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God wisheth none should wreck on a strange shelf: To him man’s dearer than to himself.

Ben Jonson

Nothing is more short-lived than pride.
BEN JONSON

Live Pride Short
My thoughts and I were of another world.
BEN JONSON

Another World Thoughts
Poor worms, they hiss at me, whilst I at home Can be contented to applaud myself, . . . with joy To see how plump my bags are and my barns.
BEN JONSON

Home Joy
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
I would rather have a plain down-right wisdom than a foolish and affected eloquence.
BEN JONSON

Affected Eloquence Foolish
For whose sake, henceforth, all his vows be such, As what he loves may never like too much.
BEN JONSON

Love May Sake
And where she went, the flowers took thickest root, As she had sow’d them with her odorous foot.
BEN JONSON

Feet Flower Roots
Truth is man’s proper good, and the only immortal thing was given to our mortality to use.
BEN JONSON

Men Truth Use
What excellent fools religion makes of men.
BEN JONSON

Men Religion Religious
If you be sick, your own thoughts make you sick
BEN JONSON

Illness Neurosis Sick
Nor shall our cups make any guilty men; But at our parting, we will be, as when We innocently met.
BEN JONSON

Cup Drinking Men
Popular men, They must create strange monsters, and then quell them, To make their arts seem something.
BEN JONSON

Art Men Monsters
The Devil is an Ass , I do acknowledge it.
BEN JONSON

Acknowledge Ass Devil
Great honours are great burdens, but on whom They are cast with envy, he doth bear two loads.
BEN JONSON

Envy Honor Two
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
There is no doctrine will do good where nature is wanting.
BEN JONSON

Creeds Doctrine Good Waiting
Ambition makes more trusty slaves than need
BEN JONSON

Ambition Needs Slave
Fortune, thou hadst no deity, if men Had wisdom.
BEN JONSON

Fortune Men
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
Drink today, and drown all sorrow; You shall perhaps not do it tomorrow; Best, while you have it, use your breath; There is no drinking after death.
BEN JONSON

Drinking Sorrow Use
Folly often goes beyond her bounds, but impudence knows none.
BEN JONSON

Folly Impudence Rudeness
A good life is a main argument.
BEN JONSON

Argument Good Inspirational Life
Success hath made me wanton.
BEN JONSON

Hath Made Success Wanton
There is no greater hell than to be a prisoner of fear.
BEN JONSON

Fear Hell No Prisoner
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
Whom the disease of talking still once posses-seth, he can never hold his peace.
BEN JONSON

Disease Talking
Minds that are great and free, should not on fortune pause: ‘Tis crown enough to virtue still, her own applause.
BEN JONSON

Applause Crowns Mind Virtue

God wisheth none should wreck on a strange shelf: To him man’s dearer than to himself.

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God wisheth none should wreck on a strange shelf: To him man’s dearer than to himself.

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Popular Authors

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