Think'st thou there are no serpents in the world
But those who slide along the grassy sod,
read more

Think'st thou there are no serpents in the world
But those who slide along the grassy sod,
And sting the luckless foot that presses them?
There are who in the path of social life
Do bask their spotted skins in Fortune's sun,
And sting the soul.

The angel answer'd, "Nay, said soul; go higher!
To be deceived in your true heart's desire
Was read more

The angel answer'd, "Nay, said soul; go higher!
To be deceived in your true heart's desire
Was bitterer than a thousand years of fire!"

Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please.

Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please.

We never deceive for a good purpose: knavery adds malice to
falsehood.
[Fr., On ne trompe point en read more

We never deceive for a good purpose: knavery adds malice to
falsehood.
[Fr., On ne trompe point en bien; la fourberie ajoute la malice
au mensonge.]

Which I wish to remark--
And my language is plain,--
That for ways that are dark
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Which I wish to remark--
And my language is plain,--
That for ways that are dark
And for tricks that are vain,
The heathen Chinee is peculiar.

Deceit is in haste, but honesty can wait a fair leisure

Deceit is in haste, but honesty can wait a fair leisure

The easiest way to be cheated is to believe yourself to be more cunning than others.

The easiest way to be cheated is to believe yourself to be more cunning than others.

Pretexts are not wanting when one wishes to use them.
[It., Non mancano pretesti quando si vuole.]

Pretexts are not wanting when one wishes to use them.
[It., Non mancano pretesti quando si vuole.]

False friends are like our shadow, keeping close to us while we walk in the sunshine, but leaving us the read more

False friends are like our shadow, keeping close to us while we walk in the sunshine, but leaving us the instant we cross into the shade.