Book of Wise Sayings Part 13

Guicciardini.

421.

Among wonderful things is a sore-eyed man who is an oculist.

Arabic.

422.

Gold gives the appearance of beauty even to ugliness; but everything becomes frightful with poverty.

Boileau.

423.

When the scale of sensuality bears down that of reason, the baseness of our nature conducts us to most preposterous conclusions.

R. Chamberlain.

424.

Idleness is a great enemy to mankind. There is no friend like energy, for, if you cultivate that, it will never fail.

Bhartrihari.

425.

The greatest difficulties lie where we are not looking for them.

Goethe.

426.

We must oblige everybody as much as we can; we have often need of a.s.sistance from those inferior to ourselves.

La Fontaine.

427.

We magnify the wealthy man, though his parts be never so poor. The poor man we despise, be he never so well qualified. Gold is the coverlet of imperfections. It is the fool's curtain, which hides all his defects from the world.

Feltham.

428.

There is nothing more operative than sedulity and diligence. A man would wonder at the mighty things which have been done by degrees and gentle augmentations. Diligence and moderation are the best steps whereby to climb to any excellence, nay, it is rare that there is any other other way.

Feltham.

429.

In sooth, it is a shame to choose rather to be still borrowing in all places, from everybody, than to work and win.

Rabelais.

430.

Behaviour is a mirror in which every one shows his image.

Goethe.

431.

There is nothing more daring than ignorance.

Menander.

432.

It is not easy to stop the fire when the water is at a distance; friends at hand are better than relations afar off.

Chinese.

433.

The l.u.s.tre of a virtuous character cannot be defaced, nor can the vices of a vicious man ever become lucid. A jewel preserves its l.u.s.tre, though trodden in the mud, but a bra.s.s pot, though placed upon the head, is bra.s.s still.

Panchatantra.

434.

n.o.ble birth is an accident of fortune, n.o.ble actions characterise the great.

Goldoni.

435.

Simplicity of character is the natural result of profound thought.

Hazlitt.

436.

When anyone is modest, not after praise, but after censure, then he is really so.

Richter.

437.

Experience has always shown, and reason shows, that affairs which depend on many seldom succeed.

Guicciardini.

438.

Give not thy tongue too great a liberty, lest it take thee prisoner. A word unspoken is like thy sword in thy scabbard; if vented, the sword is in another's hand.[23] If thou desire to be held wise, be so wise as to hold thy tongue.

Quarles.

[23] Cf. 221; also Metastasio: Voce dal fuggita Poi richiamar non vale; Non si trattien lo strale Quando dall' arco usc.

[The word that once escapes the tongue cannot be recalled; the arrow cannot be detained which has once sped from the bow.]

439.

The old lose one of the greatest privileges of man, for they are no longer judged by their contemporaries.

Goethe.

440.

When the man of a naturally good propensity has much wealth it injures his advancement in wisdom; when a worthless man has much wealth it increases his faults.

Chinese.

441.

In youth a man is deluded by other ideas than those which delude him in middle life, and again in his decay he embraces other ideas.

Mahabharata.

442.

To consider, Is this man of our own or an alien? is a mark of little-minded persons; but the whole earth is of kin to the generous-hearted.[24]

Panchatantra.

[24] Cf. Luke, X, 29, ff.

443.

Skill in advising others is easily attained by men; but to practise righteousness themselves is what only a few can succeed in doing.

Hitopadesa.

444.

Hast thou not perfect excellence, 'tis best To keep thy tongue in silence, for 'tis this Which shames a man; as lightness does attest The nut is empty, nor of value is.

Sa'di.

445.

Understand a man by his deeds and words; the impressions of others lead to false judgment.

Talmud.

446.

A man of feeble character resembles a reed that bends with every gust of wind.

Magha.

447.

There is no fire like pa.s.sion; there is no shark like hatred; there is no snare like folly; there is no torrent like greed.

Dhammapada.

448.

Commit a sin twice, and it will not seem to thee a sin.

Talmud.

449.

Liberality attended with mild language; learning without pride; valour united with mercy; wealth accompanied with a generous contempt of it--these four qualities are with difficulty acquired.

Hitopadesa.

450.

Inquire about your neighbour before you build, and about your companions before you travel.

Arabic.

451.

Though you may yourself abound in treasure, teach your son some handicraft; for a heavy purse of gold and silver may run to waste, but the purse of the artisan's industry can never get empty.

Sa'di.

452.

It is an observation no less just than common that there is no stronger test of a man's real character than power and authority, exciting, as they do, every pa.s.sion, and discovering every latent vice.

Plutarch.