Classic Poem

You Talk so much, you less to purpose Speak,
Still to be less Heard, the more Noise you make;
To drive Friends, when you'd speak with 'em, away;
Your quick Speech our Conception does delay;
You talk so much, we mind less what you say;
Talk not at all, or less then, if you wou'd
By more be heard, or be more understood;
He who talks least, is in the Right i'th' Wrong,
Since Right grows Wrong, talking of it too long;
The more you talk, we know your Meaning less;
As Stammerers, from their Talk's Eagerness,
Their Minds, by Haste to speak 'em, less express;
Your Haste to speak, but takes your Breath away,
Till your Speech interrupts what you wou'd say,
And does your Tongue to Lapses more betray;
Thorough-pac'd Tongues thus aptest are to slip,
As Horses, thorough-pac'd, more oft to trip;
Let your Tongue, to go surer, go more slow,
And say less, that you may more Reason show;
Who, more you talk, show more Impertinence,
Then Speak less, but to prove more yet your Sense;
At least, talk not so much, so quick, so loud,
Whose Sense less, for much Talk, is understood;
For your lame Thoughts, your quick Speech is to blame,
As oft the Horse's Mettle makes him lame;
For Want of Words, your Want of Reason, so,
Might sure for Modesty, nay Prudence go;
More Spirited, in less Words, is good Sense,
Does but much more our Reason influence;
As Spirits on our Body's Humours, so,
Work better, than dull, heavy Potions do;
Sense in few Words, in Operation quick,
Will best down with the Witty Splenetic,
Whilst much Talk, like much Physic, makes them sick;
To make the Melancholy Man endure,
Less from his bad Distemper, than Ill Cure;
Thus, whether you have any Sense, or no,
Speak less at least, your Judgment more to show,
And let us sooner still your Meaning know;
For if what you say, be True Sense and Good,
'Twill be thought best, as soonest understood,
Which by your Talking less, the better wou'd;
If Bad, it wou'd more Reas'nable appear,
The less our Expectation of it were;
Then Talk less, but your Reason more to show,
Which proves Sense, whether Men have it, or no;
Since Man most by his Speech shows what he is,
Ev'n the Weak Fool, is in his Silence Wise.