Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims Part 9

203.--He is really wise who is nettled at nothing.

204.--The coldness of women is a balance and burden they add to their beauty.

205.--Virtue in woman is often the love of reputation and repose.

206.--He is a truly good man who desires always to bear the inspection of good men.

207.--Folly follows us at all stages of life. If one appears wise 'tis but because his folly is proportioned to his age and fortune.

208.--There are foolish people who know and who skilfully use their folly.

209.--Who lives without folly is not so wise as he thinks.

210.--In growing old we become more foolish--and more wise.

211.--There are people who are like farces, which are praised but for a time (however foolish and distasteful they may be).

[The last clause is added from Edition of 1665.]

212.--Most people judge men only by success or by fortune.

213.--Love of glory, fear of shame, greed of fortune, the desire to make life agreeable and comfortable, and the wish to depreciate others are often causes of that bravery so vaunted among men.

[Junius said of the Marquis of Granby, "He was as brave as a total absence of all feeling and reflection could make him."--21st Jan. 1769.]

214.--Valour in common soldiers is a perilous method of earning their living.

["Men venture necks to gain a fortune, The soldier does it ev{'}ry day, (Eight to the week) for sixpence pay." {--Samuel Butler,} Hudibras, Part II., canto i., line 512.]

215.--Perfect bravery and sheer cowardice are two extremes rarely found.

The s.p.a.ce between them is vast, and embraces all other sorts of courage.

The difference between them is not less than between faces and tempers.

Men will freely expose themselves at the beginning of an action, and relax and be easily discouraged if it should last. Some are content to satisfy worldly honour, and beyond that will do little else. Some are not always equally masters of their timidity. Others allow themselves to be overcome by panic; others charge because they dare not remain at their posts. Some may be found whose courage is strengthened by small perils, which prepare them to face greater dangers. Some will dare a sword cut and flinch from a bullet; others dread bullets little and fear to fight with swords. These varied kinds of courage agree in this, that night, by increasing fear and concealing gallant or cowardly actions, allows men to spare themselves. There is even a more general discretion to be observed, for we meet with no man who does all he would have done if he were a.s.sured of getting off scot-free; so that it is certain that the fear of death does somewhat subtract from valour.

[See also "Table Talk of Napoleon," who agrees with this, so far as to say that few, but himself, had a two o'clock of the morning valour.]

216.--Perfect valour is to do without witnesses what one would do before all the world.

["It is said of untrue valours that some men's valours are in the eyes of them that look on."--Bacon, Advancement Of Learning{, (1605), Book I, Section II, paragraph 5}.]

217.--Intrepidity is an extraordinary strength of soul which raises it above the troubles, disorders, and emotions which the sight of great perils can arouse in it: by this strength heroes maintain a calm aspect and preserve their reason and liberty in the most surprising and terrible accidents.

218.--Hypocrisy is the homage vice pays to virtue.

[So Ma.s.sillon, in one of his sermons, "Vice pays homage to virtue in doing honour to her appearance."

So Junius, writing to the Duke of Grafton, says, "You have done as much mischief to the community as Machiavel, if Machiavel had not known that an appearance of morals and religion are useful in society."--28 Sept.

1771.]

219.--Most men expose themselves in battle enough to save their honor, few wish to do so more than sufficiently, or than is necessary to make the design for which they expose themselves succeed.

220.--Vanity, shame, and above all disposition, often make men brave and women chaste.

["Vanity bids all her sons be brave and all her daughters chaste and courteous. But why do we need her instruction?"--Sterne, Sermons.]

221.--We do not wish to lose life; we do wish to gain glory, and this makes brave men show more tact and address in avoiding death, than rogues show in preserving their fortunes.

222.--Few persons on the first approach of age do not show wherein their body, or their mind, is beginning to fail.

223.--Grat.i.tude is as the good faith of merchants: it holds commerce together; and we do not pay because it is just to pay debts, but because we shall thereby more easily find people who will lend.

224.--All those who pay the debts of grat.i.tude cannot thereby flatter themselves that they are grateful.

225.--What makes false reckoning, as regards grat.i.tude, is that the pride of the giver and the receiver cannot agree as to the value of the benefit.

["The first foundation of friendship is not the power of conferring benefits, but the equality with which they are received, and may be returned."--Junius's Letter To The King.]

226.--Too great a hurry to discharge of an obligation is a kind of ingrat.i.tude.

227.--Lucky people are bad hands at correcting their faults; they always believe that they are right when fortune backs up their vice or folly.

["The power of fortune is confessed only by the miserable, for the happy impute all their success to prudence and merit."--Swift, Thoughts On Various Subjects]

228.--Pride will not owe, self-love will not pay.