April 29. 1854.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



393 



must rest the responsibility of withholding from 

 reproduction any proverbs, which though sent 

 him as novelties, may be already registered in the 

 recognised collections. 



Mr. Trench's first contribution to this bouquet 

 of the wild flowers of proverbial lore is the fol- 

 lowing, from Ireland : 



"' The man on the dyhe always hurls well.' The 

 looker on," says Mr. Trench in explanation, " at a 

 game of hurling, seated indolently on the wall, always 

 imagines that he could improve on the strokes of the 

 actual players, and if you will listen to him, would 

 have played the game much hetter than they ; a pro- 

 verb of sufficiently wide application." — P. 32. 



Each proverb sent in should be accompanied 

 with a statement of the class among whom, or the 

 locality in which, it is current. The index to 

 " N. & Q." should contain a reference to every 

 proverb published in its pages, under the head of 

 Unregistered Proverbs, or Proverbs only. Cor- 

 respondents should bear in mind the essential 

 requisite of a proverb, currency. Curt, sharp 

 sayings might easily be multiplied ; what is wanted, 

 however, is a collection of such only as have that 

 prerequisite of admission into the ranks of recog- 

 nised proverbs. And while contributors should 

 not lose sight of " the stamp of merit," as that 

 which renders the diffusion of proverbs beneficial 

 to mankind, still they should not reject a genuine 

 proverb for want of that characteristic, remem- 

 bering that, — 



" 'Tween man and man, they weight not every stamp ; 

 Though light, take pieces for the figure's sake." 



And that the mere form of a proverb often affords 

 some indication of its age and climate, even where 

 the matter is spurious. I have a large MS. col- 

 lection of English proverbs by me, from which I 

 doubt not I shall be able to extract some few 

 which have never yet been admitted into any pub- 

 lished collection. Of these at some future time. 

 C. Mansfield Ingeebt. 

 Birmingham. 



{[We shall be happy to do all in our power to carry 

 out this very excellent suggestion. — Ed. ♦* N. & Q."J 



MR. JUSTICE TALEOUED. 



The noble sentiments uttered by Justice Tal- 

 fourd in his last moments gave a charm to his 

 sudden death, and shed a hallowed beauty about 

 the painfully closing scenes of this great man. I 

 want them to have a niche in " N. & Q.," and 

 along with them a passage from his beautiful 

 tragedy of Ion, which may be considered as a 

 transcript of those thoughts which filled his mind 

 on the very eve of quitting the high and honourable 



duties of his earthly course. It forcibly illustrates 

 the loving soul, the kind heart, and the amiable 

 character of this deeply lamented judge. 



After speaking of the peculiar aspect of crime 

 in that part of the country where he delivered his 

 last chai-ge, he goes on to say : 



" I cannot help myself thinking it may be in no small 

 degree attributable to that separation between class and 

 class, which is the great curse of British society, and 

 for which we are all, more or less, in our respective 

 spheres, in some degree responsible, and which is more 

 complete in these districts than in agricultural districts, 

 where the resident gentry are enabled to shed around 

 them the blessings resulting from the exercise of bene- 

 volence,, and the influence and example of active kind- 

 ness. I am afraid we all of us keep too much aloof 

 from those beneath us, and whom we thus encourage 

 to look upon us with suspicion and dislike. Even to 

 our servants we think, perhaps, we fulfil our duty when 

 we perform our contract with them — when we pay them 

 their wages, and treat them with the civility consistent 

 with our habits and feelings — when we curb our temper, 

 and use no violent expressions towards them. But 

 how painful is the thought, that there are men and 

 women growing up around us, ministering to our com- 

 forts and necessities, continually inmates of our dwell- 

 ings, with whose affections and nature we are as much 

 unacquainted as if they were the inhabitants of some 

 other sphere. This feeling, arising from that kind of 

 reserve peculiar to the English character, does, I think, 

 greatly tend to prevent that mingling of class with class, 

 that reciprocation of kind words and gentle affections, 

 gracious admonitions and kind inquiries, which often, 

 more than any book-education, tend to the culture of 

 the affections of the heart, refinement and elevation of 

 the character of those to whom they are addressed. 

 And if I were to be asked what is the great want of 

 English society — to mingle class with class — I would 

 say, in one word, the want is the want of sympathy." 



Act I. Sc. 2. After Clemanthe has told Ion 

 that, forsaking all within his house, and risking his 

 life with strangers, he can do but little for their 

 aid, Ion replies : 



" It is little : 

 But in these sharp extremities of fortune, 

 The blessings which the weak and poor can scatter 

 Have their own season. 'Tis a little thing 

 To give a cup of water ; yet its draught 

 Of cool refreshment, drain'd by fever'd lips, 

 May give a shock of pleasure to the frame 

 More exquisite than when nectarean juice 

 Renews the life of joy in happiest hours. 

 It is a little thing to speak a phrase 

 Of common comfort, which, by daily use, 

 Has almost lost its sense ; yet, on the ear 

 Of him who thought to die unmourn'd, 'twill fall 

 Like choicest music; fill the glazing eye 

 With gentle tears ; relax the knotted hand 

 To know the bonds of fellowship again ; 

 And shed on the departing soul a sense, 

 More precious than the benison of friends 

 About the honour' d death-bed of the rich, 



