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The gift of independence once granted cannot be lightly taken away again.
He was always boasting of his ancestors, as stupid people do who are aware that they have done nothing themselves to boast about.
“Soft words turn away wrath, as harsh words excite wrath even in a gentle spirit: forgiveness will melt the most arrogant heart, as punishment will harden even the humblest….
“It’s not disillusion, sir. I see now, though I hadn’t considered the matter before, that there are two different ways of writing history: one is to persuade men to virtue and the other is to compel men to truth. The first is Livy’s way and the other is yours: and perhaps they are not irreconcilable.”
As was the custom in such cases, the pear tree was charged with murder and sentenced to be uprooted and burned.
That the crowd always likes a holiday is a common saying, but when the whole year becomes one long holiday, and nobody has time for attending to his business, and pleasure becomes compulsory, then it is a different matter.
