The dreams, or ravings of old women. «Old wives tales». By such titles, idle and ridiculous stories were used anciently, and still continue to be called.

Kind words are a medicine to an afflicted spirit. A soft answer turneth away wrath. Cortesia de boca mucho valer, y poco costa, civility costs little, but has considerable influence in appeasing restless and unquiet minds. An ounce of honey, we say, will catch more flies than a gallon of vinegar.

«Sunt verba et voces quibus hunc lenire dolorem
Possis, et magnam morbi depellere partera».

«Know there are words, which fresh and fresh applied,
Will cure the arrantest puppy of his pride».

Pride, and other evil affections of the mind, were by the Stoics considered as diseases, for which there were no better remedies, than good and sensible discourses.

An old fox is not easily to be taken in a snare; age has made him cautious. The proverb may be applied to persons attempting to impose upon us, and to excite compassion by the relation of some affecting but improbable story. «Quære peregrinum», tell your tale to one less acquainted with you, or with the circumstances you are relating; they will gain you no credit here. A otro perro, con esse huesso, throw that bone to another dog.

Persons quitting a business or profession in which they have been long engaged, and had been successful, and attempting some new employment, are as little likely to succeed, as a tree is to flourish, when removed from the soil in which it had been long fixed.

Seeking a handle or opportunity for breaking an agreement into which any one may have improvidently entered, or an occasion for quarreling; and to persons of a litigious disposition, very trifling causes will afford handle sufficient for the purpose. The phrase is used by us in as many ways, as it was formerly among the Romans. You know the temper of the man, be careful that you give him no handle, no ground for caviling, though that may be though that may be difficult, as a man so disposed, will make a handle of any thing. «When we have determined to beat a dog, the first hedge we come to will furnish us with a stick for the purpose».

Being young and inexperienced do you set yourself up for a teacher? This among the ancients would have been looked upon as a preposterous attempt, and perhaps our manners are not much mended by our departing from their practice on this subject. Odi puerulos præcoci sapientiâ, I hate these forward wits, or to see young men thrusting themselves into concerns that require rather strength of heads than of hands. The most early wits were supposed to be least lasting, and never to attain to perfection; soon ripe soon rotten, is a very old maxim. Buey viejo, sulco derecho, an old ox makes a straight furrow ; and diablo sabe mucho, por que es viejo, the devil knows much, the Spaniards say, because he is old.

How like a goat she smells, said of libidinous old women. The phrase, therefore, taken originally from the Greeks, is neither modern nor peculiar to this country; though no where used, it may be presumed, but among the common people.

The old ape is taken at length. This was said, when any one, who for a long time, by craft and cunning, had succeeded in plundering his neighbours, was at last taken, and condemned to suffer the punishment due to his crimes. Our English proverb has it, The old fox is caught at last.