Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 December 1883 — Uunous Sayings to the Ancients. [ARTICLE]

Uunous Sayings to the Ancients.

Plato onoe said of, one of his pupils, who was always flattering him, “He is my adjective. * He agrees with me in everycase.’’ Demosthenes being asked why he was such a coward in battle, said, “His indignition at fighting was always so strong that his feelings were sure to run away with him.” Theopompusw.as asked if he had ever seen the sun ris& “Often,” said the young spendthrift; “it lights me every "pight to bed.” Zotyrus would say, “Take my word for it, the man who* will not, ; wait upon himself will ultimately become a waiter upon pthers.” Cammyses was a great drunkard, but he was always ashamed of it. He never drank. he said, excepting to forget ho had been drinking. .t «. Ephemerides, hearing one Pagatienes very much extolled because he played much better upon one string of the harp than most musicians did upon seven, Said, “If he plays so well Upon one string, how much better, then, w’ould he play .upon none!” Socrates being asked by a foolish fellow how far a woman’s influence extended, repbed, “As far as her tongue,” meaning, ihht there was no end to it. Socrates, was- wont to say, “The greatest revenge t wish my worst enemy is to marry.” Somebody was reproaching Aristippus for going about with so many attendants. “Now, don’t be alarmed—they serve me all for nothing,” .-said Aristippus. “It is a little kindness for which I am indebted to my creditors.” Sycophantes was saying to Alexander that a good beginning was half the battle. “I cannot tell,” said the proud son of Philip; “when I fight I never do things by halves.” A young xn?n said to Sophocles, “If you coiihlcoin all the silver in my hair, how rich; old man, you would be!” “Not half so rich as you would be, young man.” answered Sophocles, “if vou could .only sell all the brass in your ‘face.” It was Chilo, one.of -the-seven wise men,.who said, “A divorce should be granted in all cases where a wife has a mother-in-law.” Flaminius being accused of’" buying* handsome villa with the public spoils, indignantly exclaimed, “Well, suppose ingl isn’t it the first dnty of a general, let me, ask, to make good his tetreat?” / Obilius and Minutius the younger had quarrelled. The great Obilius was asked upon what terms they met. ’•Why,’’ he said, “we are something like a pair of scissors. We meet, look exs ceedingly sharp, but pass without cutting one another.” A foolish fellow was boasting lief ore Cicero of what his ancestors hail done for Rome. “You need not remind us,” said the orator, “that the geese once saved the capital. ” Artaxerxes was very corpulent. He would, in a joqtind humor say, “I am a true king; I enlarge niy possessions every day.” . ... Some one prophesied, of,Ovid that “his nose was so long .1 h rt t it would be sure to reach posterity.l , . . Philip s:tfd of the ThebariS, “They are like blue-bottles. They would hmoimt knock their heads against the window than come in at the door.” ■ ' Cato said of a glutton, “That blade's stomach is like a carpet bag. It is never so full but that he can stuff something more into it." , . Crispus hearing his master in a passion ask another stfrrant, who, being drunk, was lying out in the sun, “What he was doing there?” answered, “He’s taking the chill off the wine, sir.” The tax-gatherer called irpon Hgutus, a brave soldier, for one quarter due. “Go,” he said; “Ceesar’s soldiers are wont to take, but never to givequartor,” and he kicked him out. Young Bibulus, a great spendthrift, was given a certain sum of money bv bis father, who counseled him to seek out his creditors and pay them to a man. “Payl my dear father” said the young acapc'graee, “let one be unftaid, so that ie tuny make » noise and toll the town I,ll** er-