other hand, the owl of classic times was a
type of wisdom.

"Two of a trade can never agree." It is
curious, and, in most instances, highly
gratifying, to see how many of these sayings of our
ancestors are becoming falsified by the great
advances made, of late years, in social feelings
and arrangements. Trades unions,
co-operative societies—in fact, all our great
Companies prove how well two of a trade can
agree; and so do all combinations of masters
or of workmen. Yes, it will be said, but
they "agree," and co-operate for their mutual
interests, and they do not agree with those
opposed to them. Of course not; the
sensible thing, therefore, is obvious, to enlarge
the sphere of good understanding and
reciprocal fair-dealing in matters of business, and
thus to supersede the bad feeling and injury
of greedy rivalries and selfish antagonisms.

"There was a wife who always took what she
had, and never wanted.'' (Scotch). A good
practical advice, showing the importance of
using what you possess, instead of hoarding it,
or reserving it, even when most needed, for
some possible contingency, which may never
occur. It seems to refer chiefly to articles of
dress, clothing, domestic utensils, or other
household matters.

"Dat Deus immiti cornua curta bovi;" God
curtails the power to do evil in those who
desire to do it.

"There is honour among thieves." This is,
no doubt, quite true, though you must be a
thief yourself to derive any benefit from it.
They stand by their order. The suggestion,
is—since there is honour towards each other
among the most unprincipled classes, surely
Mr. Sweepstakes, and Mr. Moses Battledore,
who are both respectable members of society,
and belong to clubs, would not cheat me.
But this does not logically follow; for we by
no means know how far the respectable
individual makes his view of his own interest an
excuse to himself for an occasional exception
to the code of morality he professes. There's
honour among thieves; and there are thieves
(here and there) among honourably-connected
men, "all honourable men." Life is a
"mingled yarn " of good and evil; and
society is a motley aggregate of all sorts of
yarns.

"A rose-bud fell to the lot of a monkey."
(Arabic). The monkey appreciated the rosebud
quite as much as swine appreciate the
pearls which are said to be cast before them.

"Of what use to a fool is all the trouble he
gives himself?" (Chinese). None whatever;
but his folly may cause a vast deal of trouble
to people of sense. One false move of an
utterly incompetent man in office, and the
force of the saying becomes very expansive.

"There are no lies so wicked as those which
have some foundation." (Chinese). A saying
which is but too true, and which ought to be
universally understood in society, as some
protection against slander.

''Many preparations before the sour plum
sweetens." (Chinese). Great results do not
hastily ripen; great and important changes
must undergo a gradual process.

"Spare the rod and spoil the child." This
seems to be derived from the old Spanish
proverb, which we find in Don Quixote,
"He loves thee well who makes thee weep."
They are unkindly and dangerous maxims,
which tend to inculcate severity, and to justify
harsh treatment upon the plea of future
advantage. We readily admit that nothing
can well be worse than a "spoilt child," nor
can a more injurious system exist than that
of pampering or spoiling,—except the direct
opposite, that of frequently causing tears.

"A tea-spoonful of honey is worth a pound of
gall." An indiscriminate use of the sweets
of life is a stupidity and an injury; but the
judicious use of them is of far more service
in the production of good results, than the
bitter lessons which are often considered to
be of most advantage. It is better to soften
the heart than to harden it. "A soft word
turneth away wrath."

"What the ant collects in a year, the priest eats
up in a night." (Arabic.) The tithe-taxes,
and other revenues of the state-clergy,
derived from the industry of the working
classes, are not very tenderly dealt with in
this proverb.

"The walls have ears." (Arabic.) This is
one of the many instances of our homeliest
proverbs in every-day use, being derived from
the East. No doubt the saying, that "Little
pitchers have great ears" (in allusion to the
sharpness of hearing in children), is also
derived from the domestic utensils of foreign
countries in ancient times. The British
Museum contains many such little pitchers,
as well as the Foundling Hospital.

"The ox that ploughs must not be muzzled."
(Arabic.) The labourer ought to be allowed
freedom of speech, or at least free breathing.
"We have a nautical saying akin to this,—
"A sailor never works well if he does not
grumble."

"Three united men will ruin a town."
(Arabic.) The power of combination was
never more excellently expressed.

"He begins the quarrel who gives the second
blow." (Spanish.) There are but few who
possess the requisite degree of wise and kindly
forbearance and magnanimous self-command
implied in this saying. To strike again, or
rather (as the blow is figurative) to retort an
angry word, is natural to most men; to
preserve a reproving silence, or administer a
dignified rebuke, is in the power only of
great characters—and not with them at all
times. But it is quite possible, as we live
in a very pugnacious world, that such
forbearance should not be thrown away upon
every one, or the small minority of the
magnanimous would soon be beaten out of
existence. The above proverb, we believe, is
originally Spanish, and, coming from a people