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Prudence: Quotations from Cyclopedia of Practical Quotations

And by a prudent flight and cunning save A life which valour could not, from the grave. A better buckler I can soon regain, But who can get another life again?— ARCHILOCHUS — See PLUTARCH'S Morals. Vol. I. Essay on the Laws, etc., of

the Lacedemonians. Put your trust in God, my boys, and keep your powder dry.— COL. BLACKER — Oliver's Advice.

See HAYES' Ballads of Ireland. 1834. Vol. I. P. 191. Attributed to Cromwell. Beware of desperate steps. The darkest day, Live till to-morrow, will have pass'd away.— COWPER — The Needless Alarm. L. 132.

According to her cloth she cut her coat.— DRYDEN — Fables. Cock and the Fox. L. 20.

Yes, I had two strings to my bow; both golden ones, egad! and both cracked.— FIELDING — Love in Several Masques. Act V. Sc. 13.

In the embers shining bright A garden grows for thy delight, With roses yellow, red, and white. But, O my child, beware, beware! Touch not the roses growing there, For every rose a thorn doth bear.— R. W. GILDER — Cradle Song.

When individuals approach one another with deep purposes on both sides they seldom come at once to the matter which they have most at heart. They dread the electric shock of a too sudden contact with it.— NATH. HAWTHORNE — The Marble Faun. Vol I. Ch. XXII.

But curb thou the high spirit in thy breast, For gentle ways are best, and keep aloof From sharp contentions.— HOMER — Iliad. Bk. IX. L. 317.

Bryant's trans. So that every man lawfully ordained must bring a bow which hath two strings, a title of present right and another to provide for future possibility or chance.— RICHARD HOOKER — Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity. Bk. V. Ch. LXXX. No. 9.

Free livers on a small scale; who are prodigal within the compass of a guinea.— WASHINGTON IRVING — The Stout

Gentleman. The first years of man must make provision for the last.— SAM'L JOHNSON — Rasselas. Ch. XVII.

Ye diners out from whom we guard our spoons.— MACAULAY — Political Georgics.

In ancient times all things were cheape, 'Tis good to looke before thou leape, When corne is ripe 'tis time to reape.— MARTYN PARKER — The Roxburghe

Ballads. An Excellent New Medley. Be prudent, and if you hear, *** some insult or some threat, *** have the appearance of not hearing it.— GEORGES SAND — Handsome Lawrence. Ch. II.

All these you may avoid but the Lie Direct; and you may avoid that too, with an If. I knew when seven justices could not take up a quarrel, but when the parties were met themselves, one of them thought but of an If, as, 'If you said so, then I said so;' and they shook hands and swore brothers. Your If is the only peace-maker; much virtue in If.— Shakespeare — As You Like It. Act V. Sc. 4. L. 100.

Be advis'd; Heat not a furnace for your foe so hot That it do singe yourself: we may outrun, By violent swiftness, that which we run at, And lose by over-running.— Shakespeare — Henry VIII. Act I. Sc. 1. L. 139.

Have more than thou showest, Speak less than thou knowest, Lend less than thou owest, Ride more than thou goest, Learn more than thou trowest, Set less than thou throwest.— Shakespeare — King Lear. Act I. Sc. 4. L. 131.

In my school days, when I had lost one shaft, I shot his fellow of the self-same flight The self-same way with more advised watch, To find the other forth, and by adventuring both I oft found both.— Shakespeare — Merchant of Venice. Act I. Sc. 1. L. 139.

Love all, trust a few, Do wrong to none: be able for thine enemy Rather in power than use, and keep thy friend Under thy own life's key: be check'd for silence, But never tax'd for speech. S.— Shakespeare — All's Well That Ends Well. Act I. Sc. 1. L. 73.

Think him as a serpent's egg Which, hatch'd, would, as his kind, grow mischievous, And kill him in the shell. Julius Cæsar. Act II. Sc. 1. L. 32. Trust none; For oaths are straws, men's faiths are wafer cakes, And hold-fast is the only dog. и.— Shakespeare — Henry V. Act II. Sc. 3. L. 52.

Felix se nescit amari. The prosperous man does not know whether he is loved.— LUCAN — Pharsalia. VII. 727.

Si numeres anno soles et nubila toto, Invenies nitidum sæpius isse diem. If you count the sunny and the cloudy days of the whole year, you will find that the sunshine predominates.— OVID — Tristium. V. 8. 31.

Est felicibus difficilis miseriarum vera æstimatio. The prosperous can not easily form a right idea of misery.— QUINTILIAN — De Institutione Oratoria.

IX. 6. Quantum caliginis mentibus nostris objicit magna felicitas! How much does great prosperity overspread the mind with darkness.— SENECA — De Brevitate Vitæ. XIII.

Semel profecto premere felices deus Cum cœpit, urget; hos habent magna exitus. When God has once begun to throw down the prosperous, He overthrows them altogether: such is the end of the mighty.— SENECA — Hercules Etxus. 713.

Multis terribilis, caveto multos. If thou art terrible to many, then beware of many.— AUSONIUS — Septem Sapientum Sententiæ

Septenis Versibus Explicatæ. IV. 5. Malo indisertam prudentiam, quam loqua cem stultitiam. I prefer silent prudence to loquacious folly.— CICERO — De Oratore. III. 35.

Non est ab homine nunquam sobrio postulanda prudentia. Prudence must not be expected from a man who is never sober. a. II. 32. Parvi enim sunt foris arma, nisi est consilium domi. An army abroad is of little use unless there are prudent counsels at home.— CICERO — De Officiis. I. 22.

Prudentia est rerum expectandarum fugiendarumque scientia. Prudence is the knowledge of things to be sought, and those to be shunned.— CICERO — De Officiis. I. 43.

Nullum numen habes si sit prudentia. One has no protecting power save prudence.— JUVENAL — Satiræ. X. 365. Also

Satiræ. XIV. 315. Crede mihi; miseros prudentia prima relinquit. Believe me; it is prudence that first forsakes the wretched.— OVID — Epistolæ Ex Ponto. IV. 12. 47.

Extrema primo nemo tentavit loco. No one tries extreme remedies at first.— SENECA — Agamemnon. 153.

Consilio melius vinces quam iracundiâ. You will conquer more surely by prudence than by passion.— SYRUS — Maxims.

Deliberandum est diu, quod statuendum semel. That should be considered long which can be decided but once.— SYRUS — Maxims.

Difficilem oportet aurem habere crimina. One should not lend a ready ear to criminal charges.— SYRUS — Maxims.

Plura consilio quam vi perficimus. We accomplish more by prudence than by force.— TACITUS — Annales. II. 26.

Ratio et consilium, propriæ ducis artes. Forethought and prudence are the proper qualities of a leader.— TACITUS — Annales. XIII. 20.

Omnia prius experiri verbis quam armis sapientem decet. It becomes a wise man to try negotiation before arms.— TERENCE — Eunuchus. V. 1. 19.

Glissez, mortels, n'appuyez pas. Glide gently, mortals, weigh not too hard.— ROY — On a picture of a winter scene

with skaters. Le trop d'expédients peut gâter une affaire. Too many expedients may spoil an affair.— LA FONTAINE — Fables. IX. 14.