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The time should likewise be judiciously chosen; every man has his 'mollia tempora', but that is far from being all day long; and you would choose your time very ill, if you applied to a man about one business, when his head was full of another, or when his heart was full of grief, anger, or any other disagreeable sentiment.
In the conventional way of handling nature, the eye is not on the object; what that means we all know, we have only to think of our eighteenth-century poetry: "As when the moon, refulgent lamp of night " to call up any number of instances. Latin poetry supplies plenty of instances too; if we put this from Propertius's Hylas: "... manus heroum ... Mollia composita litora fronde tegit "
The time should also be judiciously made choice of. Every man has his particular times when he may be applied to with success, the mollia tempora fandi: but these times are not all the day long; they must be found out, watched, and taken advantage of.
Humors must be flattered; the 'mollia tempora' must be studied and known: confidence acquired by seeming frankness, and profited of by silent skill. And, above all; you must gain and engage the heart, to betray the understanding to you. 'Ha tibi erunt artes'.
It is the abuse of a rule which nature suggests to every one. Every one looks out for the "mollia tempora fandi," and "mollia verba" too. Having thus explained what is meant by the economy as a rule of social intercourse between men of different religious, or, again, political, or social views, next I go on to state what I said in the Arians.
Pen, ink, and paper are cold vehicles for the marvellous, and a "reader" decidedly a more critical animal than a "listener." If, however, you can induce your friends to read it after nightfall, and when the fireside talk has run for a while on thrilling tales of shapeless terror; in short, if you will secure me the mollia tempora fandi, I will go to my work, and say my say, with better heart.
Those necessary connections can never be formed, or preserved, but by an uninterrupted series of complaisance, attentions, politeness, and some constraint. You must engage their hearts, if you would have their support; you must watch the 'mollia tempora', and captivate them by the 'agremens' and charms of conversation.
Whenever his father considered a display of the son's powers in controversy to be capital, Denis, who knew the mollia tempora fandi, applied to him for a hat.
In the conventional way of handling nature, the eye is not on the object; what that means we all know, we have only to think of our eighteenth-century poetry: As when the moon, refulgent lamp of night to call up any number of instances. Latin poetry supplies plenty of instances too; if we put this from Propertius's Hylas: . . . manus heroum . . . Mollia composita litora fronde togit
There can be little entertainment in such books; one set of Savages is like another. BOSWELL. 'I do not think the people of Otaheite can be reckoned Savages. JOHNSON. 'Don't cant in defence of Savages. BOSWELL. 'They have the art of navigation. JOHNSON. 'A dog or a cat can swim. BOSWELL. 'They carve very ingeniously. JOHNSON. 'A cat can scratch, and a child with a nail can scratch. I perceived this was none of the mollia tempora fandi; so desisted.
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