"A TWISTER."

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 129, 1 June 1901, Page 2 (Supplement)

"A TWISTER."

TtfS highly curious poetical quotation which Dr. Johnson affixed to the word Twister, in his large English Dictionary, Is well known, but Its origin probably few are acquainted with, at least it has no doubt long since been forgotten. The following, says the Newcastle "Weekly Chronicle," is said to be the origin of it. A French author wrote the following four lines aS^a specimen of the fluency and copiousness of expression in his native language, which being produced as such to an English gentleman accustomed to authorship, he translated them into English, and further added eight more lines on the same subject, showing thereby that the English was nothing inferior to the French language, but rather afforded greater variety of expression:— Quand un cordeur, cordant, vent corder une corde. Pour sa corde corder, trois cordons il accorde: Mais, si un dea cordons de la corde decorde. Lie cordon dgcordant fait eeorder Sa corde. Translation. Wlren a twister, a twisting, will twist him a twist, For twisting his twist, he three twines doth Intwist; But if one of the twines of the twist floes untwist, The twine that untwlsteth untwlsteth the twist. ADDITION. Untwisting the twine that uniwisteth uetween. He twirls with his twister the two in a. twain; Then twice having twisted the twists of the twine, He twisteth the twine he had twisted in twain. The twain that in twining before in the twine, As twins were intwisted, he now doth untwine; 'Twixt the twain Intertwisting a twine more between, He twirling the twister, makes a twist of the twine.