Alas! It is well written, The road to eminence lies through the cheap and exceedingly uninviting eating-houses.

The province of philosophy is not so much to prevent calamities befalling as to demonstrate that they are blessings when they have taken place.

When struck by a thunderbolt it is unnecessary to consult the Book of Dates as to the precise meaning of the omen.

He who thinks he is raising a mound may only in Reality be digging a pit.

The wise duck keeps his mouth shut when he smells frogs.

How is it possible to suspend topaz in one cup of the balance and weigh it against amethyst in the other; or who in a single language can compare the tranquillizing grace of a maiden with the invigorating pleasure of witnessing a well-contested rat-fight?

One cannot live for ever by ignoring the price of coffins.