Sivut kuvina
PDF
ePub

sight the events of succeeding? years, is a veil woven by the hand of mercy.

The best preparation for all the uncertainties of futurity, consists in a well ordered mind, a good conscience, and a cheerful submission8 to the will of heaven.""

Household affairs ought insensibly to slide along, and represent a still current without

waves.9

noise of

Clearness is the rule of speaking, as sincerity is the rule of thinking. Too bright sallies of wit, like flashes of lightning, rather dazzle than illuminate.+

Lessons and precepts ought to be gilded2 and sweetened as we do pills and potions, so as to take off the disgust of the remedy; for it holds both in virtue and in health, that we love to be instructed,3 as well as physicked with pleasure..

A tree that is every year transplanted,4 will never bear fruit; and a mind that is always hurried from its proper station, will scarce ever do good in any way.

Supposing men were to live forever in this world, it would be hardly possible for them to do more toward their establishment5 here, than they now do.

[ocr errors]
[blocks in formation]

With a false companion, it is ment, a salary.

hard to retain innocence; be, there fore, very cautious in choosing

your company.

determine, to

confirm.

Resolve6 to speak and act well 6 Resolve, v. in company, in opposition to those that do ili; whose vice set against thy virtue, will render it the more conspicuous and excellent.

Liberality7 should have such a mixture of prudence, as not to ex-, ceed the ability of the giver.

The desire of appearing to he persons of ability8 often prevents being so-Some weak people are so sensible of their weakness, as to be able to make a good use of it. The height of ability consists9 in a thorough knowledge of the al value of thing, and of the genjust of the age we live in.

re

Few men are able to know all the,

ill they do..

No accidents are so unlucky but the prudent may draw some advantagé from them, nor are there any so lucky, but what the imprudent may turn to their prejudice.2

Men may boast of their great actions ;- but they are oftener the effect of chance than design. 3 How brilliant4 soever an action may be, it ought not to pass great, when it is not the effect of

great design.

7 Liberality, bounty, gene rosity.

8 Ability, 8. c2 pacity, genius, the power to do any thing.

9 Consists, made up of, subsists, agrees!

+ Genius, s. ability, capacity, disposition

of

ems

nature, by which any one is qual. ifed for some peculiar ployment. 2 Prejudice, prepossession, mischief, hurt. 3 Design, intention, a plan, a scheme. 4 Brilliant, a sparkling, ship

for

ing.

an

.

Our actions are like the jingle5 5 Jingle, of rhyme which every one repeats sounding, a ratin his own manner.

We should often be ashamed of our best actions, if the world were witness to the motives which produce6 them.

There is nothing of which we are so liberal as advice.

There is near as much ability requisite to know how to make use of good advice as to know how to act for one's self.

We may give advice,8 but we cannot give conduct.

We are never made so ridiculous by the qualities we have, as those we affect to have.

Whatever we may pretend, interest and vanity9 are the usual sources of our afflictions.

Most people as they approach old age, show in what manner their bodies and minds will decay.

We arrive novices2 at the different ages of life, and want experience though we have had many years to gain it.

We judge so superficially 3 of things, that common words and ac tions, spoke and done in an agreeable manner, with some knowledge of what passes in the world, often succeed beyond the greatest ability.

tle.

6 Produce, v.

to bring forth, bear, to show.

7 Requisite, a. necessary, required.

8 Advice, & counsel, instruction, notice, intelligence.

9 Vanity,
emptiness,
pride.

Approach, v.

to draw near.

2 Novice, s. one not acquainted any thing.

with

3 Superficially, ad. without going deep.

We may say of agreeableness, distinct5 from beauty, that it is a symmetry6 whose rules are unknown; it is a secret conformity of the features of one another, to the complexion, to the carriage.

The ambitious deceive themselves in proposing an end to their ambition, for that end when attained? becomes a means.

The greatest ambition entirely conceals itself when it finds that what it aspired to, is unattainable.8

What seems to be generosity is often no more than disguised ambition, which overlooks little interests in order to gratify great ones. We pass often from love to ambition, but we seldom return from ambition9 to love.

Those who apply themselves too much to little things, commonly become icapable of great ones.

Few things are impracticable in themselves; and it is for want of application, rather than of means, that men fail of success.

In every profession. every individual2 affects to appear what he would willingly be esteemed; so that we may say the world is composed of nothing but appearances. Misers mistake gold for their B3

[blocks in formation]

good, whereas it is only a mean of
attaining 3 it.
Avarice is more opposite to econ-
omy than liberality.4

We like better to see those on
whom
we confer benefits, than
those from whom we receive them.
The rust of business is sometimes
polished 5 off in a camp, but never in
a court.

Civility is a desire to receive civility, and to be accounted well bred.

The clemency6 of princes is often policy to gain the affection of their subjects.

The Handsome and Deformed Leg.

1 There are two sorts of

peo

which

[blocks in formation]

calamity, conso-
lation,
ance.

support under

assist.

ple in the world, who with equal degrees of health and wealth, and the other comforts* of life, become the one happy, and the other miserable. This arises very much 2 Views, from the different views in sight, prospect, they consider things, persons, and display, design. events; and the effect of those different views2 upon their own minds. 2 In whatever situation men can be placed, they may find conveniences,3 and inconveniences; in. whatever company, they may find

3 Conveniences 8. suitable things.

« EdellinenJatka »