Robinson, not considering the difference of climate, supposes that the fourteenth year is the first of her puberty, and that she is directed to wed in her nineteenth. [128] _Shall send a fire thy vigorous bones within._] A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband, but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones. PROVERBS, xii. 4. [129] _Nor lie with idle tongue._] Devise not a lie against thy brother, neither do the like to thy friend. ECCLESIASTICUS, vii. 12. [130] _Chastise his sin._] Far more liberal is the counsel of the son of Sirach: Admonish a friend: it may be, he hath not done it; and if he have done it, that he may do it no more. Admonish thy friend: it may be he hath not said it; and if he have, that he speak it not again. Admonish a friend, for many times it is a slander; and believe not every tale. There is one that slippeth in his speech, but not from his heart: and who is he, that hath not offended with his tongue? ECCLESIASTICUS, xix. Cicero says elegantly, “Care is to be taken lest friendships convert themselves even into grievous enmities: whence arise bickerings, backbitings, contumelies: these are yet to be borne, if they be bearable: and this compliment should be paid to the ancient friendship, that the person in fault should be he that inflicts the injury, not he that suffers it.” DE AMICITIA, c. 21. The author of the Pythagorean “golden verses” has a line which deserves indeed to be written in letters of gold: Hate not thy tried friend for a slender fault. This is probably one of the maxims of Hesiod which induced La Harpe to observe, “Cette morale n’est pas toujours la meilleure du monde.” LYCÉE, tom. i. Hésiode. [131] _Rebuke not want._] Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker. PROVERBS, xvii. 5. [132] _Lo! the best treasure is a frugal tongue._] In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise. The tongue of the just is as choice silver. PROVERBS, x. 19, 20. [133] _When many guests combine._] There were two sorts of entertainments among the ancient Grecians: the first was provided at the expense of one man, the second was at the common charge of all present: at the latter some of the guests occasionally contributed more than their exact proportion. These were generally most frequented, and are recommended by the wise men of those times as most apt to promote friendship and good neighbourhood. They were for the most part managed with more order and decency, because the guests who ate of their own collation were usually more sparing than when they were feasted at another man’s expense; as we are informed by Eustathius. So different was their behaviour at the public feasts from that at private entertainments, that Minerva, in Homer, having seen the intemperance and unseemly actions of Penelope’s courtiers, concludes their entertainment was not provided at the common charge.