Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1906-08-23
Wisdom Baked In Bricks,

The Pacific monthly publishes ex-
tracts from Inscriptions written in
clay and baked into thin bricks, over
1900 years ago. The clay bricks or
leaves were part Of an Assyrian.library
exhumed from the remains Of ancient
city and have been deciphered by the
studious Egyptologist and translated
into modern language. The lnscrip-
tions show that the wise men of those
distant days knew how to preserve
their thoughts and sayings better
than the writer's. of this age, whose
literary effects printed or written on
paper or other frail material Will be
lost in the future ages when the say
,ings of the ancients may be still in
existence.
The Inscriptions of the tablets
above referred to show that many
truths and apt remarks made then
are entirely applicable now; that the
world, as far as its people go, has
changed In reality very little, and
human nature not any.
Of course the superstitions that
science has punctured were then firm
ly believed in and we're the main
springs Of the acts al, ,'~re>'ra Is of the,
people and of the scholars wGO - deep
their thoughts on clay tablets. Most
Of the inscriptions relate to supersti-
tious rites and formalities of worship.
!, ]. But of other things there are
enough sayings left to interest US Of
today and some Of the remarks might
we'll be retained as guideposts for
course of conduct that would make
matters smoother for many harrassed
souls In this age. A few of the say
ings on the burnt discs of clay are
translated as follows:
"Mind your own business. The
misery of the world comes from med
ding"
is no one so strong as to
resist giving advice" "He who gives
advice unasked would also give
bl0ws.''
I "There are some men who are too
good. l am afraid of the too much
good. He who has sinned is my broth
er."
"The too good are not good, they
are only we'll behaved.'
"There is the tyranny of Kings,
the tyranny, Of captains and the tyran
ny of judges, but the greatest tyran-
ny Is that OF the reformer of vice.
He knows moi. his own folly" - ..-.--
"The too good are merciless. Their
souls are cold as the scimitar of Lin
which shines among the Gods"
The ardor of him who would en-
force goodness is not truly against
evil, but that he may compel all men
to be good as he esteems goodness.
May the blightlng curse of Shamash
come upon him. He is maker of
trouble;
"a woman is full of selfish unset
fshness.'
"Ishtar is woman. She is the
goddess of conflict and slaughter"
''Ishtar plucked bitter fame and
put 1t in the heart Of woman. 1t is
Jealousy" "The life of woman is
love and herself"
1.-THE man is blessed whose wives
love him too little to be jealous.
"a man wants not love, but peace.
Not caressing, but rest"
"Blessed is the man who is not
loved to excess. Jealousy of a.wife is
a curse greater than the sword blow
Of Norgal."
"a mans son shall desert him, and
his daughter, but his wife shall pill
low his head"
"a man should have many wives
and slave women so will children not
fail him, and If from some he get i'll
ones, from some Of the others may
come heroes" F."
"Beware of the man who is always
in a hurry, He is as empty as sand
storm of the DESERT" eff a man deal
with thee honestly only as the law
requires. he is dishonest. The truly
honest man hath no limit to. his hon.
esty;;% ty;'s+,, .o.a 8 - ;n.o +,o hon,o. ~
him who advises the King against
the people," 'The King is one, the
people are many" "The rulers are
few, the people are many" The vel
fare of many is better than the well
fare of feW.'' ''The rulers are
shrewd, the people are stupid. A few
shrewd shall live upon many stupid"
II have seen the merchant sell ar
mOur to the young warrior that he
&c light 60 TO battle, while the mer-
chant returned to his wive, sand /
have said there is a fool and wise
man." @ g
Satisfactory Explanation.