Ben & Verse Home
Ben's 13 Virtues
Index and
cross - reference
About Ben
About this website
Ben on Civilised Ways
NEW B&V Quiz!
Contact us
Links
McCall home page
Search
Ben to Go!
(All 38 monthly episodes for you to download!)

 


Moderation - Nonsense

Always an up-to-date mentor, Franklin’s insights fit right into the soundbites you see here. But why stop here? For a Niagara of wit and understanding in the wonderful words from Ben's own works, get to a search engine and try: Franklin + “Poor Richard.” You might add “1758” -- or just click here. The 1758 preface features some favorite sayings. ( Oh, parents, those "Poor Richard's" websites can get raucous.)
Show subject index

What's Ben What's Verse
Moderation & Excess
see also UPSTARTS.
Nothing brings more pain
than too much pleasure;
nothing more bondage than
too much liberty, (or
libertinism). [1738]
Ringing too free
Cracks liberty.
Moderation: Avoid extremes.
Forbear resenting injuries so
much as you think they deserve. [Virtue 9]
Gauged extreme?
Lower steam.
Nonsense
Great wits jump (says the Poet) and hit his Head against the post. [1735]Conclusions leap?
Contusions heap.
Clearly spoken, Mr. Fog! You explain English by Greek. [1741]Dr. Smog’s “explanation”
(In polluted translation).
The learned Fool writes his
Nonsense in better Language
than the unlearned; but
still 'tis Nonsense. [1754]
Such eloquence!
(Should it make sense?)



Some Rights Reserved

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.
(In other words, please feel free to quote any part of this website at any length,
attributing the quote to John D. McCall, preferably with a reference to the website)
Rev 2010-1.