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He has not learned the first lesson of life who does not every day surmount a fear.

John Dryden

The thought of being nothing after death is a burden insupportable to a virtuous man.
JOHN DRYDEN

Death Man Thinking Virtue
Time glides with undiscover’d haste; The future but a length behind the past.
JOHN DRYDEN

Discover Future Glide Haste Length Past
Fool that I was, upon my eagle’s wings I bore this wren, till I was tired with soaring, and now he mounts above me.
JOHN DRYDEN

Eagle Fools Mount Myself Wings
All objects lose by too familiar a view.
JOHN DRYDEN

Familiar Lose Object View
Be fair, or foul, or rain, or shine, The joys I have possessed, in spite of fate, are mine. Not heaven itself upon the past has power; But what has been, has been, and I have had my hour.
JOHN DRYDEN

Fair Fate Myself Possession Rain Shine Time
Swift was the race, but short the time to run.
JOHN DRYDEN

Race Run Swift Time
A woman’s counsel brought us first to woe, And made her man his paradise forego, Where at heart’s ease he liv’d; and might have been As free from sorrow as he was from sin.
JOHN DRYDEN

Himself Man Paradise Sin Sorrow Woman
He was exhaled; his great Creator drew His spirit, as the sun the morning dew.
JOHN DRYDEN

Creation Dew Greatness Himself Morning Spirit
Since every man who lives is born to die, And none can boast sincere felicity, With equal mind, what happens, let us bear, Nor joy nor grieve too much for things beyond our care. Like pilgrims to the’ appointed place we tend; The world’s an inn, and death the journey’s end.
JOHN DRYDEN

Boast Born Death End Journey Live Man Place Sincere
None, none descends into himself, to find The secret imperfections of his mind: But every one is eagle-ey’d to see Another’s faults, and his deformity.
JOHN DRYDEN

Finding Himself Imperfection Mistake Secret
Revenge, revenge, Timotheus cries, See the Furies arise!
JOHN DRYDEN

Fury Revenge See
As one that neither seeks, nor shuns his foe.
JOHN DRYDEN

Enemy One Liner Seek Shine
The love of liberty with life is given, And life itself the inferior gift of Heaven.
JOHN DRYDEN

Gift Heaven Liberty Life Love
Virtue is her own reward.
JOHN DRYDEN

One Liner Reward Virtue
Great souls forgive not injuries till time has put their enemies within their power, that they may show forgiveness is their own.
JOHN DRYDEN

Enemy Forgiveness Greatness Injury Power Soul Time
A happy genius is the gift of nature.
JOHN DRYDEN

Genius Gift Happy Nature
Sweet is pleasure after pain.
JOHN DRYDEN

Pain Pleasure Sweet
Time and death shall depart and say in flying Love has found out a way to live, by dying.
JOHN DRYDEN

Death Finding Love Time Way
Reason is a crutch for age, but youth is strong enough to walk alone.
JOHN DRYDEN

Age Alone Enough Reason Strong Walk Youth
Our vows are heard betimes! and Heaven takes care To grant, before we can conclude the prayer: Preventing angels met it half the way, And sent us back to praise, who came to pray.
JOHN DRYDEN

Heaven Praise Prayer Promise
Confidence is the feeling we have before knowing all the facts.
JOHN DRYDEN

Confidence Fact Known
God never made his work for man to mend.
JOHN DRYDEN

God Man Mend Work
Seas are the fields of combat for the winds; but when they sweep along some flowery coast, their wings move mildly, and their rage is lost.
JOHN DRYDEN

Lost Mild Rage Sea Wind
For those whom God to ruin has design’d, He fits for fate, and first destroys their mind.
JOHN DRYDEN

Design God Mindset Ruin
What precious drops are those, Which silently each other’s track pursue, Bright as young diamonds in their faint dew?
JOHN DRYDEN

Dew Precious Pursue Track Young
Content with poverty, my soul I arm; And virtue, though in rags, will keep me warm.
JOHN DRYDEN

Myself Poverty Soul Virtue Warm
Virtue in distress, and vice in triumph make atheists of mankind.
JOHN DRYDEN

Kind Man Vice Virtue

He has not learned the first lesson of life who does not every day surmount a fear.

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He has not learned the first lesson of life who does not every day surmount a fear.

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