23.--Few people know death, we only endure it, usually from determination, and even from stupidity and custom; and most men only die because they know not how to prevent dying. 24.--When great men permit themselves to be cast down by the continuance of misfortune, they show us that they were only sustained by ambition, and not by their mind; so that PLUS a great vanity, heroes are made like other men. [Both these maxims have been rewritten and made conciser by the author; the variations are not worth quoting.] 25.--We need greater virtues to sustain good than evil fortune. ["Prosperity do{th} best discover vice, but adversity do{th} best discover virtue."--Lord Bacon, Essays{, (1625), "Of Adversity"}.] {The quotation wrongly had "does" for "doth".} 26.--Neither the sun nor death can be looked at without winking. 27.--People are often vain of their passions, even of the worst, but envy is a passion so timid and shame-faced that no one ever dare avow her. 28.--Jealousy is in a manner just and reasonable, as it tends to preserve a good which belongs, or which we believe belongs to us, on the other hand envy is a fury which cannot endure the happiness of others. 29.--The evil that we do does not attract to us so much persecution and hatred as our good qualities. 30.--We have more strength than will; and it is often merely for an excuse we say things are impossible. 31.--If we had no faults we should not take so much pleasure in noting those of others. 32.--Jealousy lives upon doubt; and comes to an end or becomes a fury as soon as it passes from doubt to certainty. 33.--Pride indemnifies itself and loses nothing even when it casts away vanity. [See maxim 450, where the author states, what we take from our other faults we add to our pride.] 34.--If we had no pride we should not complain of that of others. ["The proud are ever most provoked by pride."--Cowper, Conversation 160.] 35.--Pride is much the same in all men, the only difference is the method and manner of showing it. ["Pride bestowed on all a common friend."--Pope, Essay On Man, Ep. ii., line 273.] 36.--It would seem that nature, which has so wisely ordered the organs of our body for our happiness, has also given us pride to spare us the mortification of knowing our imperfections. 37.--Pride has a larger part than goodness in our remonstrances with those who commit faults, and we reprove them not so much to correct as to persuade them that we ourselves are free from faults. 38.--We promise according to our hopes; we perform according to our fears. ["The reason why the Cardinal (Mazarin) deferred so long to grant the favours he had promised, was because he was persuaded that hope was much more capable of keeping men to their duty than gratitude."--Fragments Historiques. Racine.] 39.--Interest speaks all sorts of tongues and plays all sorts of characters; even that of disinterestedness. 40.--Interest blinds some and makes some see.