Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave us read more

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave us behind
Footprints on the sands of time.

Happy thou that learnest from another's griefs, not to subject
thyself to the same.
[Lat., Felix quicumque dolore read more

Happy thou that learnest from another's griefs, not to subject
thyself to the same.
[Lat., Felix quicumque dolore alterius disces posse cavere tuo.]

Whence do you derive the power and privilege of a parent, when
you, though an old man, do worse read more

Whence do you derive the power and privilege of a parent, when
you, though an old man, do worse things (than your child)?
[Lat., Unde tibi frontem libertatemque parentis,
Cum facias pejora senex?

The people are fashioned according to the example of their kings;
and edicts are of less power than the read more

The people are fashioned according to the example of their kings;
and edicts are of less power than the life of their ruler.
[Lat., Componitur orbis
Regis ad exemplum; nec sic inflectere sensus
Humanos edicta valent, quam vita regentis.]

Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others;
it is the only means.

Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others;
it is the only means.

Choose your friends by their character and your socks by their color. Choosing your socks by their character makes no read more

Choose your friends by their character and your socks by their color. Choosing your socks by their character makes no sense, and choosing your friends by their color is unthinkable.

Men think they may justly do that for which they have a
precedent.
[Lat., Quod exemplo fit, id read more

Men think they may justly do that for which they have a
precedent.
[Lat., Quod exemplo fit, id etiam jure fieri putant.]

Since truth and constancy are vain,
Since neither love, nor sense of pain,
Nor force of reason, read more

Since truth and constancy are vain,
Since neither love, nor sense of pain,
Nor force of reason, can persuade,
Then let example be obey'd.

If you must hold yourself up to your children as an object lesson, hold yourself up as a warning and read more

If you must hold yourself up to your children as an object lesson, hold yourself up as a warning and not as an example.