Absolute monarchies are those in which all power is given to or, as is more often the case, taken by, the monarch. Examples of absolute power corrupting are Roman emperors (who declared themselves... Read more →
Blame those who deserve it, not those who don't. An author's new book had been reviewed unfavourably in a literary weekly. He said to an acquaintance: 'I'll concede that a critic has a right to give... Read more →
If a doctor receives a fee for every visit, and should the patient have plenty of money, the doctor may be temped to ensure that the patient does not get well too quickly. The same applies in other... Read more →
It is very important to be punctual and it is very rude to be unpunctual. Sometimes 'princess' is used instead of 'kings'. The above was the saying of King Louis XVIII of France. 'And ' added Samuel... Read more →
This means the same as God is always on the side of the big battalions, which is also referred to under Might is right.
It is not until a rich man has come down in the world that he knows who are his real friends.
A man's abilities are seldom recognised by his family and others who know him well. The source is Matthew, xiii, 57. Here is the story as told in the New English Bible: When he had finished these... Read more →
Taken from Pope's Essay on Man (1733), this means that our thinking and study should be devoted primarily to understanding and improving the condition of man.
A pudding is intended for only one purpose; to be eaten. Only by eating it can we prove its excellence – or lack of it. In the same way, we cannot judge the wisdom or prudence of any action until... Read more →
That is the trouble with promises; so often they are made and never kept. 'A man apt to promise,' wrote Thomas Fuller, ' is apt to forget.' Pie-crust is the baked paste forming the crust of a pie.... Read more →