Polonius: A Collection of Wise Saws and Modern Instances

Overview

Edward FitzGerald's Polonius: A Collection of Wise Saws and Modern Instances (1852) gathers short sayings, proverbs, epigrams, and pointed quotations into a single, approachable miscellany. The title evokes the sententious courtier of Hamlet, but the volume trades verbosity for concentrated, often aphoristic wisdom. Entries range from moral maxims to witty observations, creating a patchwork of worldly experience and literary echoes.
Arranged for quick reference and sprightly reading alike, the collection serves as both a commonplace book and a pocket anthology. It reflects a mid-Victorian appetite for compact moral instruction and instructive amusement, offering readers a steady stream of memorable lines and concise counsel.

Form and Organization

Polonius is organized alphabetically by subject rather than by author, so readers encounter clusters under headings such as "Ambition, " "Friendship, " "Love, " and "Fortune." Each subject groups related "wise saws" and "modern instances, " making it easy to consult the book for a particular topic or to browse for serendipitous encounters.
Entries are usually brief, single sentences, aphorisms, or short paragraph quotations, and are often accompanied by terse attributions when available. The alphabetical arrangement lends the book the feel of a reference tool, while the compact units encourage sampling and reflection rather than linear reading.

Content and Sources

The material ranges widely in provenance: classical sources, Scripture, Renaissance and Enlightenment writers, contemporary 19th-century voices, and anonymous folk proverbs all appear. FitzGerald's taste leans toward pithy, resonant lines rather than scholarly annotation; the compiler favors memorable phrasing over exhaustive sourcing.
This eclectic mix places ancient moral sentiment alongside modern turns of speech, allowing readers to see continuities and contrasts across centuries. The selection highlights universal preoccupations, virtue, folly, friendship, love, death, rendered in concentrated form so that a single page can present diverse cultural echoes on a single theme.

Tone and Style

The overall tone is brisk and often ironic. Many entries carry a worldly skepticism or dry humor, while others are earnest moral counsel. FitzGerald's editorial hand is light: the compiler rarely expands into commentary, allowing the sayings to stand on their own and speak through their terseness.
The juxtaposition of grave and witty remarks produces a lively texture, where a solemn maxim may be followed by a sarcastic aside. This interplay keeps the book engaging and demonstrates an appreciation for both moral seriousness and the relief of humor.

Significance and Reception

Polonius captures a Victorian fascination with aphorism and quotation as forms of instruction and entertainment. It functions as a cultural snapshot, revealing what kinds of sayings resonated in mid-19th-century reading circles and how literary memory was mobilized for practical reflection.
Though not a critical anthology, the collection influenced the era's taste for miscellanies and helped perpetuate the idea of the quotation book as a useful companion for conversation, writing, and moral reflection. For readers interested in FitzGerald's literary sensibility, the selection anticipates his later renown for condensing emotional weight into luminous, economical expressions.