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O freedom, first delight of human kind!

John Dryden

Tis a good thing to laugh at any rate; and if a straw can tickle a man, it is an instrument of happiness.
JOHN DRYDEN

Goodness Happiness Instrument Laughter Man Rate
For all the happiness mankind can gain Is not in pleasure, but in rest from pain.
JOHN DRYDEN

Happiness Kind Man Sadness
Nothing to build, and all things to destroy.
JOHN DRYDEN

Build Destroy
Much malice mingled with a little wit Perhaps may censure this mysterious writ.
JOHN DRYDEN

Infidelity Mysterious Thinking
For Art may err, but Nature cannot miss.
JOHN DRYDEN

Art Miss Mistake Nature
A happy genius is the gift of nature.
JOHN DRYDEN

Genius Gift Happy Nature
Pity only on fresh objects stays, but with the tedious sight of woes decays.
JOHN DRYDEN

Fresh Object Pity Sight
Bold knaves thrive without one grain of sense, But good men starve for want of impudence.
JOHN DRYDEN

Bold Goodness Starve
Time glides with undiscover’d haste; The future but a length behind the past.
JOHN DRYDEN

Discover Future Glide Haste Length Past
Honor is but an empty bubble.
JOHN DRYDEN

Empty Respect
All things are subject to decay and when fate summons, monarchs must obey.
JOHN DRYDEN

Decay Monarch Obedience Subject
Faith is to believe what you do not yet see: the reward for this faith is to see what you believe. Thus all below is strength, and all above is grace.
JOHN DRYDEN

Believe Faith Grace Reward See Strength
All delays are dangerous in war.
JOHN DRYDEN

Dangerous Delay War
There is a proud modesty in merit.
JOHN DRYDEN

Advantage Modesty Proud
For they can conquer who believe they can.
JOHN DRYDEN

Believe Conquer
They first condemn that first advised the ill.
JOHN DRYDEN

Advise Sick
Nor is the people’s judgment always true: the most may err as grossly as the few.
JOHN DRYDEN

Judgment People True
Luxurious kings are to their people lost, They live like drones, upon the public cost.
JOHN DRYDEN

Live Lost Luxury People Public
Swift was the race, but short the time to run.
JOHN DRYDEN

Race Run Swift Time
Repartee is the soul of conversation.
JOHN DRYDEN

Conversation One Liner Soul
Him of the western dome, whose weighty sense Flows in fit words and heavenly eloquence.
JOHN DRYDEN

Elegant Flower Heaven Western
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
Silence in times of suffering is the best.
JOHN DRYDEN

Best Silence Suffering Time
He who would search for pearls must dive below.
JOHN DRYDEN

Himself Pearl Search
Imagining is in itself the very height and life of poetry, which, by a kind of enthusiasm or extraordinary emotion of the soul, makes it seem to us that we behold those things which the poet paints.
JOHN DRYDEN

Emotion Enthusiasm Height Imagination Paint Poet Soul
But how can finite grasp Infinity?
JOHN DRYDEN

Finite Grasp Infinity
Beware of the fury of the patient man.
JOHN DRYDEN

Beware Man Patience

O freedom, first delight of human kind!

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O freedom, first delight of human kind!

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