at he is the most clever
person in the world. And, of course, he agrees with them. He will
listen to advice from nobody. The wise man watches him pass, then says
to his hearers:

="Seest thou a wise man in his own conceit?
There is more hope of a fool than of him."=
(=Proverbs 26. 12.=)

The wise man has a sense of humor. He loves to smile at the little
inconsistencies of life. He has been listening to the talk between a
merchant and his customer. And this is his comment on it.

="It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer:
But when he is gone his way, then he boasteth."=
(=Proverbs 20. 14.=)

But though he is so quick to laugh at human follies the wise man has a
tender heart. He helps his hearers to sympathize with those who are
anxious and discouraged. And he knows the value of friendly
encouragement.

="Heaviness in the heart of a man maketh it stoop;
But a good word maketh it glad."=
(=Proverbs 12. 25.=)

=A practical advice of the wise men.=--With this knowledge of human
nature these teachers were able to give much good counsel in matters
of business. For example, there were tricksters in those days just as
now. One of their favorite tricks was to persuade some "greenhorn" to
act as surety for a loan. "Just shake hands with me before
witnesses," the smooth tongued one would say, "and the banker will
lend me money; there is a caravan of silks coming from Damascus which
I can buy for a song. We will both be rich." So the poor fool would
shake hands before witnesses, which was like our modern custom of
signing one's name on a note. The man would then take the money and
disappear, leaving his victim to repay the loan or be sold into
slavery. "Be on your guard against these sharpers," the wise men were
constantly saying.

HELPING PEOPLE TO LIVE LOVINGLY TOGETHER

The best part of the teaching of the wise men had to do with even more
important matters than how to keep from being cheated. They helped
people live together. They had many sensible things to say about good
manners. For example, Joshua the son of Sirach, a wise man whose
sayings are found in the book of Ecclesiasticus in the Apocrypha,
gives much wise counsel about table manners:

="Consider thy neighbor's liking by thine own,
And be discreet in every point.
Eat as becometh a man, those things which are set before thee;
And eat not greedily, lest thou be hated.
Be first to l