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Much malice mingled with a little wit Perhaps may censure this mysterious writ.

John Dryden

Three poets, in three distant ages born, Greece, Italy, and England did adorn. The first in loftiness of thought surpass’d; The next, in majesty; in both the last. The force of Nature could no further go; To make a third, she join’d the former two.
JOHN DRYDEN

Age Distant Force Herself Nature Poet
It is a madness to make fortune the mistress of events, because in herself she is nothing, can rule nothing, but is ruled by prudence.
JOHN DRYDEN

Fortune Madness Prudence Rule
Take not away the life you cannot give: For all things have an equal right to live.
JOHN DRYDEN

Equality Life Live Right
Courage from hearts and not from numbers grows.
JOHN DRYDEN

Courage Growth Heart
But Shakespeare’s magic could not copied be; Within that circle none durst walk but he.
JOHN DRYDEN

Himself Magic Walk
Love is love’s reward.
JOHN DRYDEN

Love One Liner Reward
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
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
We must beat the iron while it is hot, but we may polish it at leisure.
JOHN DRYDEN

Chance Hot Iron Leisure
All flowers will droop in the absence of the sun that waked their sweets.
JOHN DRYDEN

Absence Flower Sun Sweet Wake Up
No government has ever been, or can ever be, wherein time-servers and blockheads will not be uppermost.
JOHN DRYDEN

Block Government Time
A farce is that in poetry which grotesque (caricature) is in painting. The persons and actions of a farce are all unnatural, and the manners false, that is, inconsistent with the characters of mankind; and grotesque painting is the just resemblance of this.
JOHN DRYDEN

Character Kind Man Natural Painting Person Poetry
All heiresses are beautiful.
JOHN DRYDEN

Beautiful One Liner
Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today: 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

Live Myself Past Power Rain Shine Worst
If you have lived, take thankfully the past. Make, as you can, the sweet remembrance last.
JOHN DRYDEN

Live Past Remember Thankful
Politicians neither love nor hate.
JOHN DRYDEN

Hate Love Politics

Much malice mingled with a little wit Perhaps may censure this mysterious writ.

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Much malice mingled with a little wit Perhaps may censure this mysterious writ.

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Popular Authors

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