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Let those that merely talk and never think, That live in the wild anarchy of drink

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
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
If men will impartially, and not asquint, look toward the offices and function of a poet, they will easily conclude to themselves the impossibility of any man’s being a good poet without first being a good man.
BEN JONSON

Good Man Men Office
That old bald cheater, Time.
BEN JONSON

Bald Cheater Old Time
Good men but see death, the wicked taste it.
BEN JONSON

Death Good Man Men
It is virtue that gives glory; that will endenizen a man everywhere.
BEN JONSON

Giving Men Virtue
The pipe marks the point at which the orangutan ends and man begins.
BEN JONSON

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

Disease Mean Music
Art hath an enemy call’d ignorance .
BEN JONSON

Art Enemy Ignorance
Your highest female grace is silence.
BEN JONSON

Female Grace Silence
Nor use too swelling, or ill-sounded words . . . .
BEN JONSON

Sounded Swelling Use Words
Tis no sin love’s fruits to steal; But the sweet thefts to reveal; To be taken, to be seen, These have crimes accounted been.
BEN JONSON

Fruit Sweet Taken
Popular men, They must create strange monsters, and then quell them, To make their arts seem something.
BEN JONSON

Art Men Monsters
Weigh the meaning and look not at the words.
BEN JONSON

Looks Meaning Weigh
Chance will not do the work. Chance sends the breeze; But if the pilot slumber at the helm, The very wind that wafts us tow’rds the port May dash us on the shoals. The steersman’s part Is vigilance, or blow it rough or smooth.
BEN JONSON

Blow Slumber Wind
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

Let those that merely talk and never think, That live in the wild anarchy of drink

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Let those that merely talk and never think, That live in the wild anarchy of drink

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