167 Famous Quotes by John Dryden
8/9/1631 - 5/12/1700
Also Known As:
Dryden, John
Glorious John
Professions:
Information:
About John Dryden
John Dryden was an influential English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who dominated the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the period came to be known in literary circles as the Age of Dryden. Walter Scott called him "Glorious John." He was made Poet Laureate in 1668.
Anger dwells only in the bosom of fools.
Anger
Quotes, by John Dryden , Source: Absalom and Achitophel (pt. I, l. 1005)
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And all to leave what with his toil he won,
To that unfeather'd two-legged thing, a son.
Inheritance
Quotes, by John Dryden , Source: Absalom and Achitophel (pt. I, l. 169)
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The clouds dispell'd, the sky resum'd her light,
And Nature stood recover'd of her fright.
But fear, the last of ills, remain'd behind,
And horrow heavy sat on every mind.
Fear
Quotes, by John Dryden , Source: Theodore and Honoria (l. 336)
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We spirits have just such natures
We had for all the world, when human creatures;
And, therefore, I, that was an actress here,
Play all my tricks in hell, a goblin there.
Hell
Quotes, by John Dryden , Source: Tyrannic Love (epilogue)
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She knows her man, and when you rant and swear,
Can draw you to her with a single hair.
Hair
Quotes, by John Dryden , Source: Persius (satire V, l. 246)
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The people's prayer, the glad diviner's theme!
The young men's vision, and the old men's dream.
Visions
Quotes, by John Dryden , Source: Absalom and Achtiphel (pt. I, l. 238)
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Maintain your post: That's all the fame you need;
For 'tis impossible you should proceed.
Duty
Quotes, by John Dryden , Source: To Mr. Congreve, on his Comedy "The Double Dealer"
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Our souls sit close and silently within,
And their own web from their own entrails spin;
And when eyes meet far off, our sense is such,
That, spider like, we feel the tenderest touch.
Sympathy
Quotes, by John Dryden , Source: Mariage a la Mode (act II, sc. 1)
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And kind as kings upon their coronation day.
Royalty
Quotes, by John Dryden , Source: Fables--The Hind and the Panther (pt. I, l. 271)
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Ay, these look like the workmanship of heaven;
This is the porcelain clay of human kind,
And therefore cast into these noble moulds.
Nobility
Quotes, by John Dryden , Source: Don Sebastian (act I, sc. 1)
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For that can power give more than food and drink,
To live at ease, and not be bound to think?
Power
Quotes, by John Dryden , Source: Medal (l. 235)
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Treason is not own'd when 'tis descried;
Successful crimes alone are justified.
Treason
Quotes, by John Dryden , Source: Medals (l. 207)
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They who write ill, and they who ne'er durst write,
Turn critics out of mere revenge and spite.
Criticism
Quotes, by John Dryden , Source: Prologue to Conquest of Granada
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All who (like him) have writ ill plays before,
For they, like thieves, condemned, are hangman made,
To execute the members of their trade.
Criticism
Quotes, by John Dryden , Source: Prologue to Rival Queens
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Damn'd neuters, in their middle way of steering,
Are neither fish, nor flesh, nor good red herring.
Fish
Quotes, by John Dryden , Source: Duke of Guise (epilogue, l. 39)
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The fool of nature stood with stupid eyes
And gaping mouth, that testified surprise.
Stupidity
Quotes, by John Dryden , Source: Cymon and Iphigenia (l. 107)
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Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity,
and I'm not sure about the former.
Stupidity
Quotes, by John Dryden , Source: Cymon and Iphigenia (l. 107)
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There are only two truly infinite things, the universe and
stupidity. And I am unsure about the universe.
Stupidity
Quotes, by John Dryden , Source: Cymon and Iphigenia (l. 107)
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But wild Ambition loves to slide, not stand,
And Fortune's ice prefers to Virtue's land.
Ambition
Quotes, by John Dryden , Source: Absalom and Achitophel (pt. I, l. 198)
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Be nice to people on your way up because you might meet 'em on
your way down.
Ambition
Quotes, by John Dryden , Source: Absalom and Achitophel (pt. I, l. 198)
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Rich the treasure,
Sweet the pleasure,
Sweet is pleasure after pain.
Pleasure
Quotes, by John Dryden , Source: Alexander's Feast (l. 58)
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And after hearing what our Church can say,
If still our reason runs another way,
That private reason 'tis more just to curb,
Than by disputes the public peace disturb;
For points obscure are of small use to learn,
But common quiet is mankind's concern.
Doctrine
Quotes, by John Dryden , Source: Religio Laici (l. 445)
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