It is because of this, the popularity inherent in a genuine proverb, that from such an one in a certain sense there is no appeal. You will not suppose me to intend that there is no appeal from its wisdom, truth, or justice; from any word of man’s there may be such; but no appeal from it, as most truly representing a popular conviction. Aristotle, who in his ethical and political writings often finds very much more than this in it, always finds this. It may not be, it very often will not be, an universal conviction which it expresses, but ever one popular and widespread. So far indeed from an universal, very often over against the one proverb there will be another, its direct antagonist; and the one shall belong to the kingdom of light, the other to the kingdom of darkness. _Common fame is seldom to blame_; here is the baser proverb, for as many as drink in with greedy ears all reports to the injury of their neighbours; being determined from the first that they _shall_ be true. But it is not left without its compensation: _“They say so,” is half a liar_; here is the better word with which _they_ may arm themselves, who count it a primal duty to close their ears against all such unauthenticated rumours to the discredit of their brethren. _The noblest vengeance is to forgive_; here is the godlike proverb on the manner in which wrongs should be recompensed: _He who cannot revenge himself is weak, he who will not is vile_,[8] here is the devilish. These lines occur in a sonnet which Howell has prefixed to his collection of proverbs: “The people’s voice the voice of God we call; And what are proverbs but the people’s voice? Coined first, and current made by common choice? Then sure they must have weight and truth withal;” It will follow from what has just been said, that, true in the main, they yet cannot be taken without certain qualifications and exceptions.[9] [Sidenote: Popularity essential.]