Hosea Ballou Quotes

Have more than thou showest, Speak less than thou knowest, Lend less than thou owest.

At the beginning of the cask and the end take thy fill but be saving in the middle; for at the bottom the savings comes too late.

Candor and generosity, unless tempered by due moderation, leads to ruin.

The true way to gain much, is never to desire to gain too much.

I'm not overly greedy.

The heart is great which shows moderation in the midst of prosperity.

Give us enough but with a sparing hand.

Abstaining is favorable both to the head and the pocket.

Everything must be carried out in extreme sobriety.

Emotion is always the enemy of wise statesmanship.

Generosity is a virtue, but unlimited generosity is a fast route to bankruptcy.

I try to be more mindful and less greedy.

When I was on the bench, I used to have a yellow pad, and I put on the pad at the beginning of the day, 'patience' and 'restraint.'

Dine on little, and sup on less.

It is little the sign of a wise or good man, to suffer temperance to be transgressed in order to purchase the repute of a generous entertainer.

Frugality is good if liberality be joined with it. The first is leaving off superfluous expenses; the last is bestowing them to the benefit of others that need. The first without the last begets covetousness; the last without the first begets prodigality.

Frugality may be termed the daughter of Prudence, the sister of Temperance, and the parent of Liberty.

Well observe The rule of Not too much, by temperance taught In what thou eat'st and drink'st.

The nice sense of measure is certainly not one of Nature's gifts to her English children ... we have all of us yielded to infatuation at some moment of our lives.

The wise man is he who knows when and how to stop

That's because I've learned how to use it [smile], Woserit said. I don't pass it out like an old woman giving free milk to the village cats. It's something that must be controlled, and for you especially. You use it on anyone. You must learn to be more judicious.

The sage avoids extremity, excess, and extravagance.

Go not for every grief to the physician, nor for every quarrell to the lawyer, nor for every thirst to the pot.

We should be careful that our benevolence does not exceed our means.