Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-04-06
would apply

to the American constitution; and
somebody has done il in novel
Familiar in their mouths as house,
hold words" seems to be in essence
older than Shakespeare, at least in
state paper of Elizaheth'S time
have read what poor people call
household words, the wranglings
Of husband and wife He dies and
makes no sign" is often quoted he
died" without any conscious refer.
ence to Henry VI" Part II, Act Ill,
Scene s. and Cardinal Beaufort.
Lord Cardinal if thou think'st on
Heavens bliss,
Hold up thy hand. make signal of thy
hope
He dies and makes no sign"
II was quite usual to ask dying
men 10 make a sign. When John
Knox passed away his secretary.
Richard Bannatyne, bade him "remem-
Der on those comfortable promises
which oftentimes you have shown us.
And that We may understand and
know that you hear us, make us some
sign. And so he lifted up one hani
and Immediately thereafter rendered
his spirit, sleeping away without
pain Sprot, the Conspirator and
forger, gave a sign of the truth OF
as he hung on the gtbbet. and the
same story is told of Kirkcoldy of
Grange In the same circumstances. II
Is not easy to believe either anecdot2
This Triton of the minnows" is apt
to be quoted "a Triton among min.
nows." Scott never, or not often, veri,
| fed his quotations. and irritated
Wordsworth very much by quoting as
his:
The swan on sweet ST. Mary's lake
Floats double. swan and shadow"
Wordsworth testify proclaimed that
he had written:
The swan on still ST Marys lake"
for with a breeze, the loch, however
sweet" would not reflect the swan
brute whom | dislike, as in spring
he tor sheD used to fly at the angler
and assault him il he came within
half mile Of the nest. SCOTS mem
DRY, indeed, used to absorb quotations
poetical valet of his friend. Rose, and
run them into his own work Lately
noticed that William Morris had &C.
cidentally mixed UP in lyric of his
own Tennyson's stream that draws
its water from the purple hill"--
hills afar" In Mr. Morris. Even
Shakespeare's clark at Heavens gate"
Is Lyly's lark-"at Heavens gates
1she claps her wings" But on sub.
jects such as larks 1t is not easy to
be original Who can be secure
against supposing that
"She is woman. therefore may be
wood"
IS from Richard H." the scene
where the Crookbacked One wheedles
the Lady Anne? 1t sounds so prob
able. But 1t is from the play which
| IphlIio, DIS q wy lVluSSNtu oplllCDOuN
to leave off reading to him-"Titus
Andronicus." | have never found
out the author of
Says Fanny, Though tears II may
cost.
] fear we must part my dear Sue,
For your characters totally last,
And have not sufficient for two 4"
When Pope used in the "Dunciad"
Addison's line in "The Campaign"
Rides in the whirlwind and direct.
the storm"
he was not unconsciously pIagiarizing
but quoting a good line from an ex-
ceedingly bad poem.
| | am not 50 sire about 1t when
| Pope requests st. John to
BE candid where he can,
And vindicate the ways Of God 10
man."
did he think he was citing Millions
! And Justify the ways OF God TO
men?"
Both Pope and St. John should have
begun by juStifying their own ways
to men and kings. They would have
! found their time fully occupied with
oWt approaching the subject not much
more difficult II is always very
risky to correct another mans quota.
lions. One editor OF Burns, when
trtumphing over another editors mis-.
! quotation, attributed
And wonder with a foolish face of
praise"
to Mr.. Swinburne. whereas ii Is in
i Pope's passage Of Atticus (Addison).
Mr. Swinburne has quoted II In an es.
say, and the quotation was blended In
the critics memory with the qlnoter.
Indeed, many people get their quota.
tons at second, third or fourth hand
We all do this more or less. Thus
quotations get mixed up, as In
I IL &.