IN REPLY TO "XENOPHON."

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2989, 10 September 1891, Page 3

IN REPLY TO "XENOPHON."

TO THE KDITOK. Sir, —"Xenophon," the Greek philosopher— the small potato I mashed in your issue of Thursday last —haa thought it incumbent upon him to still further expose his ignorance by inserting another letter in your issue of Tuesday. I fully expected he would squirm under the mashing operation, but was scarcely prepared for the explosion of ao_ much unnecessary Greek fire. His writhings and twistings cannot be better illustrated than oy comparing them to those of a very small maggot on a very big pin. In my letter I took the Greek up on three points, viz.: His iguorance of grammar as demonstrated by the sentences—(l) "a sim- qua no» rule," and (2) "tho hands may be those of Esau'.*, but the voice is that of Jacob'sand (3) his want of knowledge when he attributed the quotation "Don't" (from Punch) to Dickena in the Pickwick Papers That ho was thoroughly mashed on all these points I thought he would have had sense enough to admit, but his conceit is evidently too great to allow him to make such gd admission without a little more mashing. The first of the above points, the sentence " sine qua rton rule," he still stupidly maintains to be correct, and to demonstrate to the Greek its absurdity it will' be well to give the sentence (translated tor his benefit) in which he originally used it, viz. : "It is an indispensable condition rule that they should certainly have some knowledge of the subject they review," Why the words "condition" and "rule" together, Greek? Admit like a man that the word " rule " was not required, and that ii. was through iguorance you put it in. "Xenophon" maintains it is correct to write "An indispensible condition rule, or a rule of indispensible conditions " (spell indispein sable with an " a," and not an "i,' in future, Greek ; your orthography is as bad as your grammar). A rule of indispensable fiddlesticks ! He might as well seek to prove that it would be correct to write, "it is an indispensable condition rule of society that ' Xenophon ' should wear breeches trousers ! " I still maintain that I mashed the small potato on the xiiir qua nun point—point No 1. On j the second point, the double possessive in the passage rc the hands of Esau'.» and the voice of Jacob'.--, he adopts a coward's tactics, and seeks to throw the stigma of his own ignorancc on to innocent shoulders, a mean trick whioh proves him to be as destitute of honour as ho ia deficient in education. The ignorance having been proved to be his own, I maintain the small potato was mashed on this point also—point No. 2. Ho makes uo wriggle over the third point, viz., the wrong authority lie gives for ihe quotation "Don't," and he cannot deny that he was mashed on this point also—point No. 3. Haviug mashed him so thoroughly on all the points I essayed to, "Xenophon " must admit that it was no idle boast when I stated that I had left no lumps. The title of " Masher-in-Chief of Small Potatoes" which the grateful Greek bestows upon me is the best thiug I have come across in his letters yet; and I trust he still acknowledges my right to the title. Coming from one so well qualified to express an opinion on the subject, the compliment is all the more flattering. I will now put the mangled remains of the small potato into a bucket, and " thegintleman what pays the rint" will, if his taste is not fastidious, no doubt speedily convert them into pork.—Yours, etc.. Liberal, Masher-in-Chief of Small Potatoes.