THE MOTE AND THE BEAM.
Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
In Timbs's "Things not Generally Known" it is related that, "In the reign of James I., the Scotch adventurers who came over with that monarch were greatly annoyed by persons breaking the windows of their houses; and among the instigators was Buckingham, the court favourite, who lived in a large house in St. Martin's Fields, which, from the great number of windows, was termed the Glass House. Now, the Scotchmen, in retaliation, broke the windows of Buckingham's mansion. The courtier complained to the king, to whom the Scotchmen had previously applied, and the monarch replied to Buckingham, 'Those who live in glass houses, Steenie, should be careful how they throw stones.' Whence arose the common saying."
It did not arise thence, nor was King James its inventor. This is one of a thousand instances in which a story growing out of a proverb has been presented as that proverb's origin. "Let him that has glass tiles [panes] not throw stones at his neighbour's house" is a maxim common to the Spaniards[436] and Italians,[437] and older than the time of James I. The Italians say also, "Let him that has a glass skull not take to stone-throwing."[438]
The kiln calls the oven burnt house.
The pot calls the kettle black bottom.
When negroes quarrel they always call each other "dam niggers." "The pan says to the pot, 'Keep off, or you'll smutch me'" (Italian).[439] "The shovel makes game of the poker" (French).[440] "Said the raven to the crow, 'Get out of that, blackamoor'" (Spanish).[441] "One ass nicknames another Longears" (German).[442] "Dirty-nosed folk always want to wipe other folks' noses" (French).[443]
"Crooked carlin!" quoth the cripple to his wife.—Scotch.
"God help the fool!" said the idiot.
Who more ready to call her neighbour "scold" than the arrantest scold in the parish?
"A harlot repented for one night. 'Is there no police officer,' she exclaimed, 'to take up harlots?'" (Arab.)
Point not at others' spots with a foul finger.
Physician, heal thyself.