It is easy to flatter; it is harder to praise.

It is easy to flatter; it is harder to praise.

It is better to fall among crows than flatterers; for those devour only the dead--these the living.

It is better to fall among crows than flatterers; for those devour only the dead--these the living.

Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall, when the wise are banished read more

Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall, when the wise are banished from the public councils, because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded, because they flatter the people in order to betray them.

If he be so resolved,
I can o'ersway him; for he loves to hear
That unicorns may read more

If he be so resolved,
I can o'ersway him; for he loves to hear
That unicorns may be betrayed with trees
And bears with glasses, elephants with holes,
Lions with toils, and men with flatterers,
He says he does, being then most flattered.

The best way to convince a fool that he is wrong is to let him have his own way.

The best way to convince a fool that he is wrong is to let him have his own way.

Nature has hardly formed a woman ugly enough to be insensible to flattery upon her person.

Nature has hardly formed a woman ugly enough to be insensible to flattery upon her person.

Let us be thankful for the fools; but for them the rest of us could not succeed.

Let us be thankful for the fools; but for them the rest of us could not succeed.

We sometimes imagine we hate flattery, but we only hate the way we are flattered.

We sometimes imagine we hate flattery, but we only hate the way we are flattered.

Avoid flatterers, for they are thieves in disguise.

Avoid flatterers, for they are thieves in disguise.