black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

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

Ben Jonson

Soul of the age! The applause! delight! The wonder of our stage!
BEN JONSON

Age Delight Soul Wonder
Of all wild beasts preserve me from a tyrant; and of all tame a flatterer.
BEN JONSON

Beast Flattery Tyrant
I perceive affection makes a fool Of any man too much the father.
BEN JONSON

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

Men Smoking
True melancholy breeds your perfect fine wit.
BEN JONSON

Fine Melancholy Perfect Wit
I feel my griefs too, and there scarce is ground Upon my flesh t’inflict another wound. Yet dare I not complain, or wish for death With holy Paul; lest it be thought the breath Of discontent; or that these prayers be For weariness of life, not love of thee.
BEN JONSON

Another Grief Prayer Weariness Wish Wound
There is no bounty to be showed to such As have real goodness: Bounty is A spice of virtue; and what virtuous act Can take effect on them that have no power Of equal habitude to apprehend it?
BEN JONSON

Real Spices Virtue
Men that talk of their own benefits are not believed to talk of them because they have done them, but to have done them because they might talk of them.
BEN JONSON

Benefits Done Men
Great honours are great burdens, but on whom They are cast with envy, he doth bear two loads.
BEN JONSON

Envy Honor Two
To men pressed by their wants all change is ever welcome.
BEN JONSON

Change Men Want Welcome
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
How ready is heaven to those that pray!
BEN JONSON

Heaven Prayer Praying
Confound these ancestors… They’ve stolen our best ideas!
BEN JONSON

Funny Humor Ideas
True happiness consists not in the multitude of friends, but in the worth and choice.
BEN JONSON

Friendship Happiness Positive
Ready writing makes not good writing, but good writing brings on ready writing.
BEN JONSON

Good Ready Writing
Give me a look, give me a face, That makes simplicity a grace Robes loosely flowing, hair as free Such sweet neglect more taketh me Than all the adulteries of art: They strike mine eyes, but not my heart.
BEN JONSON

Art Eye Neglect Simplicity Sweet

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

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

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Popular Authors

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