Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1904-07-22
Proverbs. witty, Wise, and Otherwise.


Many proverbs have come down to us
from remote ages and are coming to all
nations. 1t is said that king of Samos
worked his slaves nearly to death in
making a vineyard; this provoked one of
them to prophesy that his master would
never drink of the wine. The king, be-
ing told of this. when the first grapes
were produced took a handful, and press
ing the juice into "A cup in the presence
Of the slave, derided him as a false proph-
ct. Many things happen between the
cup and the lip" the sLve replied. Just
then a shout was raised that a wild boar
had broken into the vineyard. The king,
without tasting set down the cup ran
to meet IT, and was Killed in the en-
counter. IIenceforth the words of the
slave passed into n proverb From this
Greek original came two French prov
cribs, Between the hand and the mouth
the soup is often split" and wine poured
out is not swallowed" Neither is SO near
the original as our English. There's many
/ a slip 'twxt the cup and the lip" 1t
is curious to trace how similar ideas have
taken root in different languages and
the various methods of illustrating the
same thought To take for instance,
one or two familiar proverbs i'm our own
language. We say, "a bird in the hand is
worth two in the bush" The same idea
is expressed by the Italians when they
say, Better and egg today than a pullet
I tomorrow and the French provcrb is
still more significant, "One here-it-is is
better than two you-shall have its"
Better a levcret in the kitchen than
wild boar in the forest" is the Livonian
saying conveying the same meaning.
Another well known proverb is Where
there's a will there's way which sig
nifcs that if a man has but the resolution
! he Will make use of such means as come
to hand to attain his object. The French
. counterpart Of this says He that has
good head docs hats ~
The proverbs on luck are numerous
and expressive in all languages. In En-
glsh we say, 1t is better to be born lucky
than rich" The Arabs convey the same
idea il the apt proVerb, Throw him in
to the Nile and he will come up with a fish
in his mouth" while the Germans say
| IF he flung a penny on the roof "A dollar
would come back to him" Spanish
proverb says, God send you luck my SON
and little Wit will serve you" There is
a Latin adage, Fortune favors fools"
and 1t is to this that Touchstone alludes
in his reply to Jacques, Call me not a
fool till Heaven hath sent me fortune" The
Germans say, Jack get on by his stupid
ity' and Fortune and women are fond
of fools" there is also a Latin proverb
which shows that the converse of this
holds good, Fortune makes a fool Of him
whom she too much favors,"
There is no doubt that much of what is
called success in life depends on getting
| we'll INTO the groove ana Keeping there.
Some unlucky Englishman is responsible
for the saying. IF my father had made me
a halter men would have been born with
| out heads" but this can scarcely be call
ed original. as an unfortunate Arab, ages
ago. declared. IF l were to trade in
winding sheets no one would die" 1t is
to men Of this stamp that the French
apply the proverb. Fails on his back and
breaks his nose" the Italians say He
would break his back over a stew.
"Misfortunes seldom come singly'' has
many equivalents in all languages The
Spaniards say. Welcome misfortune II
thou contest alone" and whittier goest
thou. misfortune? To where there is
more 81 London Globe.