Book of Wise Sayings
men almost never derive the pleasure and delight which they had
anticipated.
_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 title 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 classes 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 accumulated; 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? Fellowship 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 passions
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
circumspect, 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 hoary head is not revered as aged by the gods, 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 fashion, nor too late. Decency is half way between
affectation and neglect. The body is the shell of the soul, apparel
is the husk of that shell; 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.
_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
assistance 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 lustre of a virtuous character cannot be defaced, nor can the
vices of a vicious man ever become lucid. A jewel preserves its
lustre, though trodden in the mud, but a brass pot, though placed
upon the head, is brass still.
_Panchatantra._
434.
Noble birth is an accident of fortune, noble 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._