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John Dryden

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    John Dryden

    A brave man scorns to quarrel once a day; Like Hectors in at every petty fray.

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    John Dryden

    A coward is the kindest animal; 'Tis the most forgiving creature in a fight.

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    John Dryden

    A farce is that in poetry which grotesque (caricature) is in painting. The persons and actions of a farce are all unnatural, and the manners false, that is, inconsistent with the characters of mankind; and grotesque painting is the just resemblance of this.

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    John Dryden

    Affability, mildness, tenderness, and a word which I would fain bring back to its original signification of virtue,--I mean good-nature,--are of daily use; they are the bread of mankind and staff of life.

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    John Dryden

    A fiery soul, which working out its way, Fretted the pygmy-body to decay: And o'er-informed the tenement of clay. A daring pilot in extremity; Pleased with the danger, when the waves went high He sought the storms...

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    John Dryden

    A good conscience is a port which is landlocked on every side, where no winds can possibly invade. There a man may not only see his own image, but that of his Maker, clearly reflected from the undisturbed waters.

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    John Dryden

    Ah, how sweet it is to love! Ah, how gay is young Desire! And what pleasing pains we prove When we first approach Love's fire!

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    John Dryden

    A knock-down argument; 'tis but a word and a blow.

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    John Dryden

    A lazy frost, a numbness of the mind.

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    John Dryden

    A lively faith will bear aloft the mind, and leave the luggage of good works behind.

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    John Dryden

    All, as they say, that glitters is not gold.

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    John Dryden

    All authors to their own defects are blind.

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    John Dryden

    All delays are dangerous in war.

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    John Dryden

    All empire is no more than power in trust.

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    John Dryden

    All flowers will droop in the absence of the sun that waked their sweets.

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    John Dryden

    All habits gather by unseen degrees.

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    John Dryden

    All heiresses are beautiful.

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    John Dryden

    All objects lose by too familiar a view.

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    John Dryden

    All the learn'd are cowards by profession.

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    John Dryden

    All things are subject to decay and when fate summons, monarchs must obey.

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    John Dryden

    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 malefactordiesweetly was only belonging toher husband.

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    John Dryden

    Among our crimes oblivion may be set.

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    John Dryden

    A narrow mind begets obstinacy; we do not easily believe what we cannot see.

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    John Dryden

    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.

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    John Dryden

    And, dying, bless the hand that gave the blow.

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    John Dryden

    And he, who servilely creeps after sense, Is safe, but ne'er will reach an excellence.

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    John Dryden

    And love's the noblest frailty of the mind.

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    John Dryden

    And nobler is a limited command, Given by the love of all your native land, Than a successive title, long and dark, Drawn from the mouldy rolls of Noah's Ark.

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    John Dryden

    And plenty makes us poor.

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    John Dryden

    And that one hunting, which the Devil design'd For one fair female, lost him half the kind.

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    John Dryden

    And that the Scriptures, though not everywhere Free from corruption, or entire, or clear, Are uncorrupt, sufficient, clear, entire In all things which our needful faith require.

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    John Dryden

    And write whatever Time shall bring to pass With pens of adamant on plates of brass.

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    John Dryden

    Anger will never disappear so long as thoughts of resentment are cherished in the mind. Anger will disappear just as soon as thoughts of resentment are forgotten.

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    John Dryden

    An horrible stillness first invades our ear, And in that silence we the tempest fear.

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    John Dryden

    An hour will come, with pleasure to relate Your sorrows past, as benefits of Fate.

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    John Dryden

    Arts and sciences in one and the same century have arrived at great perfection; and no wonder, since every age has a kind of universal genius, which inclines those that live in it to some particular studies; the work then, being pushed on by many hands, must go forward.

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    John Dryden

    A satirical poet is the check of the laymen on bad priests.

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    John Dryden

    As poetry is the harmony of words, so music is that of notes.

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    John Dryden

    As when the dove returning bore the mark Of earth restored to the long labouring ark; The relics of mankind, secure at rest, Oped every window to receive the guest, And the fair bearer of the message bless'd.

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    John Dryden

    A thing well said will be wit in all languages.

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    John Dryden

    At home the hateful names of parties cease, And factious souls are wearied into peace.

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    John Dryden

    A woman's counsel brought us first to woe, And made her man his paradise forego, Where at heart's ease he liv'd; and might have been As free from sorrow as he was from sin.

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    John Dryden

    Bacchus ever fair and young, Drinking joys did first ordain. Bachus's blessings are a treasure, Drinking is the soldier's pleasure, Rich the treasure, Sweet the pleasure- Sweet is pleasure after pain.

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    John Dryden

    Bankrupt of life, yet prodigal of ease.

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    John Dryden

    Beauty is nothing else but a just accord and mutual harmony of the members, animated by a healthful constitution.

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    John Dryden

    Beauty, like ice, our footing does betray; Who can tread sure on the smooth, slippery way: Pleased with the surface, we glide swiftly on, And see the dangers that we cannot shun.

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    John Dryden

    Be fair, or foul, or rain, or shine, The joys I have possessed, in spite of fate, are mine. Not heaven itself upon the past has power; But what has been, has been, and I have had my hour.

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    John Dryden

    Be secret and discreet; the fairy favors are lost when not concealed.

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    John Dryden

    Bets at first were fool-traps, where the wise like spiders lay in ambush for the flies.

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    John Dryden

    Better to hunt in fields, for health unbought, Than fee the doctor for a nauseous draught, The wise, for cure, on exercise depend; God never made his work for man to mend.