All John Dryden Quotes
- Shakespeare was the Homer, or father of our dramatic poets;Jonson was theVirgil, the pattern of elaborate writing; I admire him, but I love Shakespeare. Admire
- Desire of power, on earth a vicious weed, Yet, sprung from high, is of celestial seed: In God 'tisglory; and when men aspire, 'Tis but… Aspire
- Music, Music for a while Shall all your cares beguile. Alexander's Feast All
- It is almost impossible to translate verbally and well at the same time; for the Latin (a most severe and compendious language) often expresses that… Almost Impossible
- I learn to pity woes so like my own. Inspirational
- The trumpet's loud clangor Excites us to arms. Arms
- And he, who servilely creeps after sense, Is safe, but ne'er will reach an excellence. Creeps
- None would live past years again, Yet all hope pleasure in what yet remain; And, from the dregs of life, think to receive, What the… All
- From plots and treasons Heaven preserve my years, But save me most from my petitioners. Unsatiate as the barren womb or grave; God cannot grant… Barren
- Farewell, too little, and too lately known, Whom I began to think and call my own. Began
- How easy it is to call rogue and villain, and that wittily! But how hard to make a man appear a fool, a blockhead, or… Any
- not judging truth to be in nature better than falsehood, but setting a value upon both according to interest. According
- Railing in other men may be a crime, But ought to pass for mere instinct in him: Instinct he follows and no further knows, For… Crime
- I saw myself the lambent easy light Gild the brown horror, and dispel the night. Brown
- Sure there's contagion in the tears of friends. Contagion
- Much malice mingled with a little wit Perhaps may censure this mysterious writ. Censure
- A man may be capable, as Jack Ketch's wife said of his servant, of a plain piece of work, a bare hanging; but to makea… Bare
- The soft complaining flute, In dying notes, discovers The woes of hopeless lovers. Complaining
- And that one hunting, which the Devil design'd For one fair female, lost him half the kind. Design
- For every inch that is not fool, is rogue. Character
- The unhappy man, who once has trail'd a pen, Lives not to please himself, but other men; Is always drudging, wastes his life and blood,… Authorship
- With odorous oil thy head and hair are sleek; And then thou kemb'st the tuzzes on thy cheek: Of these, my barbers take a costly… Barbers
- They, who would combat general authority with particular opinion, must first establish themselves a reputation of understanding better than other men. Authority
- I am reading Jonson's verses to the memory of Shakespeare; an insolent, sparing, and invidious panegyric... Insolent
- Death in itself is nothing; but we fear to be we know not what, we know not where. Death