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The way to rise is to obey and please.

Ben Jonson

Princes that would their people should do well Must at themselves begin, as at the head; For men, by their example, pattern out Their limitations, and regard of laws: A virtuous court a world to virtue draws.
BEN JONSON

Example Law Men Patteren People
They, who know no evil, will suspect none.
BEN JONSON

Evil Knows Suspect
He was not of an age, but for all time!
BEN JONSON

Age Time
Whom hatred frights, let him not dream of sovereignty.
BEN JONSON

Dream Hate Hatred
Cut Men’s throats with whisperings.
BEN JONSON

Cutting Men Whispering
I do honor the very flea of his dog.
BEN JONSON

Dog Hero Honor
I glory, more in the cunning purchase of my wealth than in the glad possession.
BEN JONSON

Glory Greed Wealth
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
[The play] is like to be a very conceited scurvy one, in plain English.
BEN JONSON

Conceited English Plain Play
Follow a shadow, it still flies you, Seem to fly, it will pursue: So court a mistress, she denies you; Let her alone, she will court you. Say are not women truly, then, Styled but the shadows of us men?
BEN JONSON

Men Mistress Shadow
That I might live alone once with my gold! O, ’tis a sweet companion! kind and true: A man may trust it when his father cheats him, Brother, or friend, or wife. O wondrous pelf! That which makes all men false, is true itself.
BEN JONSON

Alone Brother Companions Money Sweet
Soul of the age! The applause! delight! The wonder of our stage!
BEN JONSON

Age Delight Soul Wonder
Very few men are wise by their own council, or learned by their own teaching. For he that was only taught by himself, had a fool for a master.
BEN JONSON

Men Teaching Wise
I perceive affection makes a fool Of any man too much the father.
BEN JONSON

Father Men Parent
For he that once is good, is ever great.
BEN JONSON

Good Greatness Once
The soul of man is infinite in what it covets.
BEN JONSON

Infinite Men Soul
Mischiefs feed / Like beasts, till they be fat, and then they bleed.
BEN JONSON

Beast Fats Mischief
It is virtue that gives glory; that will endenizen a man everywhere.
BEN JONSON

Giving Men Virtue
How ready is heaven to those that pray!
BEN JONSON

Heaven Prayer Praying
For they have the authority of years, and out of their intermission do win to themselves a kind of grace-like newness. But the eldest of the present, and newest of the past Language, is the best.
BEN JONSON

Intermission Newest Present Themselves
Ready writing makes not good writing, but good writing brings on ready writing.
BEN JONSON

Good Ready Writing
Art hath an enemy call’d ignorance .
BEN JONSON

Art Enemy Ignorance
I know no disease of the soul but ignorance, a pernicious evil, the darkener of man’s life, the disturber of his reason, and common confounder of truth.
BEN JONSON

Ignorance Men Science
Let argument bear no unmusical sound.
BEN JONSON

Argument Bears Sound
A good dog deserves a good bone.
BEN JONSON

Bones Canine Dog
Ambition makes more trusty slaves than need
BEN JONSON

Ambition Needs Slave
Force works on servile natures, not the free.
BEN JONSON

Force Free Nature Servile

The way to rise is to obey and please.

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The way to rise is to obey and please.

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