And lose my way Among the thorns and dangers of this world.—_King John_, iv. 3. Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward.—Prov. xxii. 5. When we first put this dangerous stone a rolling, ’Twould fall upon ourselves.—_Henry VIII._, v. 2. He that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.—Prov. xxvi. 27. The speech of Ulysses, in “Troilus and Cressida,” i. 3, is almost a paraphrase of St. Luke xxi. 25, 26:— But when the planets In evil mixture to disorder wander, What plagues, and what portents! What mutiny! What raging of the sea! Shaking of earth! Commotion in the winds! frights, changes, horrors, Divert and crack, rend and deracinate The unity and married calm of states Quite from their fixture. And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth; for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. _Hermia_ and _Lear_ both use an expression derived from the same source:— _Hermia._—An adder did it; for with doubler tongue Than thine, thou serpent, never adder stung.—_Mid. N. Dream_, iii. 2. _Lear._—Struck me with her tongue, Most serpent-like, upon the very heart.—ii. 4. They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips.—Ps. cxl. 3. _Lear._—All the stored vengeances of heaven fall on her ingrateful top.—ii. 4. As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.—Ps. cxl. 9. _Fool to King Lear._—We’ll set thee to school to an ant, to teach thee there’s no laboring in the winter.—ii. 4. The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer.—Prov. xxx. 25. See also Prov. vi. 6. WHO IS THE TRUE GENTLEMAN? The answer to this question will afford one of numberless instances that can be adduced to show the superiority of inspired composition. Compare Bishop Doane’s admired definition with that of the Psalmist:— A gentleman is but a _gentle_ man—no more, no less; a diamond polished that was a diamond in the rough: a gentleman is gentle; a gentleman is modest; a gentleman is courteous; a gentleman is generous; a gentleman is slow to take offence, as being one that never gives it; a gentleman is slow to surmise evil, as being one that never thinks it; a gentleman goes armed only in consciousness of right; a gentleman subjects his appetites; a gentleman refines his tastes; a gentleman subdues his feelings; a gentleman controls his speech; and finally, a gentleman deems every other better than himself. In the paraphrase of Psalm xv. it is thus answered:—