THE FOLLY OF ANTICIPATING TROUBLE.

The cable broke, the holding-anchor lost,
And half our sailors swallowed in the flood?
Yet lives our pilot still: is 't meet that he
Should leave the helm, and, like a fearful lad,
With tearful eyes add water to the sea,

And give more strength to that which hath too much;
Whiles, in his moan, the ship splits on the rock.
Which industry and courage might have sav'd?
Ah, what a shame! ah, what a fault were this!
Say Warwick was our anchor; what of that?
And Montague our topmast; what of him?

Our slaughtered friends the tackles; what of these?
Why, is not Oxford, here, another anchor?

And Somerset another goodly mast?

The friends of France our shrouds and tacklings?
And, though unskilful, why not Ned and I
For once allow'd the skilful pilot's charge?
We will not from the helm to sit and weep;

But keep our course, though the rough wind say no,
· From shelves and rocks that threaten us with wreck.

As good to chide the waves as speak them fair.

And what is Edward but a ruthless sea?

What Clarence but a quicksand of deceit ?

And Richard but a ragged fatal rock?

All these the enemies to our poor

bark.

Say you can swim, — alas, 'tis but a while!

Tread on the sand, - why there you quickly sink;

Bestride the rock, the tide will wash you off,

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Or else you famish; that's a threefold death.
This speak I, lords, to let you understand,

If case some one of you would fly from us,

That there's no hoped-for mercy with the brothers
More than with ruthless waves, with sands and rocks.
Why, courage, then! what cannot be avoided

'Twere childish weakness to lament or fear.

Third Part of King Henry VI., Act v. Sc. 4.

Judging Others.

I pray thee, then, wear not one mood alone
That what thou say'st is right, and naught but that ;
For he who thinks that he alone is wise,

His mind and speech above what others have,

Such men when searched are mostly empty found.

SOPHOCLES, Antigone, 705.

THOU that judgest all things, stay my thoughts,
My thoughts, that labour to persuade my soul
Some violent hands were laid on Humphrey's life !
If my suspect be false, forgive me, God,
For judgment only doth belong to thee.1

Second Part of King Henry VI., Act iii. Sc. 2, 1. 136.

Forbear to judge, for we are sinners all.

Second Part of King Henry VI., Act iii. Sc. 3, 1. 31.

1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. — Matt. vii. 1.

The Use of the Tongue.

Why tellest thou thy tale of many words?
Superfluous speech is irksome everywhere.

SOPHOCLES, Fragments, l. 103.

Much wisdom often goes with fewest words.1

A man whose whole delight is still to talk

Knows not how much he vexes all his friends.

SOPHOCLES, Fragments, 1. 89.

Some folk's tongues are like the clock, an' run on strickin', not to tell you the time o' the day, but because there's summat wrong i their own inside. GEORGE ELIOT, Adam Bede.

WHAT 'S amiss,

May it be gently heard: when we debate

Our trivial difference loud, we do commit

Murder in healing wounds: then,

Touch you the sourest points with sweetest terms,

Nor curstness grow to the matter.2

Antony and Cleopatra, Act ii. Sc. 2, l. 19.

1 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth

his lips is wise. Prov. x. 19.

2 A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. - Prov. xv. 1.

THE USE OF THE TONGUE.

Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice;

1

Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment.
Hamlet, Act i. Sc. 3,

Be check'd for silence,

But never tax'd for speech.

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1. 68.

All's Well that Ends Well, Act i. Sc. 1, 1. 76.

One doth not know

How much an ill word may empoison liking.

Much Ado about Nothing, Act iii. Sc. 1, 1. 85.

Whiles others fish with craft for great opinion,
I with great truth catch mere simplicity;

Whilst some with cunning gild their copper crowns,
With truth and plainness I do wear mine bare.
Fear not my truth: the moral of my wit

Is 'plain and true;' there's all the reach of it.

Troilus and Cressida, Act iv. Sc. 4, 1. 105.

Disdain and scorn ride sparkling in her eyes,
Misprising what they look on, and her wit
Values itself so highly that to her

All matter else seems weak: she cannot love,
Nor take no shape nor project of affection,

She is so self-endeared.

I never yet saw man,

How wise, how noble, young, how rarely featured,

1 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to

speak, slow to wrath. - James i. 19.