The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1913-08-07
FAMOUS PHRASES
Origin of Some of Worlds Most
Popular Quotations.
WORDS THAT WILL ENDURE.

"WhiIe There's Life There's Hope"
Was Written by Cicero, and Cynical
Old Diogenes 1t Was Who Told tho
World "Habit Is Second Nature"
1t Is recorded that an ignorant per-
son, explaining her distaste for Shake
spearean performances, said that his
plays were too full of quotations. Yet
we, too, though we may pride ourselves
upon our learning, probably do not
know the origin Of half the common
phrases we use as carelessly as verbs
In our daily conversation.
No less a person than Cicero first
made use Of the expression, while
there's life there's hope" in letter he
wrote to Atticus. 1--WE are in the same
boat is not modern slang. but occurs
in a letter written by Clement l., bish-
op Of Rome, to the Church Of Corinth
in the first century. This letter is ex-
tant and is one Of the priced docu-
ments Of the early church.
II never put off till tomorrow what
can do today" was Lord Chester
fields explanation of how he managed
to do SO much work "Whatever is
worth doing at all is worth doing well'
he wrote later in the famous letters to
his son.
In some of the expressions we use
habitually may be crystallized an
epoch of history. Such is the motto Of
the Order of the Garter, "Honi soft qui
NAL y pense" c'Shamed be he who
thinks evil of it''), which was given by
Edward III. Of England. Wishing to
draw the best soldiers in the world to
him, he proposed revival Of the round
table Of King Arthur, holding tour
nament at Windsor castle on New
Years day, 1874. After the contest Of
arms the guests were entertained at
his expense at round table. Philip,
king Of France, was jealous over the
interest this aroused and forbade his
subjects to attend, at the same time
Several years later, when Edward
founded the Order of the Garter, he
chose motto that seemed to chal-
lenge his rival monarch to think wrong
Of it if he dared.
Later English history has not been
laggard in increasing the supply of apt
remarks that have grown into every
day sayings. Lord Eldon, lord chan
cellor of England during the first twen-
ty-six years Of the nineteenth century,
continually mispronounced the name
Of Henry Brougham, afterward to be
successor in the chancellor's Office.
Brougham objected to be called Broff
am, and in this regard Eldon was the
chief offender. Once, after Brougham
had made an excellent speech. Eldon
by way Of apology pronounced his
name correctly and made proverb,
"New brooms sweep Clean"
The same expression occurs fire.
quently to different people who could
have no knowledge that their thought
had been given utterance before. mo
man Is hero to his valet" has been
paraphrased by scores, from Nine. du
Cornuel, witty Frenchwoman Of the
seventeenth century, to DR.. Johnson
and Napoleon. The first record of it,
however, is found in Plutarch, who
states that when Hermodotus address
ed poem to Antigonous l., king of
Sparta, hailing him as son Of the sun
and god, the monarch replied. my
body servant sings me no such song"
It was DiOgenes, the cynic. who de-
clared that habit is second nature"
The phrase circumstances over which
be has no control was used by the
Duke of Wellington in a letter con-
corning some affairs in which his son
was mixed up and with which he de-
clined to interfere. Dickens also used
the expression few years later when
he had Micawber write to David Cop
perdeld, circumstances beyond my in
dividual CONTROL" etc.
"Conspicuous by their ABSENCE has
been used on many occasions in mod
ern oratory. 1t was first used by
Tacitus in relating that in the funeral
procession Of Julia, niece of Cato, SIS
ter of Brutus, wife of Cassius, many
of the images of the most famous
families in Rome were seen, but Gas
sius and Brutus shone pre- eminent be-
cause their images were not dis
played"
Nothing is certain but death and
taxes" wrote Benjamin Franklin, stat
Ing that the constitution of the United
States was in operation and to all ap-
Qearances would last.
Those who live in glass houses
should not throw stones" was said by
James I. Of England when his favor
lite, the Duke Of Buckingham, COM
planned that mob had broken his
glass windows, which were at that
time luxury.
Mind your p's and as is said to
have been taken from an old French
phrase at the time of Louis XIV. A
very low bow was in fashion, and the
dancing master in 1nstructing his pu-
pills would warn them to look out for
the position of the feet and the move
ment of the head lest their cue wigs
be d1sarranged. The French word for
In I'd