Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and
a man of contention read more

Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and
a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on
usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them
doth curse me.

The whole discord of this world consists in discords.
[Lat., Tota hujus mundi concordia ex discordibus constat.]

The whole discord of this world consists in discords.
[Lat., Tota hujus mundi concordia ex discordibus constat.]

Thus when a barber and collier fight,
The barber beats the luckless collier--white;
The dusty collier heaves read more

Thus when a barber and collier fight,
The barber beats the luckless collier--white;
The dusty collier heaves his ponderous sack,
And, big with vengeance, beats the barber--black.
In comes the brick-dust man, with grime o'er spread,
And beats the collier and the barber--red;
Black, red, and white, in various clouds are toss'd,
And in the dust they raise the combatants are lost.

Contentions fierce,
Ardent, and dire, spring from no petty cause.

Contentions fierce,
Ardent, and dire, spring from no petty cause.

The chiefs contend only for their place of burial.
[Lat., Ducibus tantum de funere pugna est.]

The chiefs contend only for their place of burial.
[Lat., Ducibus tantum de funere pugna est.]

But curb thou the high spirit in thy breast,
For gentle ways are best, and keep aloof
read more

But curb thou the high spirit in thy breast,
For gentle ways are best, and keep aloof
From sharp contentions.

In excessive altercation, truth is lost.
[Lat., Nimium altercando veritas amittitur.]

In excessive altercation, truth is lost.
[Lat., Nimium altercando veritas amittitur.]

'Tis a hydra's head contention; the more they strive the more they
may: and as Praxiteles did by his read more

'Tis a hydra's head contention; the more they strive the more they
may: and as Praxiteles did by his glass, when he saw a scurvy
face in it, brake it in pieces; but for that one he saw many more
as bad in a moment.

A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman
are alike.

A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman
are alike.