SOME CYNICAL SAYINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1955, 9 May 1889, Page 33

SOME CYNICAL SAYINGS.

Some of the old proverbs relating to woman are anything but complimentary Thus, we are reminded that "the more women look in thair glasses ' the less they look to their houst s" ; and, again, " a fair Woman and a slashed gown will always find some nail in the way"; the meaning, of course, being that women are . apt to be negligent housekeepers in proportion as they value their personal attractions.^ Then there is the popular proverb which says that "Joan is as good as my lady in the dark," for, as an ancient Latin saying reminds vs 1 , "Blemishes are unseen by night." Sings the poet — . » The night ' Shows stars and women in a bettor light, '• which may be compared with the French' hyperbole, " By candle light a goat looks a lidy." Once more, while a dark complqxioii betokened pride, and height indicated laziness, small women, says a certain ■ writer, were remarkable for their noisiness, and beauties for their lack of description. Hence it is said — , Pair and foolish, black and proud, Long and lazy, little and loud.. The same author further adds that it U "something to the credit of the proverb! making cynics, who spoke thus bitterly of handsome women, that they refrained from assailing ugly ones. Although striding '^hej women whom nature had provided with armour and legions of defenders, they spared the, less fortunate of the fair sex." Numerous admonitions are given relatingto marriage, one of which tells us 'that man's best fortune, or his worst, is bis wire. Similarly Lord Burjeigh says to his son : ,'*,' Use, great prudence and circumspection in choos-i ing thy wife, for from thence will spring all thy future good or evil ; and it is an action of life like unto a' stratagem of war, wherein a' man may err but once." Again, Sir John; •More, the famous Chancellor's father, com-j pared matrimony to a bag containing 100 snakes and one eel, and says : "If a man! should put his hand into this bag, ' he may chance to light on the eel ; but it is 100 to 1 he shall be stung by the snake." But Martin Luther (to whom the following couplet has been attributed) had evidently a better opinion of women when he said : He who loves no* women, wine, and song, ' , He is a fool his whole life long. ' A piece of proverbial law with which most men will agree in spite of the many hard sayings so ungallantly uttered agamst the fair sex.