Category: Erasmus

A fisherman, putting his hand hastily into his net, was wounded by the thorns on the backs of some of the fish; being thus caught, he said, I shall now become wiser : which is said to have given rise to the adage. “Bought wit,” we say, “is best;” it will certainly be more likely…

Persons pretending to instruct those who are qualified to be their masters, or to inform others in matters of which they are themselves ignorant, fall under the censure of this adage; their conduct being as ridiculous as would be that of a sow who should presume to attempt to teach wisdom. Our clowns, not very…

Let not care corrode and gnaw your heart, lest you should fall into a state of despondency, and to avenge some disappointment or trouble, throw away all the blessings you enjoy, and with them your life. To this purport the Psalmist, “Fret not thyself, lest thou be moved to do evil.” “Por mucho madrugar, no…

AMONG friends all things should be in common. Erasmus thought he could not begin his Collection better than with this apothegm, which is of great antiquity, and much celebrated, and for the same reason it is here placed first. Nothing is so frequent in our mouths, nor is any thing less common than such a…