black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

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

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
I have no urns, no dusty monuments; No broken images of ancestors, Wanting an ear, or nose; no forged tales Of long descents, to boast false honors from.
BEN JONSON

Broken Honor Long
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
For a man to write well, there are required three necessaries: to read the best authors, observe the best speakers, and much exercise of his own style.
BEN JONSON

Exercise Men Writing
How Fortune piles her sports when she begins to practise them!
BEN JONSON

Fortune Practise Sports
Let those that merely talk and never think, That live in the wild anarchy of drink
BEN JONSON

Anarchy Drinking Thinking
Great honours are great burdens, but on whom They are cast with envy, he doth bear two loads.
BEN JONSON

Envy Honor Two
The pipe marks the point at which the orangutan ends and man begins.
BEN JONSON

Men Smoking
The way to rise is to obey and please.
BEN JONSON

Please Success Way
I would rather have a plain down-right wisdom than a foolish and affected eloquence.
BEN JONSON

Affected Eloquence Foolish
Court a mistress, she denies you; let her alone, she will court you.
BEN JONSON

Court Deny Mistress
A thankful man owes a courtesy ever; the unthankful but when he needs it.
BEN JONSON

Gratitude Men Needs
Memory, of all the powers of the mind, is the most delicate and frail.
BEN JONSON

Frail Memories Mind
Well, I will scourge those apes, And to these courteous eyes oppose a mirror, As large as is the stage whereon we act; Where they shall see the time’s deformity Anatomised in every nerve, and sinew, With constant courage, and contempt of fear.
BEN JONSON

Act Apes Courage Eye Mirror Time
He that is respectless in his courses oft sells his reputation at cheap market.
BEN JONSON

Courses Reputation Sells
Whom hatred frights, let him not dream of sovereignty.
BEN JONSON

Dream Hate Hatred
Out of clothes out of countenance, out of countenance out of wit.
BEN JONSON

Clothes Countenance Wit
I have discovered that a famed familiarity in great ones is a note of certain usurpation on the less; for great and popular men feign themselves to be servants to others to make those slaves to them.
BEN JONSON

Men Popularity Slave
Language most shows a man, speak that I may see thee.
BEN JONSON

Leadership May Men
Peace is never more than one thought away.
BEN JONSON

Away Harmony More Peace
Poets are far rarer birds than kings.
BEN JONSON

Bird Kings Poet
I glory, more in the cunning purchase of my wealth than in the glad possession.
BEN JONSON

Glory Greed Wealth
Let argument bear no unmusical sound.
BEN JONSON

Argument Bears Sound
A good life is a main argument.
BEN JONSON

Argument Good Inspirational Life
The poet is the nearest borderer upon the orator.
BEN JONSON

Orators Oratory Poet
Cares that have entered once in the breast, will have whole possession of the rest.
BEN JONSON

Anxiety Care Possession
The soul of man is infinite in what it covets.
BEN JONSON

Infinite Men Soul

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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Ben Jonson Quotes