Part 3 (1/2)

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 grat.i.tude.”--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.

41.--Those who apply themselves too closely to little things often become incapable of great things.

42.--We have not enough strength to follow all our reason.

43.--A man often believes himself leader when he is led; as his mind endeavours to reach one goal, his heart insensibly drags him towards another.

44.--Strength and weakness of mind are mis-named; they are really only the good or happy arrangement of our bodily organs.

45.--The caprice of our temper is even more whimsical than that of Fortune.

46.--The attachment or indifference which philosophers have shown to life is only the style of their self love, about which we can no more dispute than of that of the palate or of the choice of colours.

47.--Our temper sets a price upon every gift that we receive from fortune.