Folly that is wisely shown is fit,

But wise men folly fallen quite taint their wit. (Tw. N. iii. 1.) Thou art a proclaimed fool. (Tr. Cr. ii. 1.)

229. Quærit derisor sapientiam nec invenit eam.Prov. xiv. 6. (A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not.)

I do much wonder that one man, seeing how much another man is a fool,. . . . will, after he hath laughed at such shallow follies in others, become the argument of his own scorn. (Much Ad. ii. 3.)

The only stain of his fair virtue's gloss.

Is a sharp wit match'd with too blunt a will,

Whose edge hath power to cut, whose will still wills

It should spare none that come within his power.
Such short-lived wits do wither as they grow. (L. L. L. ii. 1.)
Qu. Mar. What! dost thou scorn me for my gentle counsel,
And soothe the devil that I warn thee from?

O! but remember this another day,

When he shall split thy heart with sorrow. (R. III. i. 4.)

Tim. Nay, an' you begin to rail on society once, I am sworn not to give regard to you. Farewell, and come with better music. Apemantus. So thou wilt not hear me now,

Thou shalt not then; I'll lock thy heaven from thee.

O! that men's ears should be

To counsel deaf, but not to flattery. (Tim. Ath. i. 2.)

(Comp. 230.)

230. Non recipit stultus verba prudentiæ nisi ea dixeris quæ sint in corde ejus.-Prov. xviii. 2, Vulgate. (A fool receiveth not the word of understanding, unless thou shalt say the things that are in his heart.)

(Quoted De Aug. vii. 2.)

They fool me to the top of my bent. (Ham. iii. 2.)

I can o'ersway him: for he loves to hear

That unicorns may be betrayed with trees. . . .

Lions with toils, and men with flatterers;

But when I tell him he hates flatterers,

He says he does, being then most flattered.

Let me work;

For I can give his humour the true bent. (Jul. C. ii. 1.)

Bru. I do not like your faults.

Cas. A friendly eye would never see such faults.

Bru. A flatterer's would not, though they do appear as huge as high Olympus. (Jul. C. iv. 3.)

Commune with you of this, but rather follow
Our forcible instigation? Our prerogative
Calls not your counsels, but our natural goodness
Imparts this. . . . inform yourselves

We need no more of your advice. (Wint. T.

ii 2.)

(The sequel to these and many such passages enforces the moral of the text.)

(Compare No. 8.)

231. Lucerna Dei spiraculum hominis.-Prov. xx. 27, Vulgate. (The light of God is the breath of man. Authorised Version: The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord.) (Quoted in the Interpretation of Nature, Spedding, iii. 220.)

Light from heaven and words from breath. (M. M. v. 1.)
The light of truth. (L. L. L. i. 1.)

Study is like the heaven's glorious sun. (Ib.)

There burns my candle out. (3 Hen. VI. ii. 6.)

God shall be my hope, my guide, and lantern to my feet.

Out brief candle! life's but a walking shadow. (Macb. v. 5.)

232. Veritatem eme et noli vendere.-Prov. xxiii. 23. (Buy the truth and sell it not.)

(Quoted Interpretation of Nature, Works, Spedding, iii. 220.) All delights are vain, but that most vain

Which with pain purchased doth inherit pain,

As painfully to pore upon a book

To seek the light of truth. (L. L. L. i. 1.)

(Compare No. 231.)

How hast thou purchased this experience?

With my penny
of observation. (L. L. L. iii. 1.).
(See No. 9.)

233. Melior claudus in via quam cursor extra viam. (Better is the lame man in the right way, than a swift runner out of the way.)

(Quoted Nov. Org. i. 1, and Advt. L. ii. 1.)

Cel. Lame me with reasons. . . . O! how full of briars is this work-a-day world. . . . if we walk not in the trodden paths. (As Y. L. i. 2. See passage.)

234. The glory of God is to conceal a thing, and the glory of man is to find out a thing.-Prov. xxv. 2.

(Quoted in Advt. of Learning, Pref., in Nov. Org., and in the Interpretation of Nature.)

'Tis wisdom to conceal our meaning. (3 H. VI. iv. 7.)

Bir. What is the end of study? Let me know.
King. Why, that to know which else we should not know.
Bir. Things hid and barr'd, you mean, from common sense?
King. Ay, that is study's god-like recompense.

In Nature's infinite book of secresy

A little I have read. (Ant. Cl. i. 2.)

(L. L. L. i. 1.)

235. Melior est finis orationis quam principium.-Eccl. vii. 8. (Better is the end of speaking than the beginning thereof.)

(Quoted De Aug. v. 2 and viii. 2; Spedding, iv. 450.)

What I will, I will, and there's an end. (Tw. G. Ver. i. 3.)
That letter hath she deliver'd, and there an end. (Ib. ii. 1.)
Val. You have said, sir.

Ther. Ay, sir, and done too, for this time.

Val. I know it well, sir: you always end ere you begin.

(Ib. ii. 4)

A good l'envoi ending in the goose. (L. L. L. iii. 1.)

Q. Mar. O let me make the period to my curse.

Glo. 'Tis done by me, and ends in-Margaret. (R. III. i. 4.)

Q. Mar. Thou rag of honour! thou detested

Glo. Margaret. (R. III. i. 4.)

Let me end the story: I slew him. (Cymb. v. 5.)

Lips, let sour words go by, and language end. (Tim. Ath. v. 2.) Down; an end; this is the last. (Cor. v. 4.)

236. Initium verborum ejus stultitia et novissimum oris illius pura insania.—Prov. x. 13. (The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is sheer madness.)

Why, this is very midsummer madness. (Tw. N. iv. 3.)
Fellow, thy words are madness. (Ib. v. 1.)

O! madness of discourse. (Tr. Cr. v. 2.)

Though this be madness, yet there's method in it. (Ham. ii. 2.)

237. Verba sapientum sicut aculej et rebus clavj in altum defixj (sic).1—Eccl. xii. 11. (The words of the wise are as goads and as nails.)

(Quoted Advt. i. and Wis. Ant. xxviii.)

The sharp thorny points

Of my alleged reasons drive this forward. (Hen. VIII. ii. 4.) ('Goads' of circumstances, temptations, thoughts, &c., in All's Well, v. 1, 14; M. M. ii. 2, 83; Cor. ii. 3, 262; W. T. i. 2, 329. Edgar describes the Bedlam beggars as striking themselves with 'Pins, wooden pricks, nails.' (Lear, ii. 3.)

238. Qui potest capere capiat.-Matt. xix. 12.

(Quoted No. 12.)

239. Vos adoratis quod nescitis. John iv. 22. (Ye worship ye know not what.)

I follow you,

To do I know not what; but it sufficeth

That Brutus leads me on. (Jul. Cæs. ii. 1.)

You stand on distance, your passes, stoccadoes, and

I know not what. (Mer. Wiv. ii. 1.)

I do I know not what, and fear to find

Mine eye too great a flatterer for my mind. (Tw. N. i. 5.)

Verba sapientium sicut stimuli, et quasi clavi in altum defixi.-Eccles. xii. 11, Vulgate.

Ne'er till now

Was I a child, to fear I know not what. (Tit. And. ii. 4.)

Iago. Faith that he did--I know not what he did. (Oth. iv. 1.)

One that dare

Maintain—I know not what: 'tis trash. (Tr. Cr. ii. 1.)

(And No. 239.)

240. Vos nihil scitis.—John xii. 49. (Ye know nothing at all.)

Biron. What is the end of study? Let me know.

King. Why, to know that which else we should not know. Biron. Things hid and barr'd, you know, from common sense? ..

If study's gain be thus, and this be so,

Study knows that which yet it doth not know.

Too much to know is to know nought but fame.
Study evermore is overshot:

While it doth study to have what it would,
It doth forget to do the thing it should. (Ib.)

(L. L. L. i. 1.)

(Ib.)

241. Quid est veritas ?-John xviii. 38. truth?)

(What is

'What is truth?' said jesting Pilate. (Ess. Truth.)
Opinion sick, truth suspected. (John, iv. 2.)

Only sin

And hellish obstinacy tie thy tongue,

That truth may be suspected. (All's W. i. 3.)

Par. I will say true-or thereabouts set down-for I'll speak truth.

1 Lord. He's very near the truth in this. (Ib. iv. 3.)

I will find out where truth is hid, though it were hid indeed in the centre. (Ham. ii. 2.)

Doubt truth to be a liar.

(Ib.)

The equivocation of the fiend I begin to doubt

That lies like truth. (Macb. v. 5.)

Base accusers that never knew what truth meant.

(H. VIII. ii. 1.)

That slander, sir, is found a truth now. (Ib.)