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John Dryden Quotes - Page 6

All Quotes Age Anger Art Beauty Bravery Character Children Confidence Conscience Country Crime Criticism Death Democracy Design Desire Devil Dying Evil Faith Fame Fate Fear Fighting Forgiveness Freedom Genius Giving Goodness Grace Guilt Happiness Harmony Heart Heaven Home Honor Imagination Imitation Inspirational Journey Joy Judging Judgment Language Learning Liberty Life Literature Love Lying Madness Mankind Music Nature Pain Painting Passion Past Peace Perfection Pleasure Poetry Poverty Power Praise Pride Rage Revenge Running Satire Science Silence Sin Son Sorrow Soul Study Suffering Time Today Trade Truth Understanding Virtue War Water Wife Wit Writing Youth

Boldness is a mask for fear, however great.

Boldness is a mask for fear, however great.

Fear, Boldness And Courage, Mask

A happy genius is the gift of nature.

Genius

John Dryden (1990). “The Works of John Dryden, Volume XX: Prose 1691-1698 De Arte Graphica and Shorter Works”, p.61, Univ of California Press

By education most have been misled; So they believe, because they were bred. The priest continues where the nurse began, And thus the child imposes on the man.

Children, Lying, Believe

'The Hind and the Panther' (1687) pt. 3, l. 389

I am as free as nature first made man, Ere the base laws of servitude began, When wild in woods the noble savage ran.

Freedom, Men, Law

The Conquest of Granada pt. 1, act 1, sc. 1 (1670)

Be slow to resolve, but quick in performance.

Resolve, Performances

While I am compassed round With mirth, my soul lies hid in shades of grief, Whence, like the bird of night, with half-shut eyes, She peeps, and sickens at the sight of day.

Lying, Grief, Eye

John Dryden (1701). “The Comedies, Tragedies, and Operas....: Now First Collected Together, and Corrected from the Roginals”, p.86

Presence of mind and courage in distress, Are more than arrives to procure success?

Military, Presence Of Mind, Mind

But when to sin our biased nature leans, The careful Devil is still at hand with means; And providently pimps for ill desires.

Mean, Hands, Pimp

1681 Absalom and Achitophel, pt.1, l.79-81.

Love is love's reward.

Love, Philosophy, Educational

John Dryden (1779). “The Works of the English Poets. With Prefaces, Biographical and Critical, by Samuel Johnson”, p.88

Beauty, like ice, our footing does betray; Who can tread sure on the smooth, slippery way: Pleased with the surface, we glide swiftly on, And see the dangers that we cannot shun.

Betrayal, Ice, Way

Go miser go, for money sell your soul. Trade wares for wares and trudge from pole to pole, So others may say when you are dead and gone. See what a vast estate he left his son.

War, Son, Soul

Let grace and goodness be the principal loadstone of thy affections. For love which hath ends, will have an end; whereas that which is founded on true virtue, will always continue.

Love, Grace, Literature

Courage from hearts and not from numbers grows.

Heart, Numbers, Grows

John Dryden (1808). “The Works of John Dryden: Now First Collected in Eighteen Volumes”, p.171

There is a pleasure in being mad, which none but madmen know.

Depression, Mad, Insanity

In pious times, ere priest-craft did begin, Before polygamy was made a sin; When man, on many, multipli'd his kind, Ere one to one was cursedly confin'd: When Nature prompted, and no Law deni'd Promiscuous use of concubine and bride; Then, Israel's monarch, after Heaven's own heart, His vigorous warmth did variously impart To wives and slaves: and, wide as his command, Scatter'd his Maker's image through the land.

Heart, Men, Israel

John Dryden, “Absalom And Achitophel”

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.

Women, Heart, Sorrow

John Dryden, C. B., Esquire Charles BATHURST (1852). “Selections from the poetry of Dryden, including his plays and translations. [The editor's preface signed: C. B., i.e. Charles Bathurst.]”, p.243

Reason is a crutch for age, but youth is strong enough to walk alone.

Birthday, Strong, Age

Sure there's contagion in the tears of friends.

Tears, Contagion

1678 All for Love, or The World Well Lost, act 1.

When I consider life, 'tis all a cheat; Yet, fooled with hope, men favour the deceit; Trust on, and think tomorrow will repay. Tomorrow's falser than the former day.

Life, Men, Thinking

John Dryden (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of John Dryden (Illustrated)”, p.2746, Delphi Classics

Beware the fury of a patient man.

Inspirational, Christian, Wise

'Absalom and Achitophel' (1681) pt. 1, l. 1005

Forgiveness to the injured does belong; but they ne'er pardon who have done wrong.

Forgiveness, Doe, Done

'The Conquest of Granada' (1670) pt. 2, act 1, sc. 2

The scum that rises upmost, when the nation boils.

Scum, Nations

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.

Stupid, Tired, Eagles

John Dryden (1808). “The works of John Dryden now first collected ...”, p.344

Few know the use of life before 'tis past.

Past, Use, Knows

John Dryden, Sir Walter Scott (1808). “The Works of John Dryden,: The life of John Dryden”, p.228

Mighty things from small beginnings grow.

Love, Power, Grows

'Annus Mirabilis' (1667) st. 155

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