The king shall singly deliberate over secret matters; for ministers have their own ministers, and these latter some of their own; this kind of successive line of ministers tends to the disclosure of counsels.

Test a servant while in the discharge of his duty, a relative in difficulty, a friend in adversity, and a wife in misfortune.

It is narual for enemy to attack on the weaker side of the adversary.

The serpent, the king, the tiger, the stinging wasp, the small child, the dog owned by other people, and the fool: these seven ought not to be awakened from sleep.

The learned are envied by the foolish; rich men by the poor; chaste women by adulteresses; and beautiful ladies by ugly ones.

Time perfects all living beings as well as kills them; it alone is awake when all others are asleep. Time is insurmountable.

As water collected in a tank gets pure by filtration, so accumulated wealth is preserved by being employed in charity.