VI. -- THAT ENOUGH IS AS GOOD AS A FEAST

Notaman,woman,orchildintenmilesroundGuildhall,whoreallybelievesthissaying.Theinventorofitdidnotbelieveithimself.Itwasmadeinrevengebysomebody,whowasdisappointedofaregale.Itisavilecold-scrag-of-muttonsophism;aliepalmeduponthepalate,whichknowsbetterthings.Ifnothingelsecouldbesaidforafeast,thisissufficient,thatfromthesuperfluxthereisusuallysomethingleftforthenextday.Morallyinterpreted,itbelongstoaclassofproverbs,whichhaveatendencytomakeusundervaluemoney.Ofthiscastarethosenotableobservations,thatmoneyisnothealth;richescannotpurchaseeverything:themetaphorwhichmakesgoldtobemeremuck,withthemoralitywhichtracesfineclothingtothesheepsback,anddenouncespearlastheunhandsomeexcretionofanoyster.Hence,too,thephrasewhichimputesdirttoacres——asophistrysobarefaced,thateventheliteralsenseofitistrueonlyinawetseason.This,andabundanceofsimilarsagesawsassumingtoinculcatecontent,weverilybelievetohavebeentheinventionofsomecunningborrower,whohaddesignsuponthepurseofhiswealthierneighbour,whichhecouldonlyhopetocarrybyforceoftheseverbaljugglings.Translateanyoneofthesesayingsoutoftheartfulmetonymewhichenvelopsit,andthetrickisapparent.Goodlylegsandshouldersofmutton,exhilaratingcordials,books,pictures,theopportunitiesofseeingforeigncountries,independence,heartsease,amansowntimetohimself,arenotmuch——howeverwemaybepleasedtoscandalisewiththatappellationthefaithfulmetalthatprovidesthemforus.