RULE 9. As a companion, he was severe and satirical; as a friend,
captious and dangerous. If the spring put forth no blossoms, in summer
there will be no beauty, and in autumn, no fruit. So, if youth be
trifled away without improvement, manhood will be contemptible, and old
age, miserable.
RULE 10. They believed he was dead. He did not know that I was the man.
I knew she was still alive. The greatest misery is, to be condemned by
our own hearts. The greatest misery that we can endure, is, to be
condemned by our own hearts.
SEMICOLON.
RULE 1. The path of truth is a plain and safe path; that of falsehood is
a perplexing maze. Heaven is the region of gentleness and friendship;
hell, of fierceness and animosity. As there is a worldly happiness,
which God perceives to be no other than disguised misery; as there are
worldly honors, which, in his estimation, are a reproach; so, there is a
worldly wisdom, which, in his sight, is foolishness.
But all subsists by elemental strife;
And passions are the elements of life.
COLON.
RULE 1. The three great enemies to tranquillity, are vice, superstition,
and idleness: vice, which poisons and disturbs the mind with bad
passions; superstition, which fills it with imaginary terrors; idleness,
which loads it with tediousness and disgust.
Pages:
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530