Mr. 0, M, Green addressing the boys, said:—"Many of you, for I know you are good English scholars, will know the phrase 'Brevity is the soul of wit' It is the most famous of Shakespeare's sayings and certainly one of his wise You may also have heard this advice to public speakers "Have something to say; say it; leave off So you need not be that I shall keep you long to-day.
"But I want you to think that this saying of Shakespeare's cuts very deep. My old Headmaster would never allow us to give long rambling answers. 'Oh don't talk, boy, don't talk' I have often heard him say in class.
jut to give a short concise answer means that you must know your subject, must have thought it out, must have your thoughts well under control. You may heard of the man who apologited to his friend for writing a long letter, saying 'If T had had more time T would have written you a shorter one.' That man evidently got his thoughts in order, he had not learn to lscipline hie. se saying: that you cannot} find the soul of wit—or may we say, wisdom? without putting yourself under a long and steady course discipline, has been perhaps the most important thing for men and nations. We all have just so much force in us to go through life with We may scatter it over a hundred different pursuits and enjoyments or we may concentrate on one or two, And the curious thing is that the people who concentrate cone o two seem to accumulate far greater reserves of force than Nature originally gave them, against any special need. Men who deny themselves, who do every job as if it were the only thing to be done im the world, acquire what is called personality. That is the history of all leaders of men, of all who have done great things in the world, Making Allowances "But there is something better than to be able to lead men, and that is to be able to understand them, to put yourself in their place. And that also is the result of the hardest self-discipline. The more Severe we are with ourselves, the more We are able to make lowanee for others. And that I believe to be the supreme fruit of all wisdom, How many wars would never have been fought, how many lawsuits avoided, how many mise able family quarrels stopped at the outset, if only different groups of people had learnt to put themselves in the place of the other groups and to make allowances for them?
"Have you ever read the novels of Henry Seaton Merriman? You would enjoy them. You will find that a favourite character. of the disciplined, and' very courteous, which is only another way of so; ing, full of consideration for others, "twill say one thing in conclusion. Apollo, you know, does not always keep the bow bent, Sor.c relaxation you must have. And for a part of it 1 would recommend you to read good novels. They show you the lives and thoughts and doings of men and women, as you can never see them for yourself unaided—where some fail and others succeed, how they act and react upon each other. Novels are signposts for all of us, an encouragement in our troubles, a warning in our moments" of triumph. They are the best of lessons without seeming to teach, and in every mirror they hold up to life you will find some aspect of lat soul of wisdom of which I have been speaking.
"I fear I have been preaching at you. But I do not fear you will Tesent it. Because you belong to a school of fine _traditions—just those traditions I have been trying to put into words: and I know you are proud of your school and wish to be worthy of her."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.