Book of Wise Sayings Part 12

Dreams in general take their rise from those incidents which have most occupied the thoughts during the day.

Herodotus.

389.

Sleeping, we image what awake we wish; Dogs dream of bones, and fishermen of fish.[20]

Theocritus.

[20] Cf. Arab proverb: "The dream of the cat is always about mice."

390.

A man who does not endeavour to seem more than he is will generally be thought nothing of. We habitually make such large deductions for pretence and imposture that no real merit will stand against them. It is necessary to set off our good qualities with a certain air of plausibility and self-importance, as some attention to fas.h.i.+on is necessary.

Hazlitt.

391.

There is nothing more beautiful than cheerfulness in an old face, and among country people it is always a sign of a well-regulated life.

Richter.

392.

From things which have been obtained after having been long desired men almost never derive the pleasure and delight which they had antic.i.p.ated.

Guicciardini.

393.

Seest thou good days? Prepare for evil times. No summer but hath its winter. He never reaped comfort in adversity that sowed not in prosperity.

Quarles.

394.

Every man knows his own but not others' defects and miseries; and 'tis the nature of all men still to reflect upon themselves their own misfortunes, not to examine or consider other men's, not to confer themselves with others; to recount their own miseries but not their good gifts, fortunes, benefits which they have, to ruminate on their adversity, but not once to think on their prosperity, not what they have but what they want.

Burton.

395.

Some people, you would think, are made up of nothing but t.i.tle and genealogy; the stamp of dignity defaces in them the very character of humanity, and transports them to such a degree of haughtiness that they reckon it below them to exercise good nature or good manners.

L'Estrange.

396.

He alone is poor who does not possess knowledge.

Talmud.

397.

It is not enough to know; we must apply what we know. It is not enough to will; we must also act.

Goethe.

398.

Words of blame from those who are hostile to a great man cannot injure him. The moon is not hurt when barked at by a dog.

Arabic.

399.

The value of three things is justly appreciated by all cla.s.ses of men: youth, by the old; health, by the diseased; and wealth, by the needy.

Omar Khayyam.

400.

As one might nurse a tiny flame, The able and far-seeing man, E'en with the smallest capital, Can raise himself to wealth.

Buddhist.

401.

By a husband wealth is acc.u.mulated; by a wife is its preservation.

Burmese.

402.

It is very hard for the mind to disengage itself from a subject on which it has been long employed. The thoughts will be rising of themselves from time to time, though we have given them no encouragement, as the tossings and fluctuations of the sea continue several hours after the winds are laid.

Addison.

403.

Hypocrisy will serve as well To propagate a church as zeal; As persecution and promotion Do equally advance devotion: So round white stones will serve, they say, As well as eggs, to make hens lay.

Butler.

404.

Man differs from other animals particularly in this, that he is imitative, and acquires his rudiments of knowledge in this way; besides, the delight in imitation is universal.

Aristotle.

405.

The hooting fowler seldom takes much game. When a man has a project in his mind, digested and fixed by consideration, it is wise to keep it secret till the time that his designs arrive at their despatch and perfection. He is unwise who brags much either of what he will do or what he shall have, for if what he speaks of fall not out accordingly, instead of applause, a mock and scorn will follow him.

Feltham.

406.

What is the most profitable? Fellows.h.i.+p with the good. What is the worst thing in the world? The society of evil men. What is the greatest loss? Failure in one's duty. Where is the greatest peace? In truth and righteousness. Who is the hero? The man who subdues his senses. Who is the best beloved? The faithful wife. What is wealth? Knowledge. What is the most perfect happiness? Staying at home.

Bhartrihari.

407.

If a man says that it is right to give every one his due, and therefore thinks within his own mind that injury is due from a just man to his enemies but kindness to his friends, he was not wise who said so, for he spoke not the truth, for in no case has it appeared to be just to injure any one.[21]

Plato.

[21] Cf. Matt. V, 43, 44.

408.

Faith is like love, it cannot be forced. Therefore it is a dangerous operation if an attempt be made to introduce or bind it by state regulations; for, as the attempt to force love begets hatred, so also to compel religious belief produces rank unbelief.

Schopenhauer.

409.

We are like vessels tossed on the bosom of the deep; our pa.s.sions are the winds that sweep us impetuously forward; each pleasure is a rock; the whole life is a wide ocean. Reason is the pilot to guide us, but often allows itself to be led astray by the storms of pride.

Metastasio.

410.

Empty is the house of a childless man; as empty is the mind of a bachelor; empty are all quarters of the world to an ignorant man; but poverty is total emptiness.

Hitopadesa.

411.

The wicked have no stability, for they do not remain in consistency with themselves; they continue friends only for a short time, rejoicing in each other's wickedness.

Aristotle.

412.

It is the natural disposition of all men to listen with pleasure to abuse and slander of their neighbour, and to hear with impatience those who utter praises of themselves.

Demosthenes.

413.

A man ought not to return evil for evil, as many think, since at no time ought we to do an injury to our neighbour.[22]

Plato.

[22] Cf. Rom. XII, 19; 1 Thess. V, 15.

414.

In all that belongs to man you cannot find a greater wonder than memory. What a treasury of all things! What a record! What a journal of all! As if provident Nature, because she would have man circ.u.mspect, had furnished him with an account-book, to carry always with him. Yet it neither burthens nor takes up room.

Feltham.

415.

He who will not freely and sadly confess that he is much a fool is all a fool.

Fuller.

416.

The man with h.o.a.ry head is not revered as aged by the G.o.ds, but only he who has true knowledge; he, though young, is old.

Manu.

417.

No fathers and mothers think their own children ugly, and this self-deceit is yet stronger with respect to the offspring of the mind.

Cervantes.

418.

In thy apparel avoid singularity, profuseness, and gaudiness. Be not too early in the fas.h.i.+on, nor too late. Decency is half way between affectation and neglect. The body is the sh.e.l.l of the soul, apparel is the husk of that sh.e.l.l; the husk often tells you what the kernel is.

Quarles.

419.

We have more faith in a well-written romance while we are reading it than in common history. The vividness of the representations in the one case more than counterbalances the mere knowledge of the truth of facts in the other.

Hazlitt.

420.

It is easy to lose important opportunities, and difficult to regain them; therefore when they present themselves it is the more necessary to make every effort to retain them.