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John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.

Page 911

 
 
Plutarch. (A.D. 46?–A.D. c. 120) (continued)
 
are more than ours,” replied, “For how many then wilt thou reckon me?” 1
          Life of Pelopidas.
8776
    Archimedes had stated, that given the force, any given weight might be moved; and even boasted that if there were another earth, by going into it he could remove this.
          Life of Marcellus.
8777
    It is a difficult task, O citizens, to make speeches to the belly, which has no ears. 2
          Life of Marcus Cato.
8778
    Cato used to assert that wise men profited more by fools than fools by wise men; for that wise men avoided the faults of fools, but that fools would not imitate the good examples of wise men.
          Life of Marcus Cato.
8779
    He said that in his whole life he most repented of three things: one was that he had trusted a secret to a woman; another, that he went by water when he might have gone by land; the third, that he had remained one whole day without doing any business of moment.
          Life of Marcus Cato.
8780
    Marius said, “I see the cure is not worth the pain.” 3
          Life of Caius Marius.
8781
    Extraordinary rains pretty generally fall after great battles. 4
          Life of Caius Marius.
8782
    Lysander said that the law spoke too softly to be heard in such a noise of war.
          Life of Caius Marius.
8783
    As it is in the proverb, played Cretan against Cretan. 5
          Life of Lysander.
8784
    Did you not know, then, that to-day Lucullus sups with Lucullus?
          Life of Lucullus.
 
Note 1.
The pilot telling Antigonus the enemy outnumbered him in ships, he said, “But how many ships do you reckon my presence to be worth?” Apophthegms of Kings and Great Commanders. (Antigonus II.) [back]
Note 2.
The belly has no ears, nor is it to be filled with fair words.—Francis Rabelais: book iv. chap. lxvii. [back]
Note 3.
See Bacon, Quotation 16. [back]
Note 4.
This has been observed in modern times, and attributed to the effect of gunpowder. [back]
Note 5.
Or cheat against cheat. The Cretans were famous as liars. [back]