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At night astronomers agree.
Topic: Astronomy
Source: Phillis's Age (st. 3)
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Soft peace she brings, wherever she arrives:
She builds our quiet, as she forms our lives:
Lays the rough paths of peevish Nature even,
And opens in each heart a little Heaven.
Topic: Charity
Source: Charity
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I never strove to rule the roast,
She ne'er refus'd to pledge my toast.
Topic: Cookery
Source: Turtle and Sparrow
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Bid the Devil take the slowest.
Topic: Devil
Source: On the Taking of Namur
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Live to explain thy doctrine by thy life.
- Matthew Prior,
Topic: Doctrine
Source: To Dr. Sherlock--On his Practical Discourse Concerning Death
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Thy sum of duty let two words contain,
(O may they graven in thy heart remain!)
Be humble and be just.
Topic: Duty
Source: Solomon on the Vanity of the World (bk. III)
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The end must justify the means.
Topic: End
Source: Hans Carvel (l. 67)
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When people once are in the wrong,
Each line they add is much too long;
Who fastest walks, but walks astray,
Is only furthest from his way.
Topic: Errors
Source: Alma (canto III, l. 194)
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To err is human.
Topic: Errors
Source: Alma (canto III, l. 194)
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For hope is but the dream of those that wake. -Matthew Prior.
Topic: Hope
Source: None
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The ends must justify the means.
Topic: Inspirational
Source: None
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Instinct and reason how can we divide?
'Tis the fool's ignorance, and the pedant's pride.
Topic: Instinct
Source: Solomon on the Vices of the World (bk. I, l. 231)
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In vain I trusted that the flowing bowl
Would banish sorrow, and enlarge the soul.
To the late revel, and protracted feast,
Wild dreams succeeded, and disorder'd rest.
Topic: Intemperance
Source: Solomon (bk. II, l. 106)
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They always talk who never think, and who have the least to say.
Topic: Loquacity
Source: None
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You tell your doctor, that y' are ill
And what does he, but write a bill,
Of which you need not read one letter,
The worse the scrawl, the dose the better.
For if you knew but what you take,
Though you recover, he must break.
Topic: Medicine
Source: Alma (canto III, l. 97)
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But, when the wit began to wheeze,
And wine had warm'd the politician,
Cur'd yesterday of my disease,
I died last night of my physician.
Topic: Medicine
Source: The Remedy Worse than the Disease
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Though bitter, good medicine cures illness. Though it may hurt,
loyal criticism will have beneficial effects.
Topic: Medicine
Source: The Remedy Worse than the Disease
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Odds life! must one swear to the truth of a song?
Topic: Music
Source: None
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Now fitted the halter, now travers'd the cart,
And often took leave; but was loth to part.
Topic: Parting
Source: The Thief and the Cordelier
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Or have you mark'd a partridge quake,
Viewing the towering falcon nigh?
She cuddles low behind the brake:
Nor would she stay; nor dares she fly.
Topic: Partridges
Source: The Dove (st. 14)
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Ev'n so, with all submission, I
. . . .
Send you each year a homely letter,
Who may return me much a better.
Topic: Post
Source: Epistle to Fleetwood Shepherd (l. 23)
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And oft the pangs of absence to remove
By letters, soft interpreters of love.
Topic: Post
Source: Henry and Emma (l. 147)
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Of two evils I have chose the least.
Topic: Proverbs
Source: Imitation of Horace (bk. I, ep. IX)
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Let him be kept from paper, pen, and ink;
So may he cease to write, and learn to think.
Topic: Proverbs
Source: To a Person who Wrote Ill--On Same Person
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Do not unto another that which you would not he should do unto
you.
Topic: Proverbs
Source: To a Person who Wrote Ill--On Same Person
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He will not carry his wealth to the waters of Acheron.
Topic: Proverbs
Source: To a Person who Wrote Ill--On Same Person
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Let me skim the water with one oar, and with the other touch
sand. [Go not out of your depth.]
Topic: Proverbs
Source: To a Person who Wrote Ill--On Same Person
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To each man at his birth nature has given some fault.
Topic: Proverbs
Source: To a Person who Wrote Ill--On Same Person
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What is a king? a man condemn'd to bear
The public burthen of the nation's care.
Topic: Royalty
Source: Solomon (bk. III, l. 275)
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Odds life! must one swear to the truth of a song?
Topic: Songs
Source: A Better Answer
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The winds grow high;
Impending tempests charge the sky;
The lightning flies, the thunder roars;
And big waves lash the frightened shores.
Topic: Storms
Source: The Lady's Looking-Glass
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When Croft's "Life of Dr. Young" was spoken of as a good
imitation of Dr. Johnson's style, "No, no," said he, "it is not a
good imitation of Johnson; it has all his pomp without his force;
it has all the nodosities of the oak, without its strength; it
has all the contortions of the sibyl, without the inspiration."
Topic: Style
Source: Life of Burke
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They never taste who always drink;
They always talk who never think.
Topic: Talk
Source: Upon a Passage in the Scaligerana
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Serene yet strong, majestic yet sedate,
Swift without violence, without terror great.
Topic: Thames River
Source: Carmen Seculare (l. 200), imitation of Denham
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Variety alone gives joy;
The sweetest meats the soonest cloy.
Topic: Variety
Source: The Turtle and the Sparrow (l. 234)
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A Rechabite poor Will must live,
And drink of Adam's ale.
Topic: Water
Source: The Wandering Pilgrim
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