Careful Words

prosperity (n.)

A jest's prosperity lies in the ear

Of him that hears it, never in the tongue

Of him that makes it.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616): Love's Labour's Lost. Act v. Sc. 2.

  I wish you all sorts of prosperity with a little more taste.

Alain René Le Sage (1668-1747): Gil Blas. Book vii. Chap. iv.

Surer to prosper than prosperity

Could have assur'd us.

John Milton (1608-1674): Paradise Lost. Book ii. Line 39.

  It was a saying of his that education was an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity.

Diogenes Laertius (Circa 200 a d): Aristotle. xi.

  In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider.

Old Testament: Ecclesiastes vii. 14.

  Prosperity is not without many fears and distastes; and adversity is not without comforts and hopes.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616): Of Adversity.

  Prosperity makes friends, adversity tries them.

Publius Syrus (42 b c): Maxim 872.

For of fortunes sharpe adversite,

The worst kind of infortune is this,—

A man that hath been in prosperite,

And it remember whan it passed is.

Geoffrey Chaucer (1328-1400): Troilus and Creseide. Book iii. Line 1625.

  Prosperity is the blessing of the Old Testament; adversity is the blessing of the New.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616): Of Adversity.

  It was a high speech of Seneca (after the manner of the Stoics), that "The good things which belong to prosperity are to be wished, but the good things that belong to adversity are to be admired."

William Shakespeare (1564-1616): Of Adversity.

  Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.

Old Testament: Psalm cxxii. 7.