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| A man may say too much even on the best of subjects. | 1 |
| A man never speaks of himself without loss. Montaigne. | 2 |
| A man of all tongue is dangerous in his city. | 3 |
| A soft speech has its poison. Publius Syrus. | 4 |
| As a vessel is known by the sound whether it is cracked or not, so men are proved by their speeches whether they be wise or foolish. Demosthenes. | 5 |
| As the man so is his speech. Danish. | 6 |
| Hasty speeches commit men to foolish courses. Wigglesworth. | 7 |
| He who says what he likes hears what he does not like. Spanish. | 8 |
| Honeyed speech often conceals poison and gall. Danish. | 9 |
| If thou speakest what thou wilt, thou shalt hear what thou wouldst not. Bias. | 10 |
| It is better to say nothing than not enough. Latin. | 11 |
| It is good speaking that improves good silence. Dutch. | 12 |
| It is more necessary to guard the mouth than the chest. German. | 13 |
| It is one thing to speak much and another to speak pertinently. | 14 |
| Many speak much that cannot speak well. | 15 |
| Men speak to each other by words, animals by signs. Russian. | 16 |
| Much speaking and lying are cousins. German. | 17 |
| No speech good but of God. | 18 |
| None speak false when there is none to hear. Beattie. | 19 |
| One may say too much even upon the best subject. | 20 |
| One may think what he dare not speak. | 21 |
| Some that speak no ill of any, do no good to any. | 22 |
| Spare to speak and spare to speed. French. | 23 |
| Speak little and to the purpose and you will pass for somebody. Portuguese. | 24 |
| Speak little of your ill luck and boast not of your good luck. Danish. | 25 |
| Speak little, speak truth, spend little, pay cash. German. | 26 |
| Speak little with others, much with thyself. German. | 27 |
| Speak me fair and think what you will. | 28 |
| Speak not against the sun; i.e., argue not against what is clear. | 29 |
| Speak well even to bad men. | 30 |
| Speak well of the dead. | 31 |
| Speak well of thy friends, be silent as to thy enemies. German. | 32 |
| Speak well of your friend, of your enemy neither well nor ill. Italian. | 33 |
| Speak what you will, men will turn it ill. | 34 |
| Speak when you are spoken to, come when you are called. | 35 |
| Speaking evil of one another is the fifth element men are made up of. | 36 |
| Speaking without thinking is shooting without taking aim. | 37 |
| Speech is the gift of all, but thought of few. Cato. | 38 |
| Speech is the picture of the mind. | 39 |
| Speech was given to man to conceal his thoughts. (Dialogue XIV. Le Chapon et la Poularde, Voltaire.) Talleyrand. | 40 |
| The manner of speaking is as important as the matter. Chesterfield. | 41 |
| Though the speaker be a fool, let the hearer be wise. Spanish. | 42 |
| Two ears to one tongue, therefore hear twice as much as you speak. Turkish. | 43 |
| When a’ men speak, nae man hears. | 44 |
| When a man is not known when he speaks he is not believed. Italian. | 45 |
| Who says little has little to answer for. German. | 46 |
| Who says what he likes shall hear what he does not like. | 47 |
| Who speaks sows, who listens reaps. French. | 48 |
| Who speaks two languages is a double man. German. | 49 |
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