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ORNAMENTA RATIONALIA:

OR,

ELEGANT SENTENCES.

1. ALEATOR, quanto in arte est melior, tanto est nequior: a gamester, the greater master he is in his art, the worse man he is.

2. Arcum, intensio frangit; animum, remissio: much bending breaks the bow; much unbending, the mind.

3. Bis vincit, qui se vincit in victoria: he conquers twice, who upon victory overcomes himself.

4. Cum vitia prosint, peccat, qui recte facit: if vices were upon the whole matter profitable, the virtuous man would be the sinner.

5. Bene dormit, qui non sentit, quod male dormiat: he sleeps well, who feels not that he sleeps ill. 6. Deliberare utilia, mora est tutissima: to deliberate about useful things is the safest delay.

7. Dolor decrescit, ubi quo crescat non habet: the flood of grief decreaseth, when it can swell no higher.

8. Etiam innocentes cogit mentiri dolor: pain makes even the innocent man a lyar.

9. Etiam celeritas in desiderio, mora est: in desire, swiftness itself is delay.

10. Etiam capillus unus habet umbram suam ; the smallest hair casts a shadow.

11. Fidem qui perdit, quo se servat in reliquum ? he that has lost his faith, what has he left to live on? 12. Formosa facies muta commendatio est: a beautiful face is a silent commendation.

13. Fortuna nimium quem fovet, stultum facit: fortune makes him fool, whom she makes her darling.

14. Fortuna obesse nulli contenta est semel: fortune is not content to do a man but one ill turn.

15. Facit gratum fortuna, quem nemo videt: the fortune which nobody sees, makes a man happy and unenvied.

16. Heu! quam miserum est ab illo laedi, de quo non possis queri: O! what a miserable thing 'tis to be hurt by such a one of whom 'tis in vain to complain.

17. Homo toties moritur quotes amittit suos; a man dies as often as he loses his friends.

18. Haeredis fletus sub persona risus est: the tears of an heir are laughter under a vizard.

19. Jucundum nihil est, nisi quod reficit varietas: nothing is pleasant, to which variety does not give a relish.

20. Invidiam ferre, aut fortis, aut felix potest : he may bear envy, who is either courageous or happy.

21. In malis sperare bonum, nisi innocens, nemo potest: none but a virtuous man can hope well in all circumstances.

22. In vindicando, criminosa est celeritas: in taking revenge, the very haste we make is criminal. 23. In calamitoso risus etiam injuria est: when men are in calamity, if we do but laugh we offend.

24. Improbe Neptunum accusat, qui iterum naufragium facit: he accuseth Neptune unjustly, who makes shipwreck a second time.

25. Multis minatur, qui uni facit injuriam : he that injures one, threatens an hundred.

26. Mora omnis ingrata est, sed facit sapientiam: all delay is ungrateful, but we are not wise without it.

27. Mori est felicis antequam mortum invocit: happy he who dies ere he calls for death to take him away.

28. Malus ubi bonum se simulat, tunc est pessimus: an ill man is always ill; but he is then worst of all, when he pretends to be a saint.

29. Magno cum periculo custoditur, quod multis placet: lock and key will scarce keep that secure which pleases every body.

30. Male vivunt qui se semper victuros putant: they think ill, who think of living always.

31. Male secum agit aeger, medicum qui haeredem facit: that sick man does ill for himself, who makes his physician his heir.

32. Multos timere debet, quem mu ti timent: he of whom many are afraid, ought himself to fear

many.

33. Nulla tam bona est fortuna, de qua nil possis queri: there's no fortune so good, but it bates

an ace.

34. Pars beneficii est quod petitur, si bene neges: 'tis part of the gift, if you deny genteely what is asked of you.

35. Timidis vocat se cautem, parcum sordidus: the coward call himself a wary man ; and the miser says, he is frugal.

36. O vita! misero longa, felici brevis: O life! an age to him that is in misery; and to him that is happy, a moment.

37. It is a strange desire which men have, to seek power and lose liberty.

38. Children increase the cares of life: but they mitigate the remembrance of death.

39. Round dealing is the honour of man's nature; and a mixture of falsehood is like allay in gold and silver, which may make the metal work the better, but it embaseth it.

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40. Death opened the gate to good fame, and extinguisheth envy.

41. Schism, in the spiritual body of the church, is a greater scandal than a corruption in manners: as, in the natural body, a wound or solution of continuity, is worse than a corrupt humour.

42. Revenge is a kind of wild justice, which the more a man's nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out.

43. He that studieth revenge, keepeth his own wounds

green.

44. Revengeful persons live and die like. witches: Their life is mischievous, and their end is unfortunate.

45. It was an high speech of Seneca, (after the manner of the Stoics, that the good things which belong to prosperity, are to be wish'd; but the good things which belong to adversity, are to be admired.

46. He that cannot see well, let him go softly.

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47. If a man be thought secret, it inviteth discovery; as the more close air sucketh in the more open.

48. Keep your authority wholly from your children, not so your purse.

49. Men of noble birth are noted to be envious towards new men when they rise. For the distance is alter'd; and it is like a deceit of the eye, that when others come on, they think themselves go back.

50. That envy is most malignant which is like Cain's, who envied his brother, because his sacrifice was better accepted, when there was nobody but God to look on.

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