240.
Ask not a man who his father was but make trial of his qualities, and then conciliate or reject him accordingly. For it is no disgrace to new wine, if only it be sweet, as to its taste, that it was the juice [or daughter] of sour grapes.
Arabic.
241.
The sun opens the lotuses, the moon illumines the beds of water-lilies, the cloud pours forth its water unasked: even so the liberal of their own accord are occupied in benefiting others.
Bhartrihari.
242.
We blame equally him who is too proud to put a proper value on his own merit and him who prizes too highly his spurious worth.
Goethe.