The French say truly enough that "Tout le monde est sage après coup," an equivalent saying to our "After-wit is everybody's wit"; and the Portuguese declare that "An empty purse makes a man wise, but too late,"--a most unfortunate state of things. Another well-known adage is "Festina lente"--tarry a little that we make our end the sooner. "Presto et bene non conviene"--hastily and well rarely meet. A Ciceronian maxim was, "Certis rebus certa signa præcurrunt"--certain signs are the forerunners of certain events, or, as we say in English, "Coming events cast their shadows before." "Often do the spirits Of great events stride on before the events, And in to-day already walks to-morrow."[246:B] "Chi va piano va lontano"--he who goes gently travels far. A quaint old proverb tells us that "It is good to have a hatch before your door"--in order, that is, that one may not rush out too impetuously, but that a momentary pause may give opportunity for a moment's consideration. One of the most startling proverbs on this need of forethought is the Arab "Live, thou ass, until the clover sprouts"--a better day is coming, despondency must give place to patience and to hope. The manufacture of excuses has not escaped the notice of the proverb-makers and users. These excuses take two forms--the excuses that omission calls for, and those that commission needs--that black may look at least grey, if not absolutely white. A very good example of the former is this, "Am I my brother's keeper?"--originally the plea of a murderer, and ever after the excuse of those who would wrap themselves up in their selfishness, and shut their eyes, their hearts, their consciences, their pockets, to the needs of the suffering. It has been well said that "Apologies only account for that which they do not alter." In some few cases, such as "A bad workman finds fault with his tools," or "The creaking wheel blames the badness of the road," the utterance is quaint and not unwholesome, and very true to human nature; but in most of these proverbs dealing with excuses there is an actual incitement to evil, a justification of wrongdoing, an implication that people are only honest because it pays better or because the chance of knavery is for the time being debarred to them. We have so often heard the declaration that "Opportunity makes the thief," that it has lost its meaning; but if we really think it out a moment, how abominable in teaching it is! A similar saying is this, "A bad padlock invites a picklock," an insinuation that we would all be dishonest if we got the opportunity; while the Spaniards say, "Puerta abierta al santo tiento"--an open door tempts a saint. Shakespeare's utterance, "How oft the sight of means to do ill deeds makes ill deeds done," may express a sad truth, but after all we would fain believe that things are not quite so bad as not a few of our proverbs would imply: there is surely yet some little virtue and honesty left.