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Calumnies are answered best with silence.

Ben Jonson

When a virtuous man is raised, it brings gladness to his friends, grief to his enemies, and glory to his posterity.
BEN JONSON

Enemy Grief Men
Forbear, you things That stand upon the pinnacles of state, To boast your slippery height! when you do fall, You dash yourselves in pieces, ne’er to rise: And he that lends you pity, is not wise.
BEN JONSON

Boast Fall Pieces Wise
Art hath an enemy call’d ignorance .
BEN JONSON

Art Enemy Ignorance
A lily of a day Is fairer far in May, Although it fall and die that night, It was the plant and flower of light. In small proportions we just beauties see, And in short measures life may perfect be.
BEN JONSON

Die Fall Flower Night Proportion
Give me a look, give me a face, That makes simplicity a grace Robes loosely flowing, hair as free Such sweet neglect more taketh me Than all the adulteries of art: They strike mine eyes, but not my heart.
BEN JONSON

Art Eye Neglect Simplicity Sweet
He was not of an age, but for all time!
BEN JONSON

Age Time
Woman, the more careful she is about her face, the more careless about her house.
BEN JONSON

Faces Home House
And where she went, the flowers took thickest root, As she had sow’d them with her odorous foot.
BEN JONSON

Feet Flower Roots
Memory, of all the powers of the mind, is the most delicate and frail.
BEN JONSON

Frail Memories Mind
Nothing is more short-lived than pride.
BEN JONSON

Live Pride Short
Where dost thou careless lie, Buried in ease and sloth? Knowledge that sleeps, doth die; And this security, It is the common moth, That eats on wits and arts, and oft destroys them both.
BEN JONSON

Art Common Lying Security Sleep
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
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
A prince without letters is a Pilot without eyes. All his government is groping.
BEN JONSON

Eye Government Letter
He who is taught only by himself has a fool for a master.
BEN JONSON

Art Fool Inspirational
The man that is once hated, both his good and his evil deeds oppress him.
BEN JONSON

Evil Hate Men Oppress

Calumnies are answered best with silence.

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Calumnies are answered best with silence.

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