Dear Anglika,

Thank you for your well-meaning reply. Your words sounded very encouragingly to me.

Now I will try my hand at explanation the ancient proverb “Can the leopard change his spots?”

This is an insinuating proverb which is driving at my obstinacy in using complex words and expressions, which all too often were slow uptake from the people of moderate means.

You know:

spot = a mark of discredit or disgrace

There is an allusion to Jerammiah 13:23

“Can the Ethiopian change his skin Or the leopard his spots? Then you also can do good Who are accustomed to doing evil.”

Here is a message sent to king Jehoiakim, and his queen. Their sorrows would be great indeed. Do they ask, Wherefore come these things upon us? Let them know, it is for their obstinacy in sin. We cannot alter the natural color of the skin; and so is it morally impossible to reclaim and reform these people. Sin is the blackness of the soul; it is the discoloring of it; we were shapen in it, so that we cannot get clear of it by any power of our own. But Almighty grace is able to change the Ethiopian's skin. Neither natural depravity, nor strong habits of sin, form an obstacle to the working of God, the new-creating Spirit. The Lord asks of Jerusalem, whether she is determined not be made clean. If any poor slave of sin feels that he could as soon change his nature as master his headstrong lusts, let him not despair; for things impossible to men are possible with God. Let us then seek help from Him who is mighty to save.

You might see, the past time and the present time are side-by-side. O tempora, o mores!

Regards.

V.