As the masculine Wit is the strongest, so the masculine Impertinence is the greatest. The Consequence of a Half-Wit is a Half-Will, there is not Strength enough in the Thought to carry it to the End. A Fool is naturally recommended to our Kindness by setting us off by the Comparison. Men are grateful to Fools for giving them the Pleasure of contemning them. But Folly hath a long Tail that is not seen at first: for every single Folly hath a Root, out of which more are ready to sprout; and a Fool hath so unlimited a Power of mistaking, that a Man of Sense can never comprehend to what degree it may extend. There are some Fools so low, that they are preferred when they are laught at. Their being named putteth them in the List of Men, which is more than belongeth to them. One should no more laugh at a contemptible Fool, than at a dead Fly. The Dissimulation of a Fool should come within the Statute of Stabbing. It giveth no Warning. A Fool will be rude from the Moment he is allowed to be familiar; he can make no other use of Freedom than to be unmannerly. Weak Men are apt to be _cruel_, because they stick at nothing that may repair the ill Effect of their Mistakes. Folly is often more cruel in the Consequence, than Malice can be in the Intent. Many a Man is murthered by the well-meant Mistakes of his unthinking Friends. A weak Friend, if he will be kind, ought to go no farther than Wishes; if he proffereth either to say, or to do, it is dangerous. A Man had as good go to Bed to a Razor, as to be intimate with a foolish Friend. Mistaken Kindness is little less dangerous than premeditated Malice. A Man hath not the Relief of being angry at the Blows of a mistaken Friend. A busy Fool is fitter to be shut up than a downright Madman. A Man that hath only Wit enough not to do Hurt, committeth a Sin if he aimeth at doing Good. His passive Understanding must not pretend to be active. It is a Sin against Nature for such a Man to be meddling. It is hard to find a Blockhead so wise as to be upon the Defensive; he will be sallying, and then he is sure to be ill used. If a dull Fool can make a Vow and keep it, never to speak his own Sense, or do his own Business, he may pass a great while for a rational Creature. A Blockhead is as ridiculous when he talketh, as a Goose is when it flieth. The grating a Gridiron is not a worse Noise, than the jingling of Words is to a Man of Sense. It is Ill-manners to silence a Fool, and Cruelty to let him go on. Most Men make little other use of their Speech than to give evidence against their own Understanding. A great Talker may be a Man of Sense, but he cannot be one, who will venture to rely upon him. There is so much Danger in Talking, that a Man strictly wise can hardly be called a sociable Creature. The great Expence of Words is laid out in _setting ourselves out_, or _deceiving_ others; to _convince_ them requireth but a few. Many Words are always either suspicious or ridiculous.