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University of California Berkeley 
 
A CENTO OF 
 APHORKSMiS 
 REAiSONABLY 
 RHYMED- - 
 
 BY- - * 
 
 LORENZO cSSOSSQ 
 
 DESlGKf BY HAH9HALL DOUGLAS. 
 
 HPCCCCIV - 
 

 
 Copyright 
 
 A. M. ROBERTSON 
 
 San Francisco 
 
 1903 
 
 First edition, January, 1904 
 Second edition, October, 1904 
 
57/4 
 
 TO MY MOTHER 
 A little offering for a great love. 
 
PREFACE 
 
 Alas! for the fate of the social reformer, 
 Who finding things warm only makes things 
 warmer. 
 
 IT was from the mouth of the garrulous 
 Polonlus that Shakespeare let fall one of 
 those Inestimable pearls of wisdom where 
 with his genius was so lavishly endowed: 
 "Brevity is the soul of wit." O, brilliant 
 truth! And as condensation Is the highest 
 attainment In the art of literary expression, 
 whether rhythmical or rhetorical, so over the 
 portal leading to the temple of Fame are 
 carven in letters of gold the words MULTUM 
 IN PARVO. 
 
 Of late there has been a plethora of Pro 
 verbs. Some perverted from their proper 
 use; Some cynically (and scenically) present 
 ed, to be calendered for all time; some the 
 whimsies of a frivolous mind; some evisce 
 rated of all wit; others the evaporation of 
 wisdom condensed Into a drop of fancy, 
 
 The author of this little booklet has not 
 attempted to rival these later Solomons In 
 their loquacious utterances for the benefit of 
 both the elect and unlnstructed. Emerson has 
 stated that "Proverbs, like the sacred books 
 
of each nation are the sanctuary of the In 
 tuitions." They are also an epigrammatic 
 epitome of the common sense of the people, 
 which neither the wit nor the Jester, the 
 satirist nor the sage, can entirely invalidate. 
 
 And there are no wiser commentaries to the 
 prosaic tomes of Time than those proverbs 
 which the peoples of all nations have orig 
 inated. Indeed, many a proverb would serve 
 as a fitting epitaph for mighty empires passed 
 away. 
 
 It would be futile, therefore, for the writer 
 of these pages to claim absolute originality 
 for his production. But by casting them 
 Into a rhythmical form, after usages of east 
 ern nations, It is hoped they may be easily 
 memorized, and serve the apter purpose of 
 quotation for the minister, the lecturer, the 
 author, the orator, the lawyer, the publican, 
 and all those wiser Philistines of our day 
 whose modicum of morality Is dispensed from 
 their philters of wit one drop at a time. 
 
 No other merit Is claimed, 
 
 And where no reward is expected, no rebuke 
 
 should attend, 
 "With which moral I drop my theorbo," and 
 
 come to an end. 
 
Whenever you would give advice 
 Be not too liberal; keep a slice. 
 
 This is the law by which to live: 
 To give to get, to get to give. 
 
 No want of will will always be 
 No want of opportunity. 
 
 It will not help your feet to 
 
 mount 
 To look upon the steps and 
 
 count. 
 
 7 Tis not the luster of the blade 
 Which makes the enemy afraid. 
 
Politeness may not make a man; 
 Effrontery surely never can. 
 
 To change not always is to better; 
 To bend is not to break the fetter. 
 
 Too oft the hand which wears a glove 
 Knows neither charity nor love. 
 
 If all would practice what they preach 
 There would be no one left to teach. 
 
 For every grain of common sense 
 The heaps of folly are immense. 
 
Silence hath many ways 
 For winning Wisdom's praise. 
 
 Quickly is love's duration reckoned, 
 With woman a minute, with man a 
 second. 
 
 How great their folly who suppose 
 The thorn adds richness to the rose. 
 
 It is through what they instigate 
 Some men succeed in being great. 
 
 If quality be nature's law, 
 Then Jacob still should 
 Esau. 
 
'Tis those who trust their all to 
 Chance 
 
 Who think fate rules each cir 
 cumstance. 
 
 Lament the present, not the 
 
 past, 
 If few of Fortune's gifts thou 
 
 hast. 
 
 Even the greatest wisdom fails 
 When weighing love in even 
 scales. 
 
 Tis deeper wisdom to refrain 
 Than to presume to speak in 
 vain. 
 
 Make of Adversity a friend; 
 Much precious lore hath she to 
 lend. 
 
Wisdom begat but children twain; 
 And one is Joy, and one is Pain. 
 
 Seek not all truth within a well, 
 The stars have also things to tell. 
 
 We always play the game to win, 
 We never think about the sin. 
 
 Folly sometimes an audience draws 
 Where Wisdom vainly pleads its cause 
 
 Who would succeed must never stack 
 Too many burdens on his back. 
 
Better the envy of the witty 
 Than to be looked upon with pity. 
 
 A compromise, however bad, 
 Is better than a lawsuit had. 
 
 It often needs two swords to keep 
 Another in its sheath asleep. 
 
 We may die with thirst at the 
 
 brink of 
 The fountain we once scorned to 
 
 drink of. 
 
 Millions are spent for pride; 
 
 a pence 
 Suffices for benevolence. 
 
O vain pursuit; to angle for a 
 
 fish 
 Which would not fill the poorest 
 
 beggar's dish. 
 
 The more 'tis rainbows that we 
 
 chase 
 The more we madden in the 
 
 race. 
 
 Think not all playthings are for 
 
 boys, 
 The oldest dotard hath his toys. 
 
 Who buys nor pays for what he 
 
 got 
 
 [May sell what he would rather 
 not. 
 
 The youth is apt to scorn at age, 
 [While folly envieth the sage. 
 
Ever/ one at least a pair 
 Of fool's shoes must outwear. 
 
 Who goeth softly safely goes; 
 Wisdom walks on velvet toes. 
 
 Sympathy should outrun 
 The fleet steeds of the sun. 
 
 Vain is the toil of any man 
 Who endeth not what he began. 
 
 There are some fashions fools invent 
 Which wise men come to supplement. 
 
Sessions presided o'er by hate 
 Never see cause to arbitrate. 
 
 A most precarious life he leads 
 Who judges others their misdeeds. 
 
 More covetous the wish 
 More grievous is the dish. 
 
 Strong are the legs which can sup 
 port 
 Prosperity of every sort. 
 
 Let not the wise spurn fools 
 
 in speech; 
 Whom better could their 
 
 wisdom teach? 
 
A single penny fairly got 
 
 Is worth a thousand that are not. 
 
 If greatness were enough for one 
 The cow would soon the hare 
 outrun. 
 
 O strange that this should ever 
 
 be, 
 The bowl drowns more than 
 
 doth the sea! 
 
 In Life's great volume every 
 
 leaf 
 Reveals the water-mark of Grief. 
 
 Not even fate can claim control 
 Over man's fortitude of soul. 
 
Disputing and borrowing 
 Cause bitter sorrowing. 
 
 When fools have come to blows 
 Only a fool will interpose. 
 
 A sordid thought 
 Is easily bought. 
 
 Love's greatest price 
 Is sacrifice. 
 
 According as you may contrast 
 The petty changes to the vast. 
 
Tis wise to drop the jest 
 Then when it pleases best. 
 
 Second by second Time proceeds, 
 And yet he sows eternal deeds. 
 
 As it is meted thee so meter; 
 This were a law for Paul or Peter. 
 
 Do thou good deeds, and in the 
 
 doing 
 Remember they will bear renewing. 
 
 To-morrow's wealth can 
 not outweigh 
 
 The priceless value of To 
 day. 
 
The opulence of a spendthrift 
 son 
 
 Is but the miser's greed out 
 done. 
 
 Folly still attends the birth 
 Of every mortal on the earth, 
 
 That wheel the fastest in its 
 
 spoke 
 Is very often the soonest broke. 
 
 Who would lick honey from a 
 thorn * 
 
 Will soon have cause enough to 
 mourn. 
 
 The singing birds among the 
 
 trees 
 Sing not the public ear to 
 
 please. 
 
A thousand die of drinking first 
 Ere one will die of bitter thirst. 
 
 Only a fool will care to boast 
 
 Of where his shoe doth pinch the most. 
 
 These are the things which we can 
 
 trust, 
 Words of the wise and counsels of the 
 
 just. 
 
 Companionship in all distress 
 Makes tribulations seem the less. 
 
 Though hand and heart are of one body 
 both, 
 
 The hand to strike the heart is noth 
 ing loth. 
 
A fool however young in years 
 Knows some things better than the 
 seers. 
 
 There is a law for each occasion; 
 Another law for its evasion. 
 
 Much must he deal in courtesies 
 Who every one alike would please. 
 
 A hundred years of slight 
 Make not one hour of Right. 
 
 In every joyful meeting * 
 Some heart may be with 
 sorrow beating. 
 
However much a beggar choose 
 A fortune is not his to lose. 
 
 Two things that harmonize and 
 
 blend, 
 A sundial's shadow, a fickle 
 
 friend. 
 
 How foolish for the sheep to 
 
 bleat 
 When they the butcher go to 
 
 meet. 
 
 The earth no worse a water 
 
 keeps 
 Than that which in the shadow 
 
 sleeps. 
 
 Courageous hearts far less will 
 
 boast 
 Than those in want of courage 
 
 most. 
 
Not always are they free from care 
 Who dance unto some joyful air. 
 
 Vain thought to make the wisest 
 
 laugh, 
 The cow thinks she was ne'er a calf. 
 
 A landmark good protection yields 
 Though placed between two brothers' 
 fields. 
 
 Think not by beating of a drum 
 That fame and wealth to thee will 
 come. 
 
 Pride never found a more sumptuous 
 niche 
 
 Than the heart of a beggar grown sud 
 denly rich. 
 
What cause have wealthy men for 
 
 pride? 
 No shrouds bear wallets on the 
 
 side. 
 
 The coward still finds cause to fear 
 Though peril may be never near. 
 
 No wind is good of any sort 
 To him who steereth for no port. 
 
 The lightest burden on the back 
 Will seem in time a heavy sack. 
 
 Birds sometimes their 
 
 griefs assuage 
 By bruising wings against 
 
 their cage. 
 
Who buys hath always eyes too 
 
 few; 
 Who sells, one eye for him will 
 
 do. 
 
 Who always speak do only sow; 
 Who listen reap what others 
 know. 
 
 This adage learn and treasure 
 
 long, 
 Challenge no fool to do thee 
 
 wrong. 
 
 Deeper the cut that's made by 
 
 pride 
 Than if a sword should pierce 
 
 the side. 
 
 Like glow-worms sparkling in a 
 
 pit, 
 Our spirits gleam awhile then 
 
 flit. 
 
When care of time is set adrift 
 
 The moments then seem doubly swift. 
 
 Nought which the wise contemn is 
 
 worse 
 Than empty head with heavy purse. 
 
 However slow, however fast, 
 The river still keeps flowing past. 
 
 Make your expenditure to-day 
 Not what you would but what you 
 may. 
 
 "Work that is play, and play that is 
 
 work"; 
 The wisdom of life is, neither to shirk. 
 
353? 
 
 n 
 
GENERAL LIBRARY - U.C. BERKELE