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Princes that would their people should do well Must at themselves begin, as at the head; For men, by their example, pattern out Their limitations, and regard of laws: A virtuous court a world to virtue draws.

Ben Jonson

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
Who casts to write a living line, must sweat.
BEN JONSON

Lines Sweat Writing
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
Ready writing makes not good writing, but good writing brings on ready writing.
BEN JONSON

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

Fear Men Passion
There is no doctrine will do good where nature is wanting.
BEN JONSON

Creeds Doctrine Good Waiting
And where she went, the flowers took thickest root, As she had sow’d them with her odorous foot.
BEN JONSON

Feet Flower Roots
He threatens many that hath injured one.
BEN JONSON

Crime Injured Threaten
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
Success hath made me wanton.
BEN JONSON

Hath Made Success Wanton
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
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
Folly often goes beyond her bounds, but impudence knows none.
BEN JONSON

Folly Impudence Rudeness
I have been at my book; and am now past the craggy paths of study, and come to the flowery plains of honour and reputation
BEN JONSON

Education Inspirational Past
Sweet Swan of Avon! What a sight it were To see thee in our water yet appear.
BEN JONSON

Sight Swans Sweet
The world knows only two, that’s Rome and I.
BEN JONSON

Conceited Fools Rome Two
Of all wild beasts preserve me from a tyrant; and of all tame a flatterer.
BEN JONSON

Beast Flattery Tyrant
I would rather have a plain down-right wisdom than a foolish and affected eloquence.
BEN JONSON

Affected Eloquence Foolish
Calumnies are answered best with silence.
BEN JONSON

Advice Silence
Whom the disease of talking still once posses-seth, he can never hold his peace.
BEN JONSON

Disease Talking
Tell troth and shame the devil.
BEN JONSON

Devil Shame Truth
For a man to write well, there are required three necessaries: to read the best authors, observe the best speakers, and much exercise of his own style.
BEN JONSON

Exercise Men Writing
It is the highest of earthly honors to be descended from the great and good. They alone cry out against a noble ancestry who have none of their own.
BEN JONSON

Ancestry Honor Noble
It strikes! one, two, Three, four, five, six. Enough, enough, dear watch, Thy pulse hath beat enough. Now sleep and rest; Would thou could’st make the time to do so too; I’ll wind thee up no more.
BEN JONSON

Enough Pulse Sleep Time Wind
It holds for good polity ever, to have that outwardly in vilest estimation, which inwardly is most dear to us.
BEN JONSON

Dear Estimation Hypocrisy
Drink to me only with thine eyes, And I will pledge with mine; Or leave a kiss but in the cup And I’ll not look for wine.
BEN JONSON

Food Romantic Wine
All the wise world is little else, in nature, But parasites or subparasites.
BEN JONSON

Little Wise World

Princes that would their people should do well Must at themselves begin, as at the head; For men, by their example, pattern out Their limitations, and regard of laws: A virtuous court a world to virtue draws.

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Princes that would their people should do well Must at themselves begin, as at the head; For men, by their example, pattern out Their limitations, and regard of laws: A virtuous court a world to virtue draws.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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