Proverb Lore: Many sayings, wise or otherwise, on many subjects, gleaned from many sourcesHulme, F. Edward (Frederick Edward)
History
Proverb Lore: Many sayings, wise or otherwise, on many subjects, gleaned from many sources
Hulme, F. Edward (Frederick Edward)
Proverbs -- History and criticism
The touchy people who are easily offended are not the people to make
friends, or to keep them long if they do make them. "Who would be loved
must love," or, with a slightly different shade of meaning, "That you
may be loved, forget not to be lovable." To love and to be lovable are
both essential if you would be loved. "A man is little the better for
liking himself if no one else like him," since self-sufficiency means
selfishness, and love does not prosper on that. A very good hint against
selfishness is found in the Spanish, "Who eats his dinner alone must
saddle his horse alone," for no one will go out of their way to help
curmudgeons. It is an excellent maxim, too, that "He who receives a good
turn should never forget it; he who does one should never remember it."
All have not the tact of him whose praises Moore sings:
"Whose wit in the combat as gentle as bright
Ne'er carried a heart-stain away on its blade."
An old adage says, "Leave jesting ere it ceaseth to please"; while
another warns us that "A joke never gains over an enemy, but often loses
a friend."[217:A] Some folk have a bantering manner that is disastrous,
and if not held sternly in check will presently turn a warm-hearted
friendship into indifference and repulsion.
The part of the candid friend is a very difficult one; nothing short of
transparent honesty and abounding sympathy will make it possible. "Few
there are," says the adage, "that will endure a true friend"; while
another runs, "I will be thy friend, but not thy vice's friend," but we
should imagine that the recipient would scarcely take kindly to such a
remark. "Better a little chiding than a great deal of heart-break," but
few can bear it. On the other hand, "Toleration should spring from our
charity, and not from our indifference." "Reproach is usually
honest--the same cannot always be said of praise"; but the happiest
proverb is, "Charity is greater than all." Those who live their lives in
the light of that will need no lessons in the art of friendship, but
will be already in the midst of friends, and themselves of that happy
company.
Some people's notion of acquaintance seems to be what they can get out
of it, and though they talk freely of "my friend," such folk have little
notion of friendship. The following proverbs, though not exclusively
theirs, point to this state of mind: "A friend in need is a friend
indeed," "Short reckonings make long friends," "The begging of a
courtesy is selling of liberty," "He is not charitable that will not be
so privately," "Lenders have better memories than borrowers," "He is my
friend that succoureth me, not he that pitieth me," "Promises may get
friends, but performance keeps them," "He that gives his heart will not
deny his money," "He loseth his thanks who promiseth and delayeth."
Chaucer, in the "Romant of the Rose," writes:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account