Contempt. — Shakspeare.

WHAT valour were it, when a cur doth grin,
For one to thrust his hand between his teeth,
When he might spurn him with his foot away?

Contempt. Chesterfield.

IT is very often more necessary to conceal Contempt than Resentment, the former being never forgiven, but the latter sometimes forgot.

Contempt. Massinger.

THE Prince that pardons

The first affront offer'd to Majesty,
Invites a second, rendering that power,
Subjects should tremble at, contemptible.
Ingratitude is a monster,

To be strangled in the birth.

Content. Spenser.

IT is the Mynd that maketh good or ill,
That maketh wretch or happie, rich or poore;
For some, that hath abundance at his will,
Hath not enough, but wants in greatest store;
And other, that hath little, asks no more,
But in that little is both rich and wise;
For Wisdome is most riches; Fooles therefore
They are which Fortune's doe by vowes devize,
Sith each unto himself his life may fortunize.

Content. Shakspeare.

BEST State, contentless
Hath a distracted and most wretched being,
Worse than the worse, Content.

Content. Shakspeare.

HE that commends me to mine own Content,
Commends me to the thing I cannot get.

Content.Shakspeare.

MY Crown is in my Heart, not on my Head;
Not deck'd with diamonds and Indian stones,
Nor to be seen my Crown is called Content;
A Crown it is that seldom Kings enjoy.

Content. Shakspeare.

POOR, and Content, is rich and rich enough;
But riches, fineless, is as poor as winter,
To him that ever fears he shall be poor.

Content. Mrs. Sigourney.

THINK'ST thou the man whose mansions hold
The worldling's pomp and miser's gold,
Obtains a richer prize

Than he who, in his cot at rest,
Finds heavenly peace a willing guest,
And bears the promise in his breast
Of treasure in the skies?

THE Point of Aim for our Vigilance to hold in view, is to dwell upon the brightest parts in every prospect, to call off the Thoughts when running upon disagreeable Objects, and strive to be pleased with the present circumstances surrounding us.

Contentment.— Colton.

THERE can be no doubt that the seat of perfect Contentment is in the Head; for every individual is thoroughly satisfied with his own proportion of Brains. Socrates was so well aware of this, that he would not start as a Teacher of Truth, but as an Inquirer after it. As a teacher, he would have had many disputers, but no disciples he therefore adopted the humbler mode of investigation, and instilled his knowledge into others, under the mask of seeking information from them.

WIT

Contentment. — Greville.

ITHOUT Content, we shall find it almost as difficult to please others as ourselves.

MEN and Statues that are admired in an elevated Situation, have a very different effect upon us when we approach them: the first appear less than we imagined them, the last bigger.

Contiguity. Colton.

SPEAKING generally, no man appears great to his Contemporaries, for the same reason that no man is great to his Servants -both know too much of him.

Self Control. — Cato.

I THINK the first Virtue is to restrain the Tongue: he approaches nearest to the Gods, who knows how to be silent, even though he is in the right.

Self Control.-Shakspeare.

BETTER Conquest never can'st thou make,
Than arm thy constant and thy nobler Parts
Against giddy, loose Suggestions.

E are more inclined to hate one another for Points on which

WE

we differ, than to love one another for Points on which we agree. The reason perhaps is this; when we find others that agree with us, we seldom trouble ourselves to confirm that Agreement; but when we chance on those that differ with us, we are zealous both to convince, and to convert them. Our Pride is hurt by the Failure, and disappointed Pride engenders Hatred.

I

Controversy.- Dryden.

TELL thee, Mufti, if the world were wise,
They would not wag one finger in thy quarrels:
Your Heav'n you promise, but our Earth you covet,
The Phaëtons of mankind, who fire that worl
Which you were sent by preaching but to warm.
Religious Controversy. — Dryden.

IS not the Care of Souls a load sufficient?

Are not your holy stipends paid for this?
Were you not bred apart from worldly noise,
To study Souls, their Cures and their Diseases?
The province of the Soul is large enough
To fill up every cranny of your time,

And leave you much to answer, if one wretch
Be damn'd by your neglect.

Conversation.-Addison.

ONE would think that the larger the Company is in which we are engaged, the greater variety of Thoughts and Subjects would be started into discourse; but instead of this, we find that Conversation is never so much straitened and confined as in numerous assemblies.

Conversation. — Colton.

WHEN we are in the Company of sensible men, we ought to be doubly cautious of talking too much, lest we lose two good things, their good opinion, and our own improvement; for what we have to say we know, but what they have to say we know not.

Conversation. — Addison.

IN private Conversation between intimate Friends, the wisest men very often talk like the weakest; for indeed the talking with a Friend is nothing else but thinking aloud.

Conversation. — La Bruyere.

THERE is speaking well, speaking easily, speaking justly, and speaking seasonably: It is offending against the last, to speak of entertainments before the indigent; of sound limbs and health before the infirm; of houses and lands before one who has not so much as a dwelling; in a word, to speak of your prosperity before the miserable; this Conversation is cruel, and the comparison which naturally arises in them betwixt their condition and yours is excruciating.

Conversation. — La Bruyere.

MONGST such as out of Cunning hear all and talk little, be sure to talk less; or if you must talk, say little.

Conversation. — Burke.

THE Perfection of Conversation is not to play a regular sonata, but, like the Æolian harp, to await the Inspiration of the passing breeze.

Conversation.-Johnson.

HE only will please long, who by tempering the acidity of Satire with the sugar of Civility, and allaying the heat of Wit with the frigidity of Humble Chat, can make the true Punch of Conversation; and as that punch can be drunk in the greatest quantity which has the largest proportion of water, so that Companion will be oftenest welcome, whose Talk flows out with unoffensive copiousness, and unenvied insipidity.

Conversation. Steele.

IT is a Secret known but to few, yet of no small use in the conduct of Life, that when you fall into a man's Conversation, the first thing you should consider is, whether he has a greater inclination to hear you, or that you should hear him.

Conversation. Sir William Temple. IN Conversation, Humour is more than Wit, Easiness more than Knowledge; few desire to learn, or to think they need it; all desire to be pleased, or, if not, to be easy.

Conversation. - Colton.

SOME men are very entertaining for a first Interview, but after that they are exhausted, and run out; on a second Meeting we shall find them very flat and monotonous: like hand-organs, we have heard all their tunes.

Conversation. Lavater.

HE who sedulously attends, pointedly asks, calmly speaks, coolly answers, and ceases when he has no more to say, is in possession of some of the best requisites of Man.

H

Conversation.- Colton.

SOME Praters are so full of their own Gabble, and so fond of their own Discord, that they would not suspend their eternal Monotonies, to hear the Wit of Sheridan, or the Point of Swift; one might as well attempt to stop the saw of a task-working stonecutter, by the melodies of an Æolian harp. Others again there are, who hide that Ignorance in silent Gravity that these expose by silly Talk; but they are so coldly correct, and so methodically dull, that any attempt to raise the slumbering sparks of Genius by means of such instruments, would be to stir up a languishing fire with a poker of ice. There is a third class, forming a great majority, being a heavy compound of the two former, and possessing many of the properties peculiar to each; thus they have just Ignorance enough to talk amongst Fools, and just Sense enough to be silent amongst Wits. But they have no Vivacity in themselves, nor relish for it in another: to attempt to keep up the ball of Conversation with such partners would be to play a game of Fives against a bed of feathers.

Conversation.- Addison.

THAT part of life which we ordinarily understand by the word Conversation, is an indulgence to the sociable part of our make; and should incline us to bring our proportion of good-will or goodhumour among the Friends we meet with, and not to trouble them with relations which must of necessity oblige them to a real or feigned affliction. Cares, distresses, diseases, uneasinesses, and dislikes of our own, are by no means to be obtruded upon our Friends. If we would consider how little of this vicissitude of motion and rest, which we call life, is spent with satisfaction, we should be more tender of our friends, than to bring them little sorrows which do not belong to them. There is no real life but cheerful life; therefore valetudinarians should be sworn, before they enter into Company, not to say a word of themselves until the meeting breaks up. Conversation. From the French. SPEAK little and well if you wish to be considered as possessing merit.

Conversation.- Fuller. NEVER contend with one that is foolish, proud, positive, testy; or with a superior, or a clown, in matter of Argument.

Conversation. — Steele.

BEAUTY is never so lovely as when adorned with the Smile,

and Conversation never sits easier upon us than when we now and then discharge ourselves in a symphony of Laughter, which may not improperly be called the Chorus of Conversation.