The better part of valor is discretion.—­Shakespeare.

Discretion is more necessary to women than eloquence, because they have less trouble to speak well than to speak little.—­Father Du BOSC.

Let’s teach ourselves that honorable stop
Not to outsport discretion. 
—­Shakespeare.

Discretion is the perfection of reason, and a guide to win all the duties of life.—­Addison.

Great ability without discretion comes almost invariably to a tragic end.—­Gambetta.

Dissimulation.—­Dissimulation, even the most innocent in its nature, is ever productive of embarrassment; whether the design is evil or not, artifice is always dangerous and almost inevitably disgraceful.  —­La Bruyere.

Dress.—­In the matter of dress people should always keep below their ability.—­Montesquieu.

Those who are incapable of shining but by dress would do well to consider, that the contrast between them and their clothes turns out much to their disadvantage.—­SHENSTONE.

And why take ye thought for raiment?  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow:  they toil not, neither do they spin.—­Matthew 6:28.

A majority of women seem to consider themselves sent into the world for the sole purpose of displaying dry goods; and it is only when acting the part of an animated milliner’s block that they feel they are performing their appropriate mission.—­Abba Goold Woolson.

No man is esteemed for gay garments but by fools and women.—­Sir Walter Raleigh.

Those who think that in order to dress well it is necessary to dress extravagantly or grandly make a great mistake.  Nothing so well becomes true feminine beauty as simplicity.—­George D. Prentice.

Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, but not expressed in fancy; rich, not gaudy; for the apparel oft proclaims the man.—­Shakespeare.

No real happiness is found
In trailing purple o’er the ground. 
—­Parnell.

If a woman were about to proceed to her execution, she would demand a little time to perfect her toilet.—­CHAMFORT.

Men of quality never appear more amiable than when their dress is plain.  Their birth, rank, title and its appendages are at best invidious; and as they do not need the assistance of dress, so, by their disclaiming the advantage of it, they make their superiority sit more easy.—­SHENSTONE.

It is well known that a loose and easy dress contributes much to give to both sexes those fine proportions of body that are observable in the Grecian statues, and which serve as models to our present artists.—­Rousseau.

As soon as a woman begins to dress “loud,” her manners and conversation partake of the same element.—­Haliburton.

Dress has a moral effect on the conduct of mankind.  Let any gentleman find himself with dirty boots, old surtout, soiled neckcloth and a general negligence of dress, he will in all probability find a corresponding disposition by negligence of address.—­Sir Jonah Barrington.