Jean Bruyere
Jean Bruyere
devote greater lives majority men remaining
The majority of men devote the greater part of their lives to making their remaining years unhappy.
gross notice others ourselves vices
The same vices that are gross and insupportable in others we do not notice in ourselves
genius proportion talent
Between genius and talent there is the proportion of the whole to its part
brevity complain time worst
Those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its brevity
dying fear happy laugh laughed
We must laugh before we are happy for fear of dying without having laughed at all
beauty figures giving modesty shades strength
Modesty is to merit, as shades to figures in a picture, giving it strength and beauty
either others stupidity ways
There are only two ways of getting on in the world either by one's own industry, or by the stupidity of others
comedy life tragedy
Life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think.
books skilled
Making books is a skilled trade, like making clocks.
giving less lies
Liberality lies less in giving liberally than in the timeliness of the gift.
consists giving rather reasonably
Liberality consists rather in giving reasonably than much
gentleman pass shall whatever
Let us not overstrain our talents, for if we do we shall do nothing with grace; a clown, whatever he may do, will never pass for a gentleman
life men
There is nothing of which men are so fond, and withal so careless, as life
knows practice repent seldom speaking trite vulgar
We seldom repent of speaking little, very often of speaking too much: a vulgar and trite maxim, which all the world knows and, but which all the world does not practice