s harmless. Then trust in the winds without care, and haul your
swift ship down to the sea and put all the freight on board; but make
all haste you can to return home again and do not wait till the time of
the new wine and autumn rain and oncoming storms with the fierce gales
of Notus who accompanies the heavy autumn rain of Zeus and stirs up the
sea and makes the deep dangerous.

(ll. 678-694) Another time for men to go sailing is in spring when a
man first sees leaves on the topmost shoot of a fig-tree as large as the
foot-print that a cow makes; then the sea is passable, and this is the
spring sailing time. For my part I do not praise it, for my heart does
not like it. Such a sailing is snatched, and you will hardly avoid
mischief. Yet in their ignorance men do even this, for wealth means life
to poor mortals; but it is fearful to die among the waves. But I bid you
consider all these things in your heart as I say. Do not put all your
goods in hallow ships; leave the greater part behind, and put the lesser
part on board; for it is a bad business to meet with disaster among
the waves of the sea, as it is bad if you put too great a load on your
waggon and break the axle, and your goods are spoiled. Observe due
measure: and proportion is best in all things.

(ll. 695-705) Bring home a wife to your house when you are of the right
age, while you are not far short of thirty years nor much above; this is
the right age for marriage. Let your wife have been grown up four years,
and marry her in the fifth. Marry a maiden, so that you can teach her
careful ways, and especially marry one who lives near you, but look
well about you and see that your marriage will not be a joke to your
neighbours. For a man wins nothing better than a good wife, and, again,
nothing worse than a bad one, a greedy soul who roasts her man without
fire, strong though he may be, and brings him to a raw [1335] old age.

(ll. 706-714) Be careful to avoid the anger of the deathless gods. Do
not make a friend equal to a brother; but if you do, do not wrong him
first, and do not lie to please the tongue. But if he wrongs you first,
offending either in word or in deed, remember to repay him double;
but if he ask you to be his friend again and be ready to give you
satisfaction, welcome him. He is a worthless man who makes now one and
now another his friend; but as for you, do not let your face put your
heart to shame [1336].

(ll. 715-716) Do not get a name