FOOLS.

Waikato Times, Volume IV, Issue 241, 25 November 1873, Page 2

FOOLS.

Tiikre are fifctfs uihfojis. of tho genus, in•lced, ore almost infirafrfc^ajiiHt wjjuM b» n liculom to attempt touairijjtn s it dftaiHET^MlhAQj^of their distinctive realve^taiin >c co.*j,iss%f ajXjle article. There b, *.' nw^W° **" ' n w ''l ti ' l ' t »f «- < la» ii ™ajr be divided — somo^ what roughly, primps, put w^li sttlßdJont accuracy for ou™ purpose*— that * ill probably present itself to the mind of tie readers, ot'^he accuracy of me) hid, indeed, we have rerj little doubt ; biifc we do-not think that, whilst it, to 'O ne extent, riceoinplisM*S--th*f;;*uScliTi~ion which is imperil tivel.v necessary to th« due comprehension of the specific peculiarities of so numerous a family, even the most.captioi » can carp at it for descending too mi c i ml© | a 'try and uninteresting details. In this way, then, wvery-specimsn may beonsidered as arranged under one or two head* — peop'e who are fools ami know it, and people who are' fool* and are sublimely unconscious ofit. Tue fomr is unfortunately, a tyro of individuality that U but ravel j — very rarely—met with. Wi havesnjd unfor* tunately, for upon the old principle that it u the height of wisdom lorn miin to know himself, it, mutt suiely be a misfortune that a type whic'i, foe the very condition.* of ita existence, pre assumes self-know ledge, should be scarce. But, on the other hand, specimens of it are usually cliara teriz-'d by one or two peculiarities citlier of wluoh is •uffiuent to indict considerable tlucomlort upon tlie Oidinnrv run of kiu>lhearted an I non-puuhyderumtoui people. They endeavour, vainly of course/ to oncral their filly ond their own conscious ie<s of it un.ler the clonk of a bullying sel^^ n-seriion, or they assume a digressing meekness — a sort d^r] " Pleime come^and kick me "style— which is, if possible, s" ill in ire in-utferahle. A?, hnvever, from the • <t'©ne ra ity »f genmn* specimens, tins section docs not poi«s. »a much i»te ©it for fie orjnmry social n.iturahst, wo shall dwell no lonsit'r upon it. The other sub livUion, namely, people who are fo^ili and are unaiwpicious of the fucf, is much more numerous mid iinpor ant. Ila meinbera are far from being all cist in tho • im« mould. - Wn liare-nliwlj said tlmfc they vuvy in s .c-inl position; but thry dijf.r also in oharncle-r, in thennture and extent of their qtmlifictition lor the title, and consequently in the amount of uniunaiu-e which, in respect of such qualifltt.tion, they are enabled to inflict, and ordinarily^, do inflict, upon others — indeed They vary in ev^ry purlieu la i^P (•'ccj'pt in the one preat fucfc tIW bmAi them together— that t'lev nre nil foo's But they do not invurmbly benr this fnct so plainly nnd le.ibly slumped upon their elmracters as dothe self conscious dnsj. llihv aie come, it in true, ol whom, after frve minuteo in their : so.tiefy, it is perfectly sale to predicate thnt they are downright, hopeless, incurable, irretrievable fools; there are others with whom you may bo intimately acquainted fir months before you can feel honestly certain that-thev on^ht to \e incluled in the class at all. Some of the uio^t a tranced sp >ciint*ns of the type ure to be found iimonuit those who enttriain the' ost exalted opinion of their own wisdo.n — unpo<ieiM wio, perha.is, once bk'l «>me donht a> to whether they really were so much nY»? signeiou- than their ellow«, bur" who,' from hnvin>r so ltnrg _ tre.l Ui foist off their counterfeit rom upon the public, ai^T; to mid their folly with the appearance ol wisdom, have 2^| lust en-led by imposing upon them-elvei. Take for example " tt c obstinate tool, or tlie conceited fool — they are meielv different developments of the same original stock, and their boundaries, ininuny instances, approach so closely that it is fivquently difficult, to decide to which species any go en individual really belongs. The' one beginning with an unswervinsjfleterininHlfon to achieve anyt b/ing, however trivial, upon which he lias once entered— a determination which, duly riuccted nnd reM mined, ia manifestly commendable — hn-* nt length allowed temu-ity of jnirpo-e to take the placo of reasm, anl a bind adherence to his own Ims'ily formed opinion!* to lender him nn])er\ious to conviction ; the other hits so ])er*i»tently striven to impress upon others that there is no one so clever, or so liandstnip, or so well dressed n» himself that it would be wonderful indeed if his own mind, or what it pleases him to dignify by that title, entertained nny further doubt, upon the point. Should you do yourself the honor (for, in his estimation, youis wili.be honour) to congratulate him upon the nbility lie has displnyed upon nny puiticuliir occasion, he will icceive jour ob«ei-vatiou* with a deprecatory pesinre, or a simpering smile, either of which ia^ mennt to imply that lie is quite nwnre that he iully denerve9 your congratulations, but that renlly it wa's harilly worth while to offer them ; what he ha« done co«t so little effort ; he could achieve uroat things and he would, and scon. H* n, perhaps, the moat obnoxious of all fools to be brought into contact with, since hi* complacent self-assertion obctinatelv refuses to be put down, nnd although an exceedingly pointed and severe snub, such os you would never think of administering to aiy one else, may oecasionnlly penetrate even his thick and callous hide, its effect is eminently transient, and he is quickly a3 annoying and self-opinionated a* before. Ihe effect of his presence upon those who have the misfortune to I c brought into contact, with him, is deeidedty I unhappy. He is the embodiment of Goethe's idea which we venture ro italicize : "Of nil thieves, fools are tlie worst* they robyo'i'of tune and temper.'* , A regard for our renders' patience, nnd an ncutp feeling dflM the hopelessness of nny attempt at arriving with even np^/ proximate accuracy in the smnll space remnining at our command, nt nny more detailed subdivision, induce us torefrain from e**n\ing to describe the pompous old ♦001, who?eobjection ible characteristics would nlone furnish amply sufficient mutter far a sepnnite article, the old f iol wlio is unnhl« lo realize the impossibility of any necowl between die green sprmir-t ime of Ins wife's south' nnd tlie giey of hisown locks, the would be cynic, the gushingly romantic fo.>l (sometimes "a person," be it whispered) and various otliertypical specimens of the geuui.