418. Evo rarissima nostro simplicitas.-Ovid, Ars Am. i. 241. (Simplicity most rare in our times.)

I am as truth's simplicity,

And simpler than the infancy of truth. (Tr. Cr. iii. 2.) (See No. 30.)

419. Qui silet est firmus.-Ovid, Rem. Am. 697. (He who is silent is strong.)

It constantly happens that they who speak much, boast much, and promise largely, are but barren and but feed and satisfy themselves with discourse alone as with wind; whilst, as the poet intimates, 'he who is conscious to himself that he can really effect,' feels the satisfaction inwardly, and keeps silent: Qui silet est firmus. (Advt. of L. viii. 2.)

Compare the passages in italics with the following:-
Words are but wind. (Com. Er. iii. 1.)

I eat the air promise crammed. (Ham. iii. 2.)

Poet. What have you now to present unto him?

Pain. Nothing . . . . only I will promise him an excellent piece.

Poet. I must serve him, too; tell him of an intent that's coming towards him.

Pain. Good as the best. Promising is the very air o' the time. . . To promise is most courtly and fashionable.

Pan. What says she?

(Tim. Ath. v. 1.)

Pro. Words, words, mere words, no matter from the heart;
(Tearing the letter.)

Go wind to wind, there turn and change together.
My love with words and errors still she feeds.

(Tr. Cr. v. 3.)

420. Si nunquam fallit imago.-Virg. Ecl. ii. 2. (If the glass be true.-Dryden. Lit. if the reflection does not deceive.)

Any judgment that a man maketh of his own doings had need to be spoken of with a si nunquam fallit imago. (Letter to Dr. Playfer, 1606.)

(And see De Aug. v. 3; Spedding, iv. 476.) As yet the glass seems true. (Tw. N. v. 1.)

Why, what a brood of traitors have we here.

Look in a glass and call thine image so. (2 H. VI. v. 1.)
(And see Jul. Cæs. i. 1, 50-70; R. III. i. 2, ii. 2.)

421. And I would have thought.

I would have thought that her spirit had been invincible—
I would have sworn it, my lord. (M. Ado, ii. 3.)

422. Sed fugit interea fugit irreparabile tempus.Virg. Georg. iii. 284. (But time, irreparable time, flies on.) (Quoted De Aug. v. 2; Spedding, iv. 469.)

The swift course of time. (Tw. G. Ver. i. 3.)
Night's swift dragons. (M. N. D. iii. 2.)

We chid the hasty-footed time. (b. iii. 2.)
Swift, swift, ye dragons of the night. (Cymb. ii. 2.)
I carry winged time

Post on the lame feet of my winged rhyme. (Per. iv. Gower.)
Time that is so briefly spent. (Ib. iii. Gower.)

(Comp. Son. civ.; Tw. N. Kins. ii. 2, 102, quoted ante, 407.) 423. Totum est quod superest. (That which remains is the whole.)

My spirit is thine, the better part of me;

So then thou hast but lost the dregs of life,
The prey of worms, his body being dead.

The worth of that is that which it contains,

And that is this, and this with thee remains. (Sonnet lxxiv.)

Thus it remains, and the remainder thus. (Ham. ii. 2.)

I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial. (Oth. ii. 3.)

All the remain is welcome. (Cymb, iii. 2.)

424. In a good belief.

My niece is already in the belief. (Tw. Night. iii. 4.)

She's in a wrong belief. (1 Hen. VI. ii. 3.)

425. Possunt quia posse videntur.-Virg. Æn. v. 231. (They are able because they seem to be able.)

(Quoted Advt. of L. ii.; Spedding, iv. 322.)

Tit. Mistrust of my success hath done this deed.
Mess. Mistrust of good success hath done this deed.

(Jul. Cæs. v. 4.)

426. Justitiamque omnes cupida de mente fugamus. (And we out of a covetous spirit put justice to the rout.)

(He who plays the fool well is often invited to dinner.)

Grat. Let me play the fool:

With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come,

And let my liver rather heat with wine,

Than my heart cool with mortifying groans. (Mer. Ven. i. 1.)

A trusty villain, sir, that very oft. .

Lightens my humour with his merry jests. (Com. Er. i. 1.)

428. Faciunt et tædium finitum. (They put an end even to tediousness, or disgust.)

45.

That is the brief and tedious of it. (A. W. ii. 3.)

Come, you are a tedious fool—to the purpose. (M. M. ii. 1.) O weary night, O long and tedious night,

Abate thy hours! (M. N. D. iii. 2.)

429. Male bene conditum ne moveris.-Eras. Adagia, (Do not stir an evil that is fairly settled.)

Your speech is passion;

But pray you stir no embers up. (Ant. Cl. ii. 1.)

Stir Demetrius up with bitter wrong. (M. N. D. iii. 2.)

430. Be it better, be it woorse,

Doe or goe you after him that beareth the purse.

Rod. I take it much unkindly

That thou, Iago, who hast had my purse

As if the strings were thine, should know of this.

Iago. Thus do I ever make my fool my purse.

(See Iago's behaviour, Oth. i. 1, i. 3.)

Fal. The report goes she has all the rule of her husband's

purse.

He hath a legion of angels.

Pist. As many devils entertain, and to her boy say I. Fal. I have writ a letter . . . to Page's wife. She bears the purse too. (Mer. Wives, i. 1.)

The mercenary poet and painter visit Timon at his cave to ascertain the truth of the report, that he still has abundance of gold. The latter says to the former (Tim. Ath. iv. 3) :—

'It will show honestly in us; and is very likely to load our purses with what we travel for.' 1

431. Tranquillo qui libet gubernator.-Eras. Ad. 4496. (Anyone can be a pilot in fine weather.)

I am no pilot yet wert thou as far

As that vast shore . . . I would adventure. (R. Jul. ii. 2.) Come bitter conduct, come unsavoury guide!

Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on

The dashing rocks thy sea-sick weary bark! (Ib. v. 3.)

Where is your ancient courage? You were used

To say, extremity was the trier of spirits;
That common chances common men could bear;
That when the sea was calm all boats alike

Showed mastership in floating. (Cor. iv. 1.)

432. Nullus emptor difficilis emit opsonium. (No buyer that is hard to please buys a good article-lit. viands or fish.)

The hand that hath made you fair hath made you good: the goodness that is cheap in beauty makes beauty cheap in goodness. (M. M. iii. 1.)

433. Chi semina spine non vada discalzo. (He who sows thorns should not go barefoot.)

A sower of thorns.-De Aug. viii. 2.

Ros. How full of briars is this working-day world.

Cel. They are but burs, cousin . . . if we walk not in the trodden paths. . . our very petticoats will catch them.

O the thorns we stand upon. (W. T. iv. 3.)

(As Y. L. i. 2.)

1 Collier's Notes and Emendations, p. 394.

The care you have of us, to mow down thorns that would

annoy our feet,

Is worthy praise. (2 Hen. VI. iii. 1.)

434. Quoniam Moses ad

duritiam cordis permisit

vobis.-Matt. xix. 8, Vulgate. (For Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you, &c.)

Renew her charitable heart, now hard and harsher
Than strife or war can be. (Tw. N. Kins. i. 2.)
(See No. 13.)

Folio 916.

435. Non nossem peccatum nisi per legem.-Rom. vii. 7. (I had not known sin but by the law.)

Escal. What think you of the trade, Pompey, is it a lawful trade?

Clo. If the law will allow it, sir.

Escal. But the law will not allow it, Pompey. (M. M. ii. 1.)
Your brother is the forfeit of the law. (Ib.)

It is the law, not I, condemns your brother. (Ib.)

Fab. A good note that keeps you from the blow of the law. Sir To. I will waylay thee going home; where if it be thy chance to kill me . . thou killest me like a rogue and a villain.

Fal. Still you keep the windy side o' the law. Good.

2 Clo. But is this law?

1 Clo. Ay, marry, 'tis crowners' quest law. (Tw. N. iii. 1.)

2 Clo. If this had been a gentlewoman, she should have been buried out of a Christian burial.

1 Clo. Why, there thou say'st: and the more the pity, that great folks shall have countenance in this world to hang or drown themselves, more than their even Christian. (See Ham. v. 1.)

436. Discite justitiam monitj.—Virg. vi. (Be admonished, and learn to be just.)

Gaunt. Will the king come that I may breathe my last In wholesome counsel to his unstaid youth.

York. Vex not yourself, nor strive not with your breath ; For all in vain comes counsel to his ear. (R. II. ii. 1, i. 139.)