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There is no greater evil for man than foolishness, for one whose mind, the property of a rational being, is damaged.

The foolish man is by nature always stirred by irrational [idle] speech, being hostile to tranquility and rest.

Neither the blow of a sick person, nor the threat of a fool should one fear.

Plutarch. To take a blind guide and a foolish counselor, is the same thing.

Not so much for orphan children, as for senseless men should guardians be present.

Light-minded men, like empty vessels, are easily carried away by their ears.

The soul of fools has a poor appetite for beneficial reason, not receiving the saving mind, like a medicine.

Crates. Crates compared foolish men to augers; for without a bond and necessity, they are willing to do none of the things that are needed.

Sextus. Neither a voice among fish, nor virtue among the uneducated should one seek.

Zeno. One of the young men in the academy was discoursing foolishly about pursuits. And Zeno said, "Unless you dip your tongue in your mind before you speak, you will make many more mistakes still even in your words."

Demades. Demades compared the Athenians to flutes, from which if someone took away the tongue, the rest is nothing.

DISCOURSE 61.

On Prodigality. Luke 15. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together

journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his substance, living prodigally.

Ephesians 5. Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess.

(985) Proverbs 29. He who squanders prodigally from childhood, will be a servant; and at the last will be grieved in himself.

Sirach 6. You will devour your leaves prodigally, and you will destroy your fruits, and you will leave yourself as a dry leaf.

Of Basil. For we do not, by sparing wealth altogether, run past brothers cast down on the ground, nor, while preserving prosperity for our children or other relatives, do we close our ears to those in need; but we transfer the expense to worse things, and make ambition a whetstone of wickedness for those who practice it. For how many women or how many men of some stand around a table? Some charming the host with shameful words, others with unseemly glances and gestures kindling the fire of incontinence; and others wishing to produce laughter for the one who has invited them by their jests at one another;

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Μεῖζον ἀνθρώπῳ κακόν ἀφροσύνης, οὐδέν ἐστι, τῷ ἴδιον τοῦ λογιστικοῦ γένους τόν νοῦν ζημιωθέντι.

Πέφυκεν ὁ ἄφρων ἀεί ἐπί τόν ἀρθόν [ἀργόν] λόγον κινούμενος, ἠρεμίᾳ καί ἀναπαύσει δυσμενής εἶναι.

Οὔτε ἀῤῥώστου πληγήν, οὔτε ἀνοήτου ἀπειλήν δεῖ εὐλαβεῖσθαι.

Πλουτάρχ. Ὁδηγόν τυφλόν λαβεῖν καί σύμβουλον ἀνόητον, ἴσον ἐστίν.

Οὐχ οὕτω τοῖς ὀρφανοῖς παισίν, ὡς τοῖς νοήτοις ἀνδράσιν ἐπιτρόπους δεῖ παρεῖναι.

Οἱ ἐλαφροί τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὥσπερ τά κενά τῶν ἀγγείων, εὐβάστακτοι τοῖς ὠτίοις εἰσίν.

Κακόσιτός ἐστι πρός τόν συμφέροντα λόγον ἡ τῶν ἀνοήτων ψυχή, οὐ παραδεχομένη τόν σώζοντα νοῦν, ὥσπερ φάρμακον.

Κράτης. Κράτης ἀπείκαζε τούς ἀνοήτους τῶν ἀνθρώπων τοῖς τρυπάνοις· ἄνευ γάρ δεσμοῦ καί ἀνάγκης, μηδέν ἐθέλειν τῶν δεόντων ποιεῖν.

Σέξτον. Οὔτε ἐν ἰχθύσι φωνήν, οὔτε ἐν ἀπαιδεύτοις ἀρετήν δεῖ ἐπιζητεῖν.

Ζήνων. Τῶν τις ἐν ἀκαδημίᾳ νεανίσκων περί ἐπιτηδευμάτων διαλέγετο ἀφρονῶν. Ὁ δέ Ζήνων, Ἐάν μή τήν γλῶσσαν, ἔφη, εἰς νοῦν ἀποβρέξας διαλέγῃς, πολύ πλείω ἔτι καί ἐν τοῖς λόγοις πλημελήσεις.

∆ημάδης. ∆ημάδης τούς Ἀθηναίους εἴκαζεν αὐλοῖς, ὧν εἴ τις ἀφέλοι τήν γλῶτταν, τό λοιπόν οὐδέν ἐστιν.

ΛΟΓΟΣ ΞΑ´.

Περί ἀσωτίας. Λουκ. ιε´. Καί μετ᾿ οὐ πολλάς ἡμέρας συναγαγών ἅπαντα ὁ νεώτερος υἱός

ἀπεδήμησεν εἰς χώραν μακράν, καί ἐκεῖ διεσκόρπισε τήν οὐσίαν αὐτοῦ, ζῶν ἀσώτως.

Ἐφεσ. ε΄. Μή μεθύσκεσθε οἴνῳ, ἐν ᾧ ἐστιν ἀσωτία.

(985) Παροι. κθ´. Ὅς κατασπαταλᾷ ἐκ παιδός ἀσώτως, οἰκέτης ἔσται· ἔσχατον δέ ὀδυνηθήσεται ἐφ᾿ ἑαυτῷ.

Σιράχ στ´. Τά φύλλα σου καταφάγεσαι ἀσώτως, καί τούς καρπούς σου ἀπολέσεις, καί ἀφήσεις σεαυτῷ ὡς φύλλον ξηρόν.

Βασιλείου. Οὐδέ γάρ φειδόμενα καθάπαξ πλούτου, ἐῤῥιμένους χαμαί παρατρέχομεν ἀδελφούς, οὐδέ τοῖς παισίν ἤ τοῖς ἄλλοις οἰκείοις τήν εὐπορίαν φυλάττοντες, ἀποκλείομεν τοῖς δεομένοις τάς ἀκοάς· ἀλλά τήν δαπάνην μετατιθέντες ἐπί τοῖς χείρουσι, καί τό φιλότιμον ἀκόμην πονηρίας ποιούμενοι τοῖς ταύτην ἐπιτηδεύουσι. Πόσαι γάρ ἤ πόσοι τῶν ἐνίων περιεστήκασι τράπεζαν; Οἱ μέν αἰσχροῖς ῥήμασι τόν ἑστιάτορα θέλγοντες, οἱ δέ ἀτόποις βλέμμασί τε καί σχήμασι τό τῆς ἀκρασίας ἐκκαίουσι πῦρ· οἱ δέ τοῖς εἰς ἀλλήλους σκώμμασι γέλωτα τῷ κεκληκότι κατασκευάζειν ἐθέλοντες·