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

Ben Jonson

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

Communication Motivational Wise
A good life is a main argument.
BEN JONSON

Argument Good Inspirational Life
Fortune, thou hadst no deity, if men Had wisdom.
BEN JONSON

Fortune Men
O! How vain and vile a passion is this fear! What base uncomely things it makes men do.
BEN JONSON

Fear Men Passion
Get money, still get money, boy, no matter by what means.
BEN JONSON

Boys Mean Money
Fear to do base, unworthy things is valor; if they be one to us, to suffer them is valor too.
BEN JONSON

Courage Suffering Valor
Forbear, you things That stand upon the pinnacles of state, To boast your slippery height! when you do fall, You dash yourselves in pieces, ne’er to rise: And he that lends you pity, is not wise.
BEN JONSON

Boast Fall Pieces Wise
To men pressed by their wants all change is ever welcome.
BEN JONSON

Change Men Want Welcome
A good dog deserves a good bone.
BEN JONSON

Bones Canine Dog
Ambition makes more trusty slaves than need
BEN JONSON

Ambition Needs Slave
One woman reads another’s character Without the tedious trouble of deciphering
BEN JONSON

Character Trouble Women
Ready writing makes not good writing, but good writing brings on ready writing.
BEN JONSON

Good Ready Writing
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
Your highest female grace is silence.
BEN JONSON

Female Grace Silence
The dignity of truth is lost with much protesting.
BEN JONSON

Dignity Life Losing
It is an art to have so much judgment as to apparel a lie well, to give it a good dressing.
BEN JONSON

Art Giving Lying
The Devil is an Ass , I do acknowledge it.
BEN JONSON

Acknowledge Ass Devil
The soul of man is infinite in what it covets.
BEN JONSON

Infinite Men Soul
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
A valiant man Ought not to undergo, or tempt a danger, But worthily, and by selected ways, He undertakes with reason, not by chance. His valor is the salt t’ his other virtues, They’re all unseason’d without it.
BEN JONSON

Men Salt Way
There is no doctrine will do good where nature is wanting.
BEN JONSON

Creeds Doctrine Good Waiting
Thy praise or dispraise is to me alike; One doth not stroke me, nor the other strike.
BEN JONSON

Praise Strikes Strokes
You are not now to think what’s best to do, As in beginnings, but what must be done, Being thus enter’d; and slip no advantage That may secure you. Let them call it mischief; When it is past, and prosper’d , ’twill be virtue.
BEN JONSON

Mischief Past Virtue
Whosoever loves not picture is injurious to truth, and all the wisdom of poetry. Picture is the invention of heaven, the most ancient and most akin to nature. It is itself a silent work, and always one and the same habit.
BEN JONSON

Ancient Heaven Silent
He that would have his virtue published, is not the servant of virtue, but glory.
BEN JONSON

Glory Servant Virtue
Books are faithful repositories, which may be awhile neglected or forgotten, but when they are opened again, will again impart their instruction.
BEN JONSON

Book Faithful May
For whose sake, henceforth, all his vows be such, As what he loves may never like too much.
BEN JONSON

Love May Sake

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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