HE that knows nought else knows this, many are befooled by riches. One is wealthy, another needy, never blame a man for that.*
He is no friend who only speaks to please.
A fool is awake all night worrying about everything; when the morning comes he is worn out, and all his troubles just as before.
A fool, when he comes among men, ’tis best he hold his peace. No one can tell that he knows nothing unless he talks too much.
Middling wise should every man be, never over-wise. Those who know many things fairly lead the happiest life.
No man should blame another in matters of love; never blame a man for what is all men’s weakness.
The man who will win a lady’s grace should speak fair and offer gifts and praise the fair maid’s form. He that woos will win.
‘Give’ and ‘give back’ make the longest friends. Give not overmuch; I got a comrade with half a loaf and the last drops of my cup.*
Tell one man but not two; what three know all the world knows.
Be not a guest ever in the same house.* Welcome becomes wearisome if he sit too long at another’s table.
Abridged
* See also Rudyard Kipling’s paean to stoic indifference, ‘If...’.
* See King Alfred and the Beggar.
* “My father used to say / Superior people never make long visits” wrote American poetess Marianne Moore (1887-1972) in Silence (1924). It was a phrase she had picked up from Amy Morris Homans (1848-1933), a distinguished professor of Hygiene and Physical Education at Wellesley College.
Précis
We should not pass judgment on the prosperity or foibles of others — though a mere flatterer is no friend. Trying to be too clever is exhausting, and our conversation will betray us anyway. Friends, like lovers, are won slowly by kind words and little gifts, but carelessly whispering secrets and trespassing on their hospitality are sure ways to lose them. (60 / 60 words)
We should not pass judgment on the prosperity or foibles of others — though a mere flatterer is no friend. Trying to be too clever is exhausting, and our conversation will betray us anyway. Friends, like lovers, are won slowly by kind words and little gifts, but carelessly whispering secrets and trespassing on their hospitality are sure ways to lose them.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: because, besides, if, just, may, must, since, whereas.
Archive
Word Games
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Come. Have. Hot.
2 Bad. Tell. Turn.
3 Become. Get. Same.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Adjectives Find in Think and Speak
For each word below, compose sentences to show that it may be used as an adjective. Adjectives provide extra information about a noun, e.g. a black cat, a round table, the early bird etc..
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Good. 2 Better. 3 Graceful. 4 Last. 5 Loveless. 6 Best. 7 Wise. 8 Welcome. 9 Winning.
Variations: 1.show whether your adjective can also be used as e.g. a noun, verb or adverb. 2.show whether your adjective can be used in comparisons (e.g. good/better/best). 3.show whether your adjective can be used in attributive position (e.g. a dangerous corner) and also in predicate position (this corner is dangerous).
Homonyms Find in Think and Speak
Each of the words below has more than one possible meaning. Compose your own sentences to show what those different meanings are.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Lead. 2. Fire. 3. Own. 4. Just. 5. Halt. 6. Man. 7. Hold. 8. Last. 9. Fair.
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
scrs (6+2)
saucers. scares. scars. scores. scours. secures.
screes. sucrose.
If you like what I’m doing here on Clay Lane, from time to time you could buy me a coffee.
Buy Me a Coffee is a crowdfunding website, used by over a million people. It is designed to help content creators like me make a living from their work. ‘Buy Me a Coffee’ prides itself on its security, and there is no need to register.
