Behar Proverbs, Arranged by Subject, John Christian, 1891, Kegan Paul, London

Behar Proverbs, Arranged by Subject, ACCORDING TO THEIR SUBJECT-MATTER, AND TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH WITE NOTES, ILLUSTRATING THE SOCIAL CUSTOM, POPULAR SUPERSTITION, AND EVERY-DAY LIFE OF THE PEOPLE, AND GIVING THE TALES AND FOLK-LORE ON WHICH THEY ARE FOUNDED, John Christian, 1891, Kegan Paul, London.

"It is no less a true than a terse Arabic saying, "That a Proverb is to speech what salt is to food." It aptly describes the office of proverbs, and puts in a practical though homely form the part played by them in a language. It is quite possible to derive nourishment and sustenance from food without salt; but if we want to enjoy our meals, we must have salt in them. Just so with Proverbs. Language would be tolerable without spicy, epigrammatic sayings, and life could no doubt be carried on by means of plain language wholly bereft of ornament. But if we wish to relish language, if we wish to give it point and piquancy, and if we want to drive home a truth, to whip up the flagging attention of our listener, to point a moral or adorn a tale, we must flavour our speech with proverbs."

Privately rebound in three quarter navy blue leather and marbled papers. Large and lovely bookplate on inside of front cover. Binding worn at edges and corners and top end of spine. Pages clean and unmarked.