Thee; secondly because Thou {39} hast the power to shorten or prolong
the lives of men.

104.

Thou, O God, dost sell us all good things at the price of labour.

105.

And many make a trade deceiving the foolish multitude, and if no one
comes to unmask their deceits, they punish it.

106.

Pharisees,--that is to say, holy friars.

107.

Nothing can be written by means of new researches.

[Sidenote: Patience]

108.

Patience serves against insults as clothes do against the cold; since
if you multiply your clothes as the cold increases, the cold cannot
hurt you. Similarly, let thy patience increase under great offences,
and they will not be able to hurt your feelings.

[Sidenote: Advice to a Speaker]

109.

Words which do not satisfy the ear of the listener will always weary or
annoy him; and you will often see signs of this in such listeners in
their frequent yawns. Therefore, you who speak before men whose good
opinion you seek, when you {40} observe such signs of vexation, shorten
your speech or vary your argument; and if you do otherwise, then
instead of the favour you seek you will incur hate and hostility.

And if you would see what gives pleasure to a man speak to him on
various themes, and when you see him intent, without yawning, or
contracting his brow, or performing other actions, then be certain that
the matter of which you are speaking is such as affords him pleasure.

[Sidenote: Advice]

110.

Here is a thing which the more it is needed the more it is rejected:
and this is advice, which is unwillingly heeded by those who most need
it, that is to say, by the ignorant.

Here is a thing which the more you fear and avoid it the nearer you
approach to it, and this is misery; the more you flee from it the more
miserable and restless you will become. When the work comes up to the
standard of the judgement, this is a bad sign for the judgement; and
when the work excels the standard of the judgement, this is the worst
sign, as occurs when a man marvels at having worked so well; and when
the standard of the judgement exceeds that fulfilled by the work, this
is a sign of perfection; and if the man is young and be thus disposed,
he will without doubt grow into an excellent workman: he will only
accomplish few works. But they will {41} be of a quality which will
compel men to contemplate their perfection with admiration.

[Sidenote: Proverbs]

111.

Nothing should be s