The Good Book_ A Secular Bible - A. C. Grayling [218]
11. To do nothing is in everyone’s power.
12. To do nothing is to be nothing.
13. Indolence is the sleep of the mind.
14. The idle breathe but do not live.
Chapter 88: Ignorance
1. An ignorant person is one who walks by night.
2. A person without knowledge is like one who is dead.
3. Our lives are shortened more by lack of knowledge than by lack of years.
4. The tragedy of ignorance is complacency.
5. There is no slavery but ignorance.
6. To be ignorant of one’s ignorance is the malady of ignorance.
7. Better unborn than untaught.
Chapter 89: Justice
1. Delay of justice is injustice.
2. Justice is impossible without wisdom.
3. The extremity of justice is unjust.
4. Where there is justice, it is freedom to obey.
5. Any time is the proper time for justice.
Chapter 90: Kindness
1. Kindness is more binding than a loan.
2. A kind heart loses nothing.
3. The nearer the kindred, the less the kindness.
Chapter 91: Knowledge
1. To know one’s ignorance is the best part of knowledge.
2. A man is what he knows.
3. Investment in knowledge pays the best interest.
4. Who knows little often repeats it.
5. Knowledge comes, wisdom lingers.
6. Knowledge is a treasure-house, practice is the key to it.
7. Knowledge is the only elegance.
8. The desire for knowledge increases with its acquisition.
9. They know enough who know how to learn.
10. Those who thirst for knowledge, get it.
11. Better to know something about everything than everything about one thing.
12. There is only one good: knowledge. There is only one evil: ignorance.
13. Who knows nothing never doubts.
14. Who knows most believes least.
15. Who knows most forgives most.
16. A learned man has always riches in himself.
17. All wish to know, but none wish to pay the fee.
Chapter 92: Laughter
1. A maid that laughs is half taken.
2. A fool laughs because others laugh.
3. Laughter is sunshine in a house.
4. All things are cause either for laughing or weeping.
5. People show their characters in what they laugh at.
6. No one is sadder than one who laughs too much.
7. Ill-timed laughter is dangerous.
8. What is worse than to be laughed at?
Chapter 93: Law
1. Agree, for the law is costly.
2. Who goes to law holds a wolf by the ears.
3. A rich knave is a libel on the law.
4. Bad laws are the worst tyranny.
5. The best way to be rid of bad laws is to apply them rigorously.
6. Law cannot persuade where it cannot punish.
7. Let law govern man if reason governs the law.
8. Law is a bottomless pit.
9. Law is a pickpocket.
10. Laws should be servants, not masters.
11. Laws are like cobwebs, that catch small flies but let foxes break through.
12. Much law, little justice.
13. Petty laws breed great crimes.
14. Law manufactures a crime, then punishes it.
15. Unnecessary laws are bad laws.
16. Laws are useless when people are pure, broken when people are impure.
17. Where law ends, tyranny begins.
18. The noise of weapons drowns the voice of law.
19. Arms and laws do not dwell together.
20. A lean compromise is better than a fat lawsuit.
21. The more laws, the more offenders.
22. The prince is not above the laws.
23. Fear not the law, but the judge.
Chapter 94: Leisure
1. A life of laziness and a life of leisure are not the same thing.
2. To have leisure requires good use of time; the idle have least leisure, the self-disciplined most.
3. Those who use time well are least at leisure when at leisure; for they use leisure to improve their mind’s estate, and to nourish friendship.
4. Leisure is the reward of labour, the mother of philosophy, a bringer of gifts.
5. Leisure is the repair of life, knitting up the ends frayed by labour and striving.
6. Leisure is the womb of innovations, the brother of art, the companion of love.
7. Leisure is the stream that replenishes the reservoir, with waters clean and cool.
Chapter 95: Lending
1. Will you make an enemy? Let him borrow from you.
2. It is better to give a dollar than lend a cent.
3. Lend to a foe and make a friend; lend to a friend