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God wisheth none should wreck on a strange shelf: To him man’s dearer than to himself.

Ben Jonson

Words borrowed of Antiquity do lend a kind of Majesty to style, and are not without their delight sometimes.
BEN JONSON

Past Winning Years
Our whole life is like a play.
BEN JONSON

Life Play Whole
It is as great a spite to be praised in the wrong place, and by a wrong person, as can be done to a noble nature.
BEN JONSON

Done Noble Person Wrong
Chance will not do the work. Chance sends the breeze; But if the pilot slumber at the helm, The very wind that wafts us tow’rds the port May dash us on the shoals. The steersman’s part Is vigilance, or blow it rough or smooth.
BEN JONSON

Blow Slumber Wind
It is an art to have so much judgment as to apparel a lie well, to give it a good dressing.
BEN JONSON

Art Giving Lying
As it is a great point of art, when our matter requires it, to enlarge and veer out all sail, so to take it in and contract it is of no less praise when the argument doth ask it.
BEN JONSON

Art Ask Matter Praise Style
Calumnies are answered best with silence.
BEN JONSON

Advice Silence
A good king is a public servant.
BEN JONSON

Good King Kings Servant
No man so wise that he may not easily err if he takes no other counsel than his own. He that is taught only by himself has a fool for a master.
BEN JONSON

Easily May Men Taught Wise
O, for an engine, to keep back all clocks, or make the sun forget his motion!
BEN JONSON

Forget Sun Time
Vice Is like a fury to the vicious mind, And turns delight itself to punishment.
BEN JONSON

Mind Punishment Vices
Still to be neat, still to be drest, As you were going to a feast, Still to be powder’d, all perfum’d. Lady, it is to be presumed, Though art’s hid causes are not found, All is not sweet, all is not sound.
BEN JONSON

Art Causes Drest Near Sweet
Hang sorrow, care’ll kill a cat.
BEN JONSON

Care Cat Sorrow
The day For whose returns, and many, all these pray; And so do I.
BEN JONSON

Birthday Praying Return
Success produces confidence; confidence relaxes industry, and negligence ruins the reputation which accuracy had raised.
BEN JONSON

Relax Reputation Ruins
How Fortune piles her sports when she begins to practise them!
BEN JONSON

Fortune Practise Sports

God wisheth none should wreck on a strange shelf: To him man’s dearer than to himself.

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God wisheth none should wreck on a strange shelf: To him man’s dearer than to himself.

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Popular Authors

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