The origin word of 'satire,' was not influenced by the Greek mythological figure of the satyr.' The Satyrs, were characterized by their ribaldry—and this one of that sets it part from Satire— and were known as lovers of wine, music, dancing, and women. They were companions of the god Dionysus and were believed to inhabit remote locales, such as woodlands, mountains, and pastures. They often attempted to seduce or rape nymphs and mortal women alike, usually with little success. They are sometimes—pardon me—shown masturbating or engaging in bestiality. The word satyr is used figuratively to mean a man with outsized sexual desires, it is derived from the Greek word satyros.
A Satyr, also known as a Silenus or Silenos, in Greek mythology, is a male nature spirit with ears and a tail resembling those of a horse. Early artistic representations sometimes include horse-like legs, but, by the sixth century BC, they were more often represented with human legs. Comically hideous, they have mane-like hair, bestial faces, and snub noses and are always shown naked. Thus, in Satire, caution is required," said he, "to avoid slipping into a form of the Satyrs," and he paused for a moment.
Then he went on, "Look! Impressions that bring controversy, will be forgotten, so,
Make certain, your first impressions are good ones.
A sage Philosopher being, one day, in a Gentleman’s Library—a personal collection of at least 10,000 books—saw lying on the table a sheet of paper, which had once been white, but was, now blotted and scrawled all over, with nonsense and ill-drawn figures. “Ah!” said the sage, “had this sometime spotless paper, been committed to the trust and care of proper hands, it might, at this time, have contained an excellent poem or an accomplished drawing, lessons of morality or doctrines of science, instead of being thus defaced, and rendered worse than useless, by the display of blots and scratches, dirt and folly, fit only, at present, to singe a roasting pullet or to kindle the fire, and the sooner it is destroyed, the better.'"
Then the pholosopher made clear, "The infant mind is pure and unsullied, like the fairest white paper, without a stain, and the first impressions it receives, we all know by experience, are the deepest and most difficult to be erased; therefore it becomes more particularly our duty, as we value the future welfare of the child, to be careful of the first instructions and notions which are given to it. Praise children for being pretty, and they will endeavour to set themselves off. Praise them for being good, and they will endeavour to be virtuous."
"What I'm trying to say," said he, "that, all the memory of a good, deed lives. It's just a childhood memory, it's hard to erase, let alone intentending to manipulate the history. Phaedrus was an old man when he wrote his fables,
An old woman, seeing a Wine Cask, which had been emptied of its contents, but the very lees of which still perfumed the air with a grateful cordial scent, applied her nose to the bunghole, and snuffing very heartily for some time, at last broke out into this exclamation, 'O delicious smell! How good! how charming must you have been once, when your very dregs are so agreeable and refreshing!'
This, he applies to himself; intimating what we ought to judge of his youth, when his old age was capable of such productions. It is at once a pleasing and melancholy idea that is given us by the intercourse with elderly persons, whose conversation is relishing and agreeable, and we cannot help concluding that they must have been very engaging in the prime of life, when in their decline they are still capable of yielding us so much pleasure. Nor can we help feeling regret, that this fountain of delight is now almost dried up, and going to forsake us for ever. On the contrary, when people have neglected to cultivate their minds in youth, their whole deportment through life is marked with the effects of this great want, and their old age is burthensome to themselves, and their conversation insipid to others; and like liquor of a thin body, and vile quality, soon becomes sour, vapid, or good for nothing.
Having a free tongue, may be more of a hindrance, than help.
An honest plain-dealing sage, but whose mind was stored with true philosophy, was one day walking in the street, when he saw a beautiful Parrot in a shop where birds were sold; and being much taken by her prating, enquired the price: and they answered, one hundred and fifty crowns.
The poor philosopher, to his great mortification, found his pockets would not afford such a sum; 'however,' says he, because 'I fancy the bird, I don’t care if I truck with you for it; that is, I’ll give you my bed, chairs, and all the other moveables of my lodgings at your own price for it.'
The shop-keeper agreed, and the bargain was concluded, but yet was much surprised, and could not refrain from pitying and asking the philosopher if he had lost his senses, that he who wanted clothes to his back, should be so extravagant as to chaffer the furniture of his house, nay, even his bed from under him, the sole repose of his wearied body and over-laboured mind, and all to purchase a tawdry Parrot?
Ah!” replied the Philosopher, “to me it will prove an inestimable treasure, and I would have reduced myself to nakedness, rather than have gone without her, for my misfortune is to have a free tongue, and a plain and open heart;—great virtues these in former ages; now, unpardonable faults, as I have found to my cost: but I hope to put an end to all this, by keeping this wonderful bird, who will “teach me what I know nothing of, though so much in fashion: that is, the art of concealing the true thoughts of our own soul, and tickling people’s ears with words only from the tongue, and speeches learned by rote.”
Nothing can be more offensive to a man of a sincere honest heart, than he who blows with different breaths from the same mouthIt's. It's better to maintain a single position, expressed in the following story of the Traveller and the Satyr.
