notice taken when we did nothing at all. This will be a sad animadversion when it is too late, and when probably it may appear that the very idle man, he who hath never employed himself, may be in a very little better condition than he who hath been worst employed; when idleness shall be declared to be a species of wickedness, and doing nothing to be the activity of a beast.Clarendon. D. Amongst all other things of the world, take care of thy estate, which thou shalt ever preserve, if thou observe these three things: first, that thou know what thou hast; what every thing is worth that thou hast; and to see that thou art not wasted by thy servants and officers. The second is, that thou never spend any thing before thou have it; for borrowing is the canker and death of every man's estate. The third is, that thou suffer not thyself to be wounded for other men's faults, and scourged for other men's offences; which is the surety for another; for thereby millions of men have been beggared and destroyed, paying the reckoning of other men's riot, and the charge of other men's folly and prodigality; if thou smart, smart for thine own sins, and above all things, be not an ass to carry the burdens of other men. If any desire thee to be his surety, give him a part of what thou hast to spare; if he press thee farther, he is not thy friend at all, for friendship rather chooseth harm to itself, than offereth it. If thou be bound for a stranger, thou art a fool; if for a merchant, thou puttest thy estate to learn to swim; if for a churchman, he hath no inheritance; if for a lawyer, he will find an evasion by a syllable or word to abuse thee; if for a poor man, thou must pay it thyself; if for a rich man he needs not: therefore from suretyship, as from a manslayer or enchanter, bless thyself; for the best profit and return will be this-that if thou force him for whom thou art bound, to pay it himself, he will become thy enemy; if thou use to pay it thyself, thou wilt become a beggar.-Sir W. Raleigh—to his Son. DI. The common ingredients of health and long life are Easy labour, little care. DII. Sir P. Sidney. A people may let a king fall, yet still remain a people; but if a king let his people slip from him, he is no longer a king.-Saville. DIII. Philosophers that are poor praise poverty because they are gainers by its effects; and the opulent Seneca himself has written a treatise on benefits, though he was known to give nothing away.-Goldsmith. DIV. 'Tis courtly, florid, and abounds in words Drawn in French wire, wou'd thro' whole pages shine. With fre dom, and I hope without offence; For I'Hant, when France can show me wit, Roscommon on the French. DV. The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together; our virtues would be proud, if our faults whipp'd them not; and our crimes would despair, if they were not cherish'd by our virtues.-Shakspeare. DVI. An extreme rigour is sure to arm every thing against it, and at length to relax into a supine neglect.-Burke. DVII. Without mounting by degrees, a man cannot attain to high things; and the breaking of the ladder still casteth a man back, and maketh the thing wearisome, which was easy.-Sir P. Sidney. DVIII. Too curious man, why dost thou seek to know DIX. Dryden. A tavern chair is the throne of human felicity. As soon as I enter the door of a tavern, I experience an oblivion of care, and a freedom from solicitude: when I am seated, I find the master courteous, and the servants obsequious to my call; anxious to know, and ready to supply my wants: wine there exhilarates my spirits, and prompts me to free conversation, and an interchange of discourse with those whor most love: I dogmatise, and am contradicted: and jed s conflict of opinion and sentiments I find delight.-Johnson. DX. SS Happy the man, who void of cares and strife, Meanwhile he smokes, and laughs at merry tale, DXI. Phillips. All is but lip-wisdom which wants experience.-Sir P. Sidney. DXII. Wit and irony, raillery and humour, are often deviations from the strict rules of veracity: but they are allowed by common consent; and, under proper restrictions, they contribute to enliven conversation, and to improve our manners. But jocularity is certainly culpable, and may be deemed a species of lying, when it is intended to deceive without any good end in view; and especially with the ungenerous one of diverting ourselves at the painful expense of another. This practice also may lead to more criminal falsehoods; and it is related with honour of Aristides, that he held truth to be so sacred, ut ne jaco quidem mentiretur.-Percival. DXIII. To affirm that old age is incapable of business, is the same as to maintain that a pilot is of no use in navigation; because, whilst some mount the shrouds; others run on the deck, or work at the pump, he sits quietly at the helm. An old man indeed cannot perform such actions as requires youth; but he does what is much greater, as well as better. It is neither by strength, swiftness, or agility of body, that affairs of great importance are transacted; but by prudence, authority, and good advice; which, far from being lost, are even much improved, for the most part, by age. Unless, perhaps, you think that I, who have acted the part of a soldier, a tribune, a lieutenant-general, and a consul, am now become wholly useless, because I can no longer bear a part in all manner of warlike expeditions as formerly. But then I inform the senate, what is fit to be done, and after what manner. Would you but consult the accounts left us of foreign transactions, you will find that the greatest states have been ruined by young men, but supported and restored by the old.-Cicero. DXIV. At shearing-time, along the lively vales, DXV. Dyer's Fleece. Changing hands without changing measures, is as if a drunkard in a dropsy should change his doctors, and not his diet.-Maxims of state-Saville. DXVI. The more we see of this world, the more are we convinced that it is filled with contradictions and absurdities Let us begin with the grand Turk, who causes all heads to be cut off that displease him, and can seldom preserve his own.-Voltaire. |