AUGURS MEETING AND LAUGHING.
[To THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—I am much obliged to you for your notice of my book, "The Profitable Imbroglio.' Your reviewer, however, has missed an essential point in his comment :—
" Mr. Hayter ought to know better than repeat the absurdity of speaking of augurs as smiling when they met It should be diviners (haruspex)."
The reference in question to a well-known Latin dictum is made not by me as author, but by a Society lady interested in politics, who, by-the-by, reduces the laugh to a smile. Brought up to revere the classics from my youth. I know the difference between a karuspez and an augur. The lady, however, who makes the remark could hardly be expected to be familiar with Cicero, "De Divinatione," II. 24, 51, and " De Nature Deorum," I. 26, 71.
On the other hand, she might be familiar with the modern reference in English, which has, perhaps, made the dictum pro- verbial. In Punch, February 8th, 1873, is one of Tenniel's cartoons entitled " The Two Augurs." Disraeli and Gladstone stand on each side of an altar marked " Session, 1873." The sacrifice on it is inscribed "Public Interest," while the smoke is "Party Politics." Disraeli is smiling ; Gladstone looks severe and holds a " lituus." The legend beneath runs as follows :—
.Disralius: "I always wonder, Brother, how we chief Augurs can meet on the opening day without laughing!" Madstonius " I have never felt any temptation to the hilarity you suggest, Brother, and the remark savours of flippancy." These facts and further notes on the Latin phrases were exhibited in Notes and Queries for May 14th of last year.—
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