And ne’er thy foolish nose confess’d;
But fools, to talking ever prone,
Are sure to make their follies known.”
So a French satirist of the last century bids le sot remember, that by simply holding his tongue, he will acquire not a little respect—hopeless as the reminder in such a case may be; for you might as well counsel the coward not to tremble, as the fool not to expose himself in words, words, words:
“Souvenez-vous qu’un sot doit garder le silence,
Il serait respecté beaucoup plus qu’il ne pense;
Mais vouloir le contraindre à ne jamais parler,
C’est, sans espoir, défendre au poltron ne trembler.”
Could it but be enforced, the one injunction to be laid upon the fool might be condensed into an applied line from Molière, where Orgon bids Dorine hold her tongue, and regard that as a standing order:—
“Taisez-vous. C’est le mot qu’il vous faut toujours dire.”