Beautiful the world esteemeth pious souls for patience strong;
Homely features lack not favour when true wisdom they reveal,
And a wife is fair and honoured while her heart is firm and leal."

* * * * *

"Friend! gracious word!--the heart to tell is ill able
Whence came to men this jewel of a syllable."

* * * * *

"Whoso for greater quits small gain,
Shall have his labour for his pain;
The things unwon unwon remain,
And what was won is lost again."

* * * * *

"Looking down on lives below them, men of little store are great;
Looking up to higher fortunes, hard to each man seems his fate."

"As a bride, unwisely wedded, shuns the cold caress of eld,
So, from coward souls and slothful, Lakshmi's favours turn repelled."

"Ease, ill-health, home-keeping, sleeping, woman-service, and content--
In the path that leads to greatness these be six obstructions sent."

"Seeing how the soorma wasteth, seeing how the ant-hill grows,
Little adding unto little--live, give, learn, as life-time, goes."

"Drops of water falling, falling, falling, brim the chatty o'er;
Wisdom comes in little lessons--little gains make largest store."

"Men their cunning schemes may spin--
God knows who shall lose or win."

* * * * *

"Shoot a hundred shafts, the quarry lives and flies--not due to death;
When his hour is come, a grass-blade hath a point to stop his breath."

"Robes were none, nor oil of unction, when the King of Beasts was
crowned:
'Twas his own fierce roar proclaimed him, rolling all the kingdom
round."

* * * * *

"What but for their vassals,
Elephant and man--
Swing of golden tassels,
Wave of silken fan--
But for regal manner
That the 'Chattra' brings,
Horse, and foot, and banner--
What would come of kings?"

* * * * *

"At the work-time, asking wages--is it like a faithful herd?
When the work's done, grudging wages--is _that_ acting like a lord?"

"Serve the Sun with sweat of body; starve thy maw to feed the flame;
Stead thy lord with all thy service; to thy death go, quit of bl