“I’m what I seem; not any dyer gave, But nature dyed this colour that I have.”

Givers of great dinners know few enemies.

Joys do not stay, but take wing and fly away.

Spare the person but lash the vice.

Some good, some so-so, and lots plain bad: that’s how a book of poems is made, my Friend.

Can the fish love the fisherman?

Tis easy to write epigrams nicely, but to write a book is hard.

For wealth’s now given to none but to the rich.

Red-haired, black-lipped, club-footed, and blink-eyed; if you’re a good man, you’re a wonder!

Why do I not kiss you, Philaenis? you are bald. Why do I not kiss you, Philaenis? you are carrotty. Why do I not kiss you, Philaenis? you are one-eyed. He who kisses you, Philaenis, sins against nature.

The virtuous man is never a novice in worldly things.

She grieves sincerely who grieves unseen.

You crystal break, for fear of breaking it: Careless and careful hands like faults commit.

You’re obstinate, pliant, merry, morose, all at once. For me there’s no living with you, or without you.

Rarity gives a charm; so early fruits and winter roses are the most prized; and coyness sets off an extravagant mistress, while the door always open tempts no suitor.

Man loves malice, but not against one-eyed men nor the unfortunate, but against the fortunate and proud.

Gifts are like fish-hooks; for who is not aware that the greedy char is deceived by the fly which he swallows?

We do not want the men of another color for our brothers-in-law, but we do want them for our brothers.

I finished a big book the other day. 421 pages. That’s a lot of coloring when you think about it.

She trusted her inner strength with the colors of gratitude and patience.

You are the sun. Soft yellow. Beaming flames. Gentle and fierce all at once.

I would permit no man, no matter what his colour might be, to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him.

The point is to know how to use the colours, the choice of which is, when all’s said and done, a matter of habit.

Optimist – A proponent of the doctrine that black is white.

Eloquence, n. The art of orally persuading fools that white is the color that it appears to be. It includes the gift of making any color appear white.