h is treacherous.

148.--Some reproaches praise; some praises reproach.

["Damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer, And, without sneering,
teach the rest to sneer." Pope {Essay On Man, (1733), Epistle To Dr.
Arbuthnot.}]

149.--The refusal of praise is only the wish to be praised twice.

[The modesty which pretends to refuse praise is but in truth a desire to
be praised more highly. Edition 1665.]

150.--The desire which urges us to deserve praise strengthens our
good qualities, and praise given to wit, valour, and beauty, tends to
increase them.

151.--It is easier to govern others than to prevent being governed.

152.--If we never flattered ourselves the flattery of others would not
hurt us.

["Adulatione servilia fingebant securi de fragilitate credentis." Tacit.
Ann. xvi.]

153.--Nature makes merit but fortune sets it to work.

154.--Fortune cures us of many faults that reason could not.

155.--There are some persons who only disgust with their abilities,
there are persons who please even with their faults.

156.--There are persons whose only merit consists in saying and doing
stupid things at the right time, and who ruin all if they change their
manners.

157.--The fame of great men ought always to be estimated by the means
used to acquire it.

158.--Flattery is base coin to which only our vanity gives currency.

159.--It is not enough to have great qualities, we should also have the
management of them.

160.--However brilliant an action it should not be esteemed great unless
the result of a great motive.

161.--A certain harmony should be kept between actions and ideas if we
desire to estimate the effects that they produce.

162.--The art of using moderate abilities to advantage wins praise, and
often acquires more reputation than real brilliancy.

163.--Numberless arts appear foolish whose secre{t} motives are most
wise and weighty.

164.--It is much easier to seem fitted for posts we do not fill than for
those we do.

165.--Ability wins us the esteem of the true men, luck that of the
people.

166.--The world oftener rewards the appearance of merit than merit
itself.

167.--Avarice is more opposed to economy than to liberality.

168.--However deceitful hope may be, yet she carries us on pleasantly to
the end of life.

["Hope travels through, nor quits us when we die." Pope: Essay On Man,
Ep. ii.]

169.--Idleness and fear keeps