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Tis the common disease of all your musicians that they know no mean, to be entreated, either to begin or end.

Ben Jonson

If you be sick, your own thoughts make you sick
BEN JONSON

Illness Neurosis Sick
The soul of man is infinite in what it covets.
BEN JONSON

Infinite Men Soul
I remember, the players have often mentioned it as an honour to Shakespeare, that in his writing (whatsoever he penned) he never plotted out a line. My answer hath been, would he had blotted a thousand.
BEN JONSON

Answer Lines Mention Penend Player Writing
Court a mistress, she denies you; let her alone, she will court you.
BEN JONSON

Court Deny Mistress
[The play] is like to be a very conceited scurvy one, in plain English.
BEN JONSON

Conceited English Plain Play
Tell troth and shame the devil.
BEN JONSON

Devil Shame Truth
The poet is the nearest borderer upon the orator.
BEN JONSON

Orators Oratory Poet
Spread yourself upon his bosom publicly, whose heart you would eat in private.
BEN JONSON

Heart Hypocrisy Spread
True gladness doth not always speak; joy, bred and born but in the tongue, is weak.
BEN JONSON

Joy Speak Tongue
The voice so sweet, the words so fair, As some soft chime had stroked the air; And though the sound had parted thence, Still left an echo in the sense.
BEN JONSON

Air Echoes Parted Sweet Thence
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
Affliction teacheth a wicked person sometime to pray; prosperity never.
BEN JONSON

Affliction Person Prayer Wicked
The way to rise is to obey and please.
BEN JONSON

Please Success Way
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
Nor use too swelling, or ill-sounded words . . . .
BEN JONSON

Sounded Swelling Use Words
Money never made any man rich, but his mind. He that can order himself to the law of nature, is not only without the sense, but the fear of poverty.
BEN JONSON

Law Men Mind Order Sense

Tis the common disease of all your musicians that they know no mean, to be entreated, either to begin or end.

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Tis the common disease of all your musicians that they know no mean, to be entreated, either to begin or end.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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