between starvation and
loathsome fare must have wondered at the
hardihood Of this philosophy. I'm vino
veritas" is not without point, but 1t is odd
that there should be no proverb for tho
ers who can carry their liquor without dis
closures
Cynicism Of Proverbs.
It may be said, indeed, that proverbs
often irritate by the cocksureness of the
half or quarter truths. So far from in
dicating the benevolent wariness Of man
in his observation of life. they exhibit him
as an optimist or an unblushing cynic. Sol
ONION knew the subtlety of evil-doers pretty
well, and yet he could affirm that whose
diggeth a pit shall fall therein" Profane
history does not sustain this confidence.
There is not much warrant in experience
for the belief that the wind Is tempered
to shorn lambs. If 1t were true that birds
of a feather flock together" the RESPONSE
bilities Of the police would be enormously
simplified. That there is "a silver lining
people whose clouds have consistently
lacked that ornament. On the other hand,
the cynicism of many proverbs is some
thing shocking: In the Camden collection
streams" counsel of ''cowardly surren-
der" as Mr.. Hume justly remarks
every man for himself and God for us
all, is "a mere appeal to selfshness."
moral principle. 'Atroeious. diabolical," is
Mr. Hulme's comment on the adage, up
the hill favor me- down the hill beware
thee" that is to say,s "a man should be
upward struggle, and sthen when he has
attained success trample on those who be-
friended him. Atrocious, too, Is the say
ing, If I see his cart. overturning, I will
give it a push" but we are relieved to
learn that ''by hook or by crook was not
originally the equivalent Of Get money
honestly If you can, but get it,"
Hume and Harum.
Mr.. Hume will have no compromise with
such an injunction as zone must howl
with the wolves" and if he were ac-
quainted with the philosophy Of David
Harum he would certainly denounce as
"a fiat denial Of all honorable and manly
action the advice of that eminent horse
dealer! DO as you would be done by; but
do 1t frst!" "Despicable,' says our
moralist is the proverb that the whole
soonest meat Is at another mans cost"
But what If he give you better dinner
than you can give him? Perhaps the Gym
literally, but is rather a humorous trap for
weN-meaning people who are fond Of point
ing morals. We may travel round the
world. as Mr.. Hume says, finding in
it does not follow that they are deliberate
ly framed, as rules Of conduct. The Italian
proverb, Eat an open chest the righteous
may SIM" is probably used on occasions
every man for himself, and the devil take
the hindmost," we do not wish to consign
the last gentleman to eternal perdition So
when q proverb is not cocksure it is apt to
be hyperbolical joke or a piece Of mis-
leading irony. Mr.. Hume denies that 1.-The
absent are always wrong" They are
"often quite as right as the other people,"
Exactly, but that is the point.
Atrocious Axioms.
These are reasons surely for making but
sparing use of any old saw which is sup
posed to be 1.-THE wisdom Of many and the
wit of one" Mr.. Humle himself is dis
turbed by the frequent contradictions of
these pithy phrases, and the melancholy
ease with which they can be misappHed.
Least said. soonest mended," displeases
him greatly. 1.-The mental atmosphere in
which the less said implied the less to be
mended would be. we would fain hope, a
very exceptional one" 1t Is an atmosphere
unknown to authors. But the numerous
and scandalous proverbs about women are
treated by Mr.. Hume far too leniently.
Woman and the moon," say the Germans
"shine with a borrowed light" What light
can women borrow from the quaint sar-
casm." as Mr.. Hume calls 1t. Of Next to
no wife a good wife Is best?" every I'M
gracious" we read. Is the proverb that
There are only two good women in the
world; one of them is dead and the other
is not to be found" Very ungra cious,"
is deplorably mild. Why not "atrocious,
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