Cec. That must be Old Age, surely.
Pa. It is. The next is a man leaning upon a breaking crutch.
Cec. I don’t well know what to make of that.
Pa. It is intended for Instability; however, it might also stand for False Confidence. Here is a man poring over a sundial with a candle in his hand.
Cec. I am at a loss for that, too.
Pa. Consider—a sundial is only made to tell the hour by the light of the sun.
Cec. Then this man must know nothing about it.
Pa. True; and his name is therefore Ignorance. Here is a walking-stick, the lower part of which is set in the water, and it appears crooked. What does that denote?
Cec. Is the stick really crooked?
Pa. No; but it is the property of water to give that appearance.