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Ambition, like a torrent, never looks back.

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
All discourses but my own afflict me; they seem harsh, impertinent, and irksome
BEN JONSON

Discourse Harsh Speech
The day For whose returns, and many, all these pray; And so do I.
BEN JONSON

Birthday Praying Return
A good poet’s made as well as born.
BEN JONSON

Born Made Poet
Let those that merely talk and never think, That live in the wild anarchy of drink
BEN JONSON

Anarchy Drinking Thinking
Fortune, thou hadst no deity, if men Had wisdom.
BEN JONSON

Fortune Men
They, who know no evil, will suspect none.
BEN JONSON

Evil Knows Suspect
Many might go to heaven with half the labour they go to hell, if they would venture their industry the right way.
BEN JONSON

Half Heaven Venture
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
If all you boast of your great art be true; Sure, willing poverty lives most in you.
BEN JONSON

Art Being Poverty True
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
I do honor the very flea of his dog.
BEN JONSON

Dog Hero Honor
I am beholden to calumny, that she hath so endeavored to belie me.-It shall make me set a surer guard on myself, and keep a better watch upon my actions.
BEN JONSON

Action Calumny Watches
How Fortune piles her sports when she begins to practise them!
BEN JONSON

Fortune Practise Sports
He that departs with his own honesty For Vulgar , doth it too dearly buy.
BEN JONSON

Honesty Vulgar
For he that once is good, is ever great.
BEN JONSON

Good Greatness Once
Nor use too swelling, or ill-sounded words . . . .
BEN JONSON

Sounded Swelling Use Words
A good life is a main argument.
BEN JONSON

Argument Good Inspirational Life
I perceive affection makes a fool Of any man too much the father.
BEN JONSON

Father Men Parent
I would rather have a plain down-right wisdom than a foolish and affected eloquence.
BEN JONSON

Affected Eloquence Foolish
No simple word That shall be uttered at our mirthful board, Shall make us sad next morning; or affright The liberty that we’ll enjoy to-night.
BEN JONSON

Morning Regret Simple
Ambition, like a torrent, ne’er looks back; And is a swelling, and the last affection A high mind can put off; being both a rebel Unto the soul and reason, and enforceth All laws, all conscience, treads upon religion, and offereth violence to nature’s self.
BEN JONSON

Ambition Conscience Law Rebel Self Soul
Nor shall our cups make any guilty men; But at our parting, we will be, as when We innocently met.
BEN JONSON

Cup Drinking Men
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
In small proportions we just beauties see; And in short measures, life may perfect be.
BEN JONSON

June Life Perfect Summer
Popular men, They must create strange monsters, and then quell them, To make their arts seem something.
BEN JONSON

Art Men Monsters
He threatens many that hath injured one.
BEN JONSON

Crime Injured Threaten

Ambition, like a torrent, never looks back.

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Ambition, like a torrent, never looks back.

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