Wilt thou that one remember a thing?--praise him in the midst of thy advice; Never yet forgat man the word whereby he hath been praised. Better to be censured by a thousand fools, than approved but by one man that is wise; For the pious are slower to help right, than the profane to hinder it: So, where the world rebuketh, there look thou for the excellent, And be suspicious of the good, which wicked men can praise. The captain bindeth his troop, not more by severity than kindness, And justly, should recompense well doing, as well as be strict with an offender; The laurel is cheap to the giver, but precious in his sight who hath won it, And the heart of the soldier rejoiceth in the approving glance of his chief. Timely given praise is even better than the merited rebuke of censure, For the sun is more needful to the plant than the knife that cutteth out a canker. Many a father hath erred, in that he hath withheld reproof, But more have mostly sinned, in withholding praise where it was due: There be many such as Eli among men; but these be more culpable than Eli, Who chill the fountain of exertion by the freezing looks of indifference: Ye call a man easy and good, yet he is as a two-edged sword; He rebuketh not vice, and it is strong: he comforteth not virtue, and it fainteth. There is nothing more potent among men than a gift timely bestowed; And a gift kept back where it was hoped, separateth chief friends: For what is a gift but a symbol, giving substance to praise and esteem? And where is a sharper arrow than the sting of unmerited neglect? Expect not praise from the mean, neither gratitude from the selfish; And to keep the proud thy friend, see thou do him not a service: For, behold, he will hate thee for his debt: thou hast humbled him by giving; And his stubbornness never shall acknowledge the good he hath taken from thy hand: Yea, rather will he turn and be thy foe, lest thou gather from his friendship That he doth account thee creditor, and standeth in the second place. Still, O kindly feeling heart, be not thou chilled by the thankless, Neither let the breath of gratitude fan thee into momentary heat: Do good for good's own sake, looking not to worthiness nor love; Fling thy grain among the rocks, cast thy bread upon the waters, His claim be strongest to thy help, who is thrown most helplessly upon thee,-- So shalt thou have a better praise, and reap a richer harvest of reward.