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.