Proverbs Of Hell

(plates 7-10)

In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy, drive your cart and

your plow over the bones of the dead, the road of excess leads to the

palace of wisdom. Prudence is a rich ugly old maid courted by incapacity.

He who desires but acts not, breeds pestilence. The cut worm forgives the

plow. Dip him in the river who loves water. A fool sees not the same tree

that a wise man sees. He whose face gives no light, shall never become a

star. Eternity is in love with the productions of time. The busy bee has

no time for sorrow. The hours of folly are measur'd by the clock; but of

wisdom, no clock can measure. All wholsom food is caught without a net or

a trap. Bring out number, weight & measure in a year of dearth. No bird

soars too high, if he soars with his own wings. A dead body revenges not

injuries. The most sublime act is to set another before you. If the fool

would persist in his folly, he would become wise. Folly is the cloke of

knavery. Shame is pride's cloke. Prisons are built with stones of law,

brothers with bricks of religion. The pride of the peacock is the glory of

God. The lust of the goat is the bounty of God. The wrath of the lion is

the wisdom of God. The nakedness of woman is the work of God. Excess of

sorrow laughs. Excess of joy weeps. The roaring of lions, the howling of

wolves, the raging of the stormy sea, and the destructive sword, are

portions of eternity too great for the eye of man. The fox condemns the

trap, not himself. Joys impregnate. Sorrows bring forth. Let man wear the

feel of the lion, woman the fleece of the sheep. The bird a nest, the

spider a web, man friendship. The selfish smiling fool,& the sullen,

frowning fool shall be thought wise, that they may be a rod. What is now

proved was only once imagin'd. The rat, the mouse, the fox, the rabbet

watch the roots; the lion the tyger, the horse, the elephant, watch the

fruits. The cistern contains: the fountain overflows. One thought fills

immensity, always be ready to speak your mind, and a base man will avoid

you. Every thing possible to be beliv'd is an image of truth. The eagle

never lost so much time, as when he submitted to learn of the crow. The

fox provides for himself, but God provides for the lion. Think in the

morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night. He who

has suffer'd you to impose on him knows you. As the plow follows words, so

God rewards prayers. The tygers of wrath are the wiser than the horses of

instruction. Expect poison from the standing water. You never know what is

enough unless you know what is more than enough. Listen to the fool's

reproach! It is a kingly title! The eyes of fire, the nostrils of air, the

mouth of water, the beard of earth. The weak in courage is strong in

cunning. The apple tree never asks the beech how he shall grow; nor the

lion, the horse, how he shall take his pray. The thankful receiver bears a

plentiful harvest. If others had not been foolish, we should be so. The

soul of sweet delight can never be defil'd. When thou seest an eagle, thou

seest a portion of genius; lift up thy head! As the caterpiller chooses

the fairest leaves to lay her eggs on. So the priest lays his curse on the

fairest joys. To create a little flower is the labour of ages. Damn

braces: bless relaxes. The best wine is the oldest, the best water the

newest. Prayers plow not! Joys laugh not! Sorrows weep not! The head

sublime, the heart pathos, the genitals beauty, the hands & feet

proportion. As the air to bird or the sea to fish, so is contempt to the

contemptible. The crow wish'd every thing was black, the owl that every

thing was white. Exuberance is beauty. If the lion was advised by the fox,

he would be cunning. Improve (me) nt makes strait road; but the crooked

roads without improvement are roads of genius. Sooner murder an infant in

its cradle than nurse unacted desires. Where man is not, nature is barren.

Truth can never be told so as to be understood, and not be beliv'd.

Enough! Or too much.

(plate 11)

The ancient poets animated all sensible objects with Gods or geniuses.

Calling them by names and adoring them with the properties of woods,

rivers, mountains, lakes, cities, nations, and whatever their enlarged and

numerous senses could perceive. And particulary they studied the genius of

each city & country, placing it under its mental deity; till a system was

formed, which some took advantage of,& enslav'd the vulgar by attempting

to realize or abstract the mental deities from their objects: thus began

priesthood; choosing forms of worship from poetic tales. And it length

they pronounc'd that the gods had order'd such things. Thus men forgot

that all deities reside in the human breast.