(Note of February 19, 2006)

While doing a net search on something else, I came across several Egyptian verses on the virtue of silence. There is one in the "Book of the Dead":

"Speaking and silent, I remain an exact balance"

But today I have found new references:

"Your silence is better than chatter,
speak when you know you have a solution..."
(A declaration of Ptahhotep)

To see more of these, go to: http://www.aztriad.com/pathmark/on_silence.gif

For a look at 'chatter' gone wrong, as in 'foot in mouth disease', see http://www.aztriad.com/foot_fi.html