Where there are friends, there is wealth, or, in the usual acceptation of the proverb, it is better to have friends without money, than money without friends. "Aquelles son ricos que tienen amigos," they are rich who have friends. To be possessed of friends, is doubtless valuable, as they may stand us in stead in our troubles; but in the ordinary occurrences of life, money may be depended on with more certainty, as it will purchase us both conveniences and friends. "Las necedades del rico, por sentencias passan en el mundo," even the foolish sayings of the rich, pass in the world as oracles. We may therefore more truly say, "Ubi opes, ibi amici," he that has wealth has friends; "Vulgus amicitias utilitate probat," for friends are commonly esteemed only in proportion to the advantages they are able to procure us. "Hood an ass with reverend purple, So you can hide his two ambitious ears, And he shall pass for a cathedral doctor." (Volpone)

We should be cautious of attempting what we have not ability to accomplish. A little wariness, prevents great weariness. The adage was used by Paris to Hector, advising him against a personal conflict with Achilles, and it had been well if he had attended to the admonition, as he lost his life in the contest. It is not, however, on all occasions to be followed, as without trial it is not always easy to know how far our ability or power extends; and where a great object is proposed, it is not to be neglected from an apprehension, inspired, perhaps, by timidity of its failing. In magnis et voluisse sat est, it is honourable even to have attempted a great and noble act; that is, if the attempt has been persevered in with becoming spirit, and the failure, if it should not succeed, has not been owing to negligence. We may oppose to this adage, Nothing venture, nothing have.

The owl was a favoured bird among the Athenians, and so abounded, that sending owls to Athens, was like "carrying water to the sea," or, "coals to Newcastle." It was, according to the Spanish phrase, "Vender miel al Colmenaro," offering honey to one who had bee-hives; "Croesi pecuniae ter unciam addere," or adding a farthing to the wealth of Croesus, esteemed in his time, the richest monarch in the world. The adage is also applicable to persons telling as news what is generally known, or offering to instruct anyone in arts, with which he is well acquainted. Making presents to the rich, and neglecting friends or relations, to whom such assistance might be beneficial, are acts falling also under the censure of this proverb.

Persons were said to be up to the elbows in the sea and striving with them against the waves, who were contending with difficulties which threatened to overwhelm them. A similar phrase is used by us, speaking of persons who have more than sufficient employment, he has his hands full, we say, or he is up to the elbows in business.

Oignez vilain il vous poindra,
Poignez vilain il vous oindra

If you treat a clown with mildness and civility he will fancy you are afraid of him, and will return your kindness with rudeness or insult; but if preserving your dignity, you treat him as your inferior or with some degree of authority, he will crouch to and fawn upon you:

« A base unthankful clownish brood,
Return ill offices for good,
But if you should them harshly treat,
Then spaniel-like they'll lick your feet».

El ruyn, mientras mas le ruegan, mas se estiende, a low and base man, the more you entreat him, the more insolent he becomes.

A friend even to the altar, that is, who will do every thing that is not offensive to good morals, or that will not oblige him to a breach of his duty to God, to his family, or neighbours. Such was the answer of Pericles to a friend, who had required of him in a certain cause to give a false testimony. He was not unmindful of his obligation to his friend, but he dared not violate his duty to the gods. It was the custom anciently for persons taking an oath, to lay one of their hands on the altar, whence the adage.
The following, from Beloe's translation of Aulus Aulus Gellius, places the character of Chilo, the Lacedemonian, in so pleasing a light, that I am induced to lay it before the reader. It has also some reference to the adage before us. When death was approaching, he thus spake to his surrounding friends: «That there is very little of all that I have said and done in the course of a long life, which has given me cause of repentance, ye may, perhaps, well know. At this period, I certainly do not delude myself when I say, that I have never done any thing, the remembrance of which gives me uneasiness, one incident alone excepted. I was once a judge with two others, on the life of a friend. The law was such as to require his condemnation. Either, therefore, a friend was to be lost by a capital punishment, or the law was to be evaded. In this case, I silently gave my own vote for his condemnation, but I persuaded my fellow judges to acquit him. Thus I neither violated the duty of the friend, nor of the judge. But the fact gives me this uneasiness; I fear that it was both perfidious and criminal, to persuade others to do that, which in my own judgment was not right».

Use, or custom, is a second nature. It is of importance, therefore, in the education of children, to prevent their acquiring habits that are ungraceful or vicious; as whatever watchfulness or care may be afterwards used, it will be almost impossible to dispossess them.

He loves him as the wolf loves the sheep; or, «as the devil loves holy water». This may be said of any one pretending a regard for the interest of a person whom he is endeavouring to undermine and would destroy.