A tongue not to be silenced. Qui rationibus convicti, non cedunt tamen, who though convicted, overcome by argument, still refuse to yield. Nunquam persuadebis, quamvis persuaseris, although you have convicted me, you shall not convince me. Determined, obstinate incredulity.

The odour of gain is sweet, from whatever source it may he produced. To the miser, whatever is profitable, and to the voluptuous, whatever contributes to their pleasure, is deemed to be good, however impure the source of it may happen to be. Vespasian, who, but for his inordinate love of money, was one of the best of the Roman emperors, made use of this apothegm, in answer to his son, who had reproved him for laying a tax on certain vessels set in the streets, for the reception of urine, for the use of the dyers*. Taking a piece of money from his pocket, which he had received from that impost, and applying it to the nostrils of his son, he demanded, «Ecquid ea pecunia puteret», whether he perceived any ill savour in it? The same, however, might be asked of money obtained by robbery, murder, or any other unjustifiable means, and unfortunately we too easily excuse ourselves.

«O cives, cives, quærenda pecunia primum,
Virtus post nummos».
>(Horace, Epistularum liber I, v. 55)

O citizens, let money be your first care. Unde habeas curat nemo; sed oportet habere, no one will inquire how you get your wealth, but if you would be respected, you must have it.


* That the vessels were placed for the benefit of the dyers, seems proved by the following, taken from a note to p. 175, of the second volume of Rabelais.
Parisiis quando purpura præparatur, tune artifices invitant Germanicos milites, et studiosos, qui libenter bibunt, et eis præbent largiter optimum vinum, ea conditione, ut postea urinam reddant in illam Ianam. Sic enim audivi à studioso Parisiensi. Joan. Manlii Libellus Medicus.

Gain gotten by unfair means is no better than a loss; what is ill gotten rarely thrives. Those who are in too much haste to acquire riches, generally commit some error in the process which defeats their purpose; or, if they obtain what they sought for, they have rarely the discretion to use it properly. Hasty climbers have sudden falls. The wealth that is ill-gotten becomes a canker, and corrodes and destroys what it is put in contact with. Una pecora rognosa, ne guasta cento, one bad sheep spoils the flock. The too eager pursuit of any thing, Feltham says, «hinders the enjoyment; for it makes men take indirect ways, which though they prosper sometimes, are blessed never. Wealth snatched up by unjust and injurious ways, like a rotten sheep, will infect thy healthful flock».

Was said of any one shewing his joy by uncommon expressions of hilarity. Literally, he rejoices more than an old man, restored to youth; or, than a cripple, who has recovered his health and the use of his limbs. It seems to have taken its origin, from observing, that serpents, after changing their skins, from being dull and torpid, become extremely active and lively.

Being in office, it is your duty to hear all that can be said on the business before you by either party, before you decide on its merit.

«Qui statuit aliquid, parte inaudita altera,
Æquum licet statuerit, haud æquus est».

He who determines a cause without hearing both the parties, though he passes a just sentence, acts unjustly.

A succession of misfortunes, one following another, as happens to some ill-starred persons, who have no sooner learned to bear one trouble, but another falls upon them. Hence it has been said,

Fortuna obesse nulli contenta est semel.

Misfortune seldom comes single. The Spaniards therefore say, Ben vengas si vengas solo, you are welcome if you come alone.

Misfortunes come fast enough, we need not seek them, which those do who enter into contests in which they have no concern; or who meet troubles half way, and begin lamenting before they arrive, the difficulty is to get rid of them when present. Mischiefs come by the pound, and go away by the ounce, which seems a very indifferent imitation of Les maladies viennent a cheval, retournent a pied, diseases make their attack on horseback, but retire on foot.

Experience is the mistress of fools, and the burnt child, we say, dreads the fire. Some men are only to be made cautious by their own experience, they must suffer before they will be wary.

A tough and harsh knot, is not to be attempted to be cut by a fine tool; it can only be overcome by the application of a strong wedge. Great difficulties or diseases are not ordinarily subdued, but by powerful remedies, which may not be applied, perhaps, without some degree of danger. The adage also intimates, that in repelling injuries, we may use weapons, or means, similar to those with which we have been attacked. Craft and cunning may therefore be properly had recourse to, in opposing the machinations of the malevolent, and unjust. A horse perceiving that a lion was endeavouring by pretending to be skilful in medicine to entice him into his power, in order to destroy him, asked him to look at a swelling which he affected to have in his foot, and the lion preparing to examine the part, the horse gave him so violent a stroke with his heels, as laid him sprawling on the ground. The adage also means, that a lesser evil is sometimes obliterated by a greater, and one passion or affection of the mind by another.
«Even as one heat another heat expels,
Or as one nail by strength drives out another,
So the remembrance of my former love,
Is by another objet quite forgotten».

Evil counsel is most pernicious to the giver of it. The adage is applicable to persons who find the mischief they intended for others, fall upon themselves. «He hath graven and digged a pit, and hath fallen into the midst of it himself». Advice is of a sacred nature, and should he given faithfully, and those who prostitute it to evil purposes, are deserving of the severest punishment. The following story is related as having given rise to this apothegm. The statue of Horatius Codes, who had defended the passage of a bridge singly against the whole Etrurian army, being struck with lightning, the augurs were consulted as to the expiation proper to be made to the offended deities, for to that cause the Romans attributed these and similar accidents; and they advised, among other things, that the statue should be placed in a lower situation; meaning, perhaps, where it would be less liable to a similar injury. But the advice being supposed to be given through treachery, they were accused, convicted, and put to death. This was so agreeable to the superstitious people, that for a long time after they sang the verse which forms this adage, in triumph, about the streets. The augurs are said to have acknowledged their guilt, as many poor old women, accused of witchcraft, have done in this country. The story is more circumstantially related by Aulus Gellius. See Beloe's translation of that entertaining work. Though augury was held in high estimation by the Greeks and Romans, scarcely any great action being undertaken among them without having recourse to it; and the common people in both countries, as well as many eminent for their rank, and for their literary attainments, placed an entire confidence in it, yet there were not wanting, at all times, persons who held it in contempt. Cato, the censor, Cicero tells us, expressed his astonishment, that the auspices could keep their countenance when two of them met. «Mirari se aiebat, quod non rideret haruspex haruspicem cum videret» And Homer makes Hector say to Polydamus, advising him not to attack the Grecian camp, on account of some sinister omen.

«Ye vagrants of the sky! your wings extend,
Or where the suns arise, or where descend;
To right, to left, unheeded take your way»–––

«Without a sign, his sword the brave man draws,
And asks no omen but his country's cause».

When Cassius was advised by the augurs not to fight with the Parthians until the moon had passed the scorpion, he said, «he was not afraid of the scorpion, but of the arrows of the enemy». But some of the augurs were, doubtless, dupes to their own art, and as credulous, and as foolish, as any modern old witch.

An unseasonable, or improper gift, tending to the injury, not to the profit of the receiver: as a large sum of money to voung persons, which they, not knowing how to use properly, often apply in such ways, as to become destructive to their health, their morals, and their fortunes; authority, to ignorant and inexperienced, or to base and worthless men, who will use it to the injury of those whom they ought to favour and protect; or preferment in the church, to ignorant and illiterate divines, who, like the ape, only become the more disgraced, the higher they rise.

The worthless vessel escapes being broken more frequently than one of more value. Naught, we say, though often in danger, is seldom hurt, and ill weeds grow apace. The opinion that the virtuous and discreet are more subject to accident and misfortune, than the vicious, is too general not to be founded on observation. The good man, conscious of not having done, or intended injury to any one, is not easily led to apprehend mischief from others, or to use precautions against the shafts of malice, which he cannot suppose to be levelled at him; but the vicious man, knowing he has deserved, is constantly on his guard against the enmity of those whom he has injured or provoked. This habit of watchfulness and attention to his safety, occasions him not only to escape the injuries which persons less wary meet with, but to obtain a larger portion of the goods of the world, than fall to the lot of persons more deserving, but who are less active and vigilant in using the means necessary for acquiring them. Or the adage may be explained in this way: we set snares for the Canarybird, the Groldfinch, and other birds of song, and having taken them, we confine them in cages; but the Sparrow, the Swallow, and many others, that neither contribute to our amusement, nor are used at our tables, are suffered to enjoy their liberty.

Was used to be said of any business not going on according to expectation; or from persons indulging hopes of advantage from ill-concerted or ill-matured projects, not likely to be successful; but rather «ad morem Mandrabuli», to become every day worse. It may be applied to those "who expect that age will perform the promises of youth; and that the deficiencies of the present day will be supplied by the morrow:" but who will most likely be disappointed.
Who Mandrabulus was is not known, but it is recorded of him, that having found a considerable treasure, in the fullness of his heart he presented at the altar of Juno a golden ram, meaning to make a similar offering every year; but repenting, as it would seem, of his liberality, the next year he offered only a ram of silver; and the following year, one of brass; and hence, that is, from the gift offered at the shrine of the goddess, having been thus every year lessened in its value, proceeds the proverb.

With the utmost exertion of our hands and feet, or with tooth and nail, as we say. «Nervis omnibus», straining every nerve, exerting our utmost power or ability to effect the purpose; «Remis velisque», pushing it on with oars and sails; «Omnem movere lapidem», leaving no stone unturned, to discover what we are in search for, are forms of speech used by the Romans, which have been adopted by us, and are therefore here admitted; as may be also «Toto pectore», with our whole soul, loving or hating any one. These are all, and indeed many more similar expressions, treated of by Erasmus as distinct proverbs; but it was thought to be better to bring them together here, in this manner.
It may not be amiss, once for all, to observe, that I have not confined myself to the sense given by Erasmus to many of the adages. As I have frequently passed over very long disquisitions, when they appeared to me not suitable to the present state of literature, or of the times; so on the other hand, I have sometimes expatiated largely, where he has given the exposition in two or three lines. Another considerable difference is, that here are introduced many corresponding adages, in the French, Italian, Spanish, and English languages, none of which are to be found in his book. It is singular, Jortin remarks, that though Erasmus spent a large part of his time in France, Italy and England, it does not appear that he was ever able to converse in any of those languages; or perhaps to read the productions of any of the writers in those countries, excepting such as were written in Latin; which, as a language in general use, appears to have been adopted by most of the literati down to his time; excepting perhaps by the Italians, whose language had attained a higher degree of polish and perfection than any of the others.

Desist, leave off correcting and amending, «Nimia cura detent magis quam emendat», too much care may injure instead of improving your work. You should therefore let well alone. Apelles, seeing Protogenes with too much care and anxiety, labouring to give a complete finishing to a picture, which he had already made extremely beautiful, fearful lest by such frequent touching, and retouching, he should diminish, instead of heightening its value, cried out "manum de tabula". The adage is of extensive application, being referable to every kind of work, among others, to this of explaining proverbs, which too much labour, instead of elucidating, may render obscure.

Are Latin phrases used to express the most perfect supineness and indifference on any subject, and which we have adopted: I would not give a turn of my hand, or hold out a finger to obtain it, or, I value not a straw what such a person may say of me, or, there is not the turn of a straw difference between them.

Una mano lava la otra. One good turn deserves another. But this phrase is more commonly applied where two persons bespatter each other with fulsome and undeserved compliments. Scratch my beech, and I will claw your elbow.

Old young and old long. Quien quisiere ser mucho tiempo viejo, comiencelo presto. The Spaniards say, you must begin to be old, that is, you must leave off the irregularities of youth betimes, if you wish to enjoy a long and healthy old age: for «quae peccamus juvenes, ea luimus senes», young men's knocks, old men feel, and «Senem juventus pigra, mendicum creat», youth passed in idleness produces usually an old age of want and beggary. The French almost in the same words say, «Jeunesse oiseuse, vieillesse disetteuse». The pleasures of the senses too much indulged, or too long persisted in, lay the foundation of diseases, which either cut off life prematurely, or make the evening of our days miserable.
Si quieres vivir sano, hazte viejo temprano.