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And he that strives to touch the stars Oft stumbles at a straw.

Edmund Spenser

Man’s wretched state, That floures so fresh at morne, and fades at evening late.
EDMUND SPENSER

Evening Fade Fresh Man Morning Taste
All for love, and nothing for reward.
EDMUND SPENSER

Love Reward
Who would ever care to do brave deed, Or strive in virtue others to excel, If none should yield him his deserved meed Due praise, that is the spur of doing well? For if good were not praised more than ill, None would choose goodness of his own free will.
EDMUND SPENSER

Action Brave Care Deserve Excellence Freedom Goodness Praise Virtue Willing
For that which all men then did virtue call, Is now called vice; and that which vice was hight, Is now hight virtue, and so used of all: Right now is wrong, and wrong that was is right.
EDMUND SPENSER

Call Man Myself Right Virtue Wrong
Her angel’s face, As the great eye of heaven shined bright, And made a sunshine in the shady place.
EDMUND SPENSER

Angel Eyes Face Greatness Place Sunshine
Through knowledge we behold the world’s creation, How in his cradle first he fostered was; And judge of Nature’s cunning operation, How things she formed of a formless mass.
EDMUND SPENSER

Creation Form Herself Judgement Knowledge Nature Operation World
For if good were not praised more than ill, None would choose goodness of his own free will.
EDMUND SPENSER

Choice Freedom Goodness Praise Sick Willing
A circle cannot fill a triangle, so neither can the whole world, if it were to be compassed, the heart of man; a man may as easily fill a chest with grace as the heart with gold. The air fills not the body, neither doth money the covetous mind of man.
EDMUND SPENSER

Body Easy Gold Heart Man Mindset World
Sweet breathing Zephyrus did softly play, A gentle spirit, that lightly did delay Hot Titan’s beams, which then did glister fair.
EDMUND SPENSER

Breathe Fair Light Play Soft Spirit Sweet
The noblest mind the best contentment has.
EDMUND SPENSER

Best Contentment Mindset Noble One Liner
So let us love, dear Love, like as we ought; Love is the lesson which the Lord us taught.
EDMUND SPENSER

Lesson Love Teaching
Woe to the man that first did teach the cursed steel to bite in his own flesh, and make way to the living spirit!
EDMUND SPENSER

Flesh Live Man Spirit Teaching Yourself
For easy things, that may be got at will, Most sorts of men do set but little store.
EDMUND SPENSER

Easy Man Willing
So passeth, in the passing of a day, Of mortal life the leaf, the bud, the flower.
EDMUND SPENSER

Day Flower Life Mortal Pass
And painful pleasure turns to pleasing pain.
EDMUND SPENSER

Happiness Pain
For next to Death is Sleepe to be compared; Therefore his house is unto his annext: Here Sleepe, ther Richesse, and hel-gate them both betwext.
EDMUND SPENSER

Compare Death Help Home Sleep

And he that strives to touch the stars Oft stumbles at a straw.

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And he that strives to touch the stars Oft stumbles at a straw.

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