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A prince without letters is a Pilot without eyes. All his government is groping.

Ben Jonson

… the best pilots have need of mariners, besides sails, anchor and other tackle.
BEN JONSON

Anchors Needs Sea
Calumnies are answered best with silence.
BEN JONSON

Advice Silence
Mischiefs feed / Like beasts, till they be fat, and then they bleed.
BEN JONSON

Beast Fats Mischief
Success produces confidence; confidence relaxes industry, and negligence ruins the reputation which accuracy had raised.
BEN JONSON

Relax Reputation Ruins
Cares that have entered once in the breast, will have whole possession of the rest.
BEN JONSON

Anxiety Care Possession
It strikes! one, two, Three, four, five, six. Enough, enough, dear watch, Thy pulse hath beat enough. Now sleep and rest; Would thou could’st make the time to do so too; I’ll wind thee up no more.
BEN JONSON

Enough Pulse Sleep Time Wind
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 would rather have a plain down-right wisdom than a foolish and affected eloquence.
BEN JONSON

Affected Eloquence Foolish
To speak and to speak well are two things. A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks.
BEN JONSON

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

Father Men Parent
Who will not judge him worthy to be robbed That sets his doors wide open to a thief, And shows the felon where his treasure lies?
BEN JONSON

Doors Judgment Lying Treasure
In the hope to meet Shortly again, and make our absence sweet.
BEN JONSON

Absence Hope Love Miss Sweet
Passions are spiritual rebels and raise sedition against the understanding.
BEN JONSON

Passion Spiritual Understanding
The world knows only two, that’s Rome and I.
BEN JONSON

Conceited Fools Rome Two
How Fortune piles her sports when she begins to practise them!
BEN JONSON

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

Past Winning Years
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
A thankful man owes a courtesy ever; the unthankful but when he needs it.
BEN JONSON

Gratitude Men Needs
How ready is heaven to those that pray!
BEN JONSON

Heaven Prayer Praying
Many punishments sometimes, and in some cases, as much discredit a prince as many funerals a physician.
BEN JONSON

Funeral Physicians Punishment
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
Ambition, like a torrent, never looks back.
BEN JONSON

Ambition Inspiration Looks
Ambition makes more trusty slaves than need
BEN JONSON

Ambition Needs Slave
The poet is the nearest borderer upon the orator.
BEN JONSON

Orators Oratory Poet
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
To struggle when hope is banished! To live when life’s salt is gone! To dwell in a dream that’s vanished- To endure, and go calmly on!
BEN JONSON

Dream Life Struggle Vanish
There is no doctrine will do good where nature is wanting.
BEN JONSON

Creeds Doctrine Good Waiting

A prince without letters is a Pilot without eyes. All his government is groping.

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A prince without letters is a Pilot without eyes. All his government is groping.

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