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So much more profitable and gracious is doctrine by example than by rule.

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
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
What more felicity can fall to creature, than to enjoy delight with liberty?
EDMUND SPENSER

Creature Enjoyment Fall Liberty
How many perils doe enfold The righteous man to make him daily fall.
EDMUND SPENSER

Adversity Fall Flower Right
Fresh spring the herald of love’s mighty king.
EDMUND SPENSER

King Love Spring
Such is the power of love in gentle mind, That it can alter all the course of kind.
EDMUND SPENSER

Inspirational Love Power
This iron world bungs down the stoutest hearts to lowest state; for misery doth bravest minds abate.
EDMUND SPENSER

Heart Mindset Misery World
Beauty is not, as fond men misdeem, an outward show of things that only seem.
EDMUND SPENSER

Appearance Beautiful Man Philosophy
All sorts of flowers the which on earth do spring In goodly colours gloriously arrayed; Go to my love, where she is careless laid.
EDMUND SPENSER

Color Earth Flower Glory Goodness Herself Love Spring
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
All that in this delightful garden grows should happy be and have immortal bliss.
EDMUND SPENSER

Blissful Delight Garden Growth Happiness Immortal
But angels come to lead frail minds to rest in chaste desires, on heavenly beauty bound. You frame my thoughts, and fashion me within; you stop my tongue, and teach my heart to speak.
EDMUND SPENSER

Angel Desire Fashion Heart Leadership Stop Talk Teaching
Ill can he rule the great that cannot reach the small.
EDMUND SPENSER

Greatness Myself Reach Rule
For there is nothing lost, that may be found, if sought.
EDMUND SPENSER

Advice Lost Philosophy
All for love, and nothing for reward.
EDMUND SPENSER

Love Reward
Unhappie Verse, the witnesse of my unhappie state, Make thy selfe fluttring wings of thy fast flying Thought.
EDMUND SPENSER

Fly Happiness Thinking Wings
For since mine eyes your joyous sight did miss, my cheerful day is turned to cheerless night.
EDMUND SPENSER

Eyes Joy Missing Night
The gentle minde by gentle deeds is knowne.
EDMUND SPENSER

Action Gentle Mindset
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
Men, when their actions succeed not as they would, are always ready to impute the blame thereof to heaven, so as to excuse their own follies.
EDMUND SPENSER

Action Blame Heaven Man Success
But times do change and move continually.
EDMUND SPENSER

Change Move Time
All flesh doth frailty breed!
EDMUND SPENSER

Body Flesh Fragile
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 he that strives to touch the stars Oft stumbles at a straw.
EDMUND SPENSER

Fall Stars Strike Touch
And painful pleasure turns to pleasing pain.
EDMUND SPENSER

Happiness Pain
Good is no good, but if it be spend, God giveth good for none other end.
EDMUND SPENSER

End God Goodness

So much more profitable and gracious is doctrine by example than by rule.

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So much more profitable and gracious is doctrine by example than by rule.

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Popular Authors

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