The best of beasts require the whip; the best of wives their lord and sire; the wisest man advice doth need, without it will his wisdom lack.

Esteem the friend who chideth thee at any time, but not in the presence of another; and let him think he hath gained thereby some part at least of thy power and possession.

Trust not the man who boreth thee with his troubles, but keepeth from thee his joys; his tongue may be all smooth for thee; his friendship's but alloy.

Love thy friend more than thou wouldst thy brother; for until he become my truest friend, how can I love even a brother?

Judge all men's errors kindly, even before thy indulgence is craved; nor think ill of the man whose guilt is not proved, for in this case the guilt will be thine own.

Be quick to pardon thy friend's transgression; and should he become thy foe, reveal it not in the course of thy contention.

MISCELLANEOUS

Not in the warning by experience brought doth highest wisdom lie; but to be forewarned, and not to fall, this is true wisdom.

Divulge not to thy friend a secret, the secret which thou wouldst conceal from thy foe. When thy friend revealeth a secret unto thee, forget it, and dismiss it from thy mind.

Why blame a man for unfolding thy secret, if thine own heart was distressed in keeping it hid? If thou thyself thy secret cannot conceal, why expect another to keep it, seeing that the thing is not his?

The world grows sick of the society of those who never cease to prate.

Visit a friend, visit the sick; but, pray, cease from visiting at all, if thou must needs be heavy and dull.

If thou listen to counsel, thou'lt shine forth bright, and thy soul shall be at ease with herself, finding favor with all.

THE FOUNDATION OF RELIGIOUS FEAR

(Yesod Hayirah)

Translated by H. Gollancz

Fear God, and men will fear thee, though they be stronger and mightier than thou. For when thou opposest them with the strength of thy fear of God, they in their terror will tremble in their hearts like women; while the sense of confidence, security, and tranquillity will suffice thee to draw thy foot out of the snare of the fowler.

Fear God out of love, and be thou perfect, and thy fear will then be whole; 't is meet that it should be so, for He formed thee out of nothing, and from nothingness He brought thee to stand before Him continually, and fashioned thee into a beautiful form.

Fear God; fear His wise men who teach thee the right way; and consider how to follow them, and to learn knowledge and law from their mouths. Know that thy soul is in their hands, and might be bound up in the bundle of everlasting life.

Learning without religious fear is as a woman of contradictions, disobedient, and lacking in manners; one who makes her eyes look large by the use of rouge and eye-paint, and adorns herself with necklaces and ear-rings. What is the use of all her beauty and splendour, when her clothing is untidy, and her true nature is disclosed?

Obtain wisdom, and care not in whose hands it may be found, and how it may be regarded. Is the clay vessel regarded according to its maker? Is it not the thought of what is placed within the vessel? There are weeds which flourish like the lily, and through their flourishing men suffer them to rise at the very head of the garden.

ence.

A man should be sensible in recognizing his position, and regulate all his actions by personal experiSurely when a man walks in his integrity he will be at ease, and find that in this world all's well at the end; but as soon as he turns either to the right or the left, the scent and flavour of his character will have faded and evaporated.

Is it good for thee that thou sufferest others to put thee to shame, whilst thou thyself findest thy actions blameworthy and reproachful? Would it not be better if thou wert to set the eyes of thy heart as a watch-tower over all thy paths? Why shouldst thou close thine eyes as the blind, and not be ashamed of thine open nakedness?

Know that by meekness thou shalt stand upon the strong fort, upon the rocky crag and cliff; and if thy heart dwell in lowliness within thee, thy dwelling shall be in the topmost station without. See how oil, smooth in itself, rises to the surface, and is used for the anointing of kings and princes.

Bear with men and God will bear with thee; in His mercies He will be long-suffering with thee. Bear with men, and they will bear with thee, and God will give thee strength from on high. Be like the ass crouching under its burden, even though it break its back and bones.

The attractive woman adorns herself in fine apparel, so that she may be showy in her beauty, and

she is as buoyant as a horse harnessed. You might think that in her love there is relief; but set your heart to understand her end, and you will find that the end is shame and reproach.

Grasp the knowledge that desire in thee is a sickness, affecting thee just as decay and the moth affect garments, tearing them; and if you think that thereby you will obtain those objects which you have not as yet obtained, you give evidence that your common sense and natural ability have already taken leave of you.

Acquire according to what you require, and honestly, too; for why weary and worry yourself with that which is beyond your requirements? For this you are keen; it is not your allotment; why should you break into it? All the share that you get is your labour; the remainder is left to him who is a stranger to it.

Rule over the words of thy mouth, and they will not rule over thee, but thou shalt be the stronger and shalt prevail. Only speak after due silence, and do not repeat what has once been said. How good and pleasant is the word spoken in its season, as the former and the latter rain which cover the cornfield!

Take thy friend into thy most secret counsel, but of a thousand choose one. Then turn from thine own unto his advice, provided thy intellect be as clear and serene as his; for thou possibly wilt see only that which meets the eye, whilst he will see the matter from all sides.

When men ask thy opinion concerning a difficult question which is being raised, and weighed in the balance, give them a direct reply, even if it be heavy for the heart of man to bear; and even though the