If I am right, Thy grace impartStill in the right to stay;If I am wrong, O, teach my heartTo find that better way!
Nature and Nature’s laws lay hid in night:God said, Let Newton be! and all was light.
A man should never be ashamed to own that he has been in the wrong, which is but saying in other words that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.
Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.
Hope springs eternal in the human breast; Man never Is, but always To be blest. The soul, uneasy, and confin’d from home, Rests and expatiates in a life to come.
Thus let me live, unseen, unknown;Thus unlamented let me die;Steal from the world, and not a stoneTell where I lie.
A little learning is a dangerous thing.Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian Spring;There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,and drinking largely sobers us again.
Beauties in vain their pretty eyes may roll; Charms strike the sight, but merit wins the soul.
To wake the soul by tender strokes of art,To raise the genius, and to mend the heart
Remembrance and reflection how allied!What thin partitions Sense from Thought divide!
Some who grow dull religious straight commenceAnd gain in morals what they lose in sense.
Music resembles poetry, in eachAre nameless graces which no methods teach,And which a master hand alone can reach.
Yes, I am proud; I must be proud to seeMen not afraid of God afraid of me.
Next o’er his books his eyes began to roll,In pleasing memory of all he stole.
In words, as fashions, the same rule will hold;Alike fantastic, if too new, or old:Be not the first by whom the new are tried,Nor yet the last to lay the old aside.
Know thyself, presume not God to scan;The proper study of mankind is man.
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. So is a lot.
For he lives twice who can at once employ,The present well, and e’en the past enjoy.
We think our fathers fools, so wise we grow. Our wiser sons, no doubt will think us so.
Oh let me live my own! and die so too! (“To live and die is all I have to do:”) Maintain a poet’s dignity and ease, And see what friends, and read what books I please.
Men, some to business take, some to pleasure take; but every woman is at heart a rake
True wit is nature to advantage dressed;What oft was thought, but ne’er so well expressed.
If it be the chief point of friendship to comply with a friend’s notions and inclinations he possesses this is an eminent degree; he lies down when I sit, and walks when I walk, which is more that many good friends can pretend to do.
Words are like Leaves; and where they most abound,Much Fruit of Sense beneath is rarely found.
While pensive poets painful vigils keep,Sleepless themselves, to give their readers sleep.
Where beams of imagination play,The memory’s soft figures melt away.
Trust not yourself; but your defects to know,Make use of ev’ry friend—and ev’ry foe.
Happy the man, whose wish and careA few paternal acres bound,Content to breathe his native airIn his own ground.
Those half-learn’d witlings, num’rous in our isle As half-form’d insects on the banks of Nile
To be angry is to revenge the faults of others on ourselves.
Then say not man’s imperfect, Heav’n in fault;. Say rather, man’s as perfect as he ought.
For forms of Government let fools contest. Whate’er is best administered is best.
Philosophy, that leaned on Heaven before,Shrinks to her second cause, and is no more.
We may see the small Value God has for Riches, by the People he gives the
Know thy own point: this kind, this due degreeOf blindness, weakness, Heav’n bestows on thee.
The pride of aiming at more knowledge, and pretending to more perfection, is the cause of Man’s error and misery.
All this dread order break- for whom? for thee?Vile worm!- oh madness! pride! impiety!
There is no study that is not capable of delighting us, after a little application to it.
Inscriptions here of various Names I view’d,The greater part by hostile time subdu’d;Yet wide was spread their fame in ages past,And Poets once had promis’d they should last.
For when success a lover’s toil attends,Few ask, if fraud or force attain’d his ends
Most critics, fond of subservient artstill make the whole depend upon a part.They talk of principles, but notions prizeAnd all to one loved folly sacrifice.
Some judge of authors’ names, not works, and then nor praise nor blame the writings, but the men.
I am his Highness’ dog at Kew;Pray tell me, sir, whose dog are you?
The difference is too nice – Where ends the virtue or begins the vice.
Like bubbles on the sea of matter borne, they rise, they break, and to that sea return.
What dire offence from am’rous causes springs,What mighty contests rise from trivial things,…
How happy is the blameless vestal’s lot!The world forgetting, by the world forgot.Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!Each pray’r accepted, and each wish resign’d
Death, only death, can break the lasting chain;And here, ev’n then, shall my cold dust remain
I never knew any man in my life who could not bear another’s misfortunes perfectly like a Christian.
When two people compliment each other with the choice of anything each of them generally gets that which he likes least.
All are but parts of one stupendous whole Whose body Nature is and God the soul.
Till tired he sleeps and life’s poor play is o’er.
There St. John mingles with my friendly bowl The feat of reason and the flow of soul.
Thus education forms the common mind Just as the twig is bent the tree’s inclined.
‘Tis education forms the common mind Just as the twig is bent the tree’s inclined.
An excuse is worse and more terrible than a lie for an excuse is a lie guarded.
Be not the first by whom the new are tried Nor yet the last to lay the old aside.
How shall I love the sin yet keep the sense And love the offender yet detest the offence?
There is nothing meritorious but virtue and friendship.
And all who told it added something new And all who heard it made enlargements too.
Amusement is the happiness of those who cannot think.
False happiness is like false money it passes for a long time as well as the true and serves some ordinary occasions but when it is brought to the touch we find the lightness and alloy and feel the loss.
The learned is happy nature to explore the fool is happy that he knows no more.
The learned is happy nature to explore the fool is happy that he knows no more.
The learned is happy nature to explore the fool is happy that he knows no more.
The learned is happy nature to explore the fool is happy that he knows no more.
The learned is happy nature to explore the fool is happy that he knows no more.
The learned is happy nature to explore the fool is happy that he knows no more.
The learned is happy nature to explore the fool is happy that he knows no more.
The learned is happy nature to explore the fool is happy that he knows no more.
I have as little fear that God will damn a man that has charity as I hope that the priests can save one who has not.
In faith and hope the world will disagree but all mankind’s concern is charity.
Know then thyself presume not God to scan: The proper study of mankind is man.
Hope springs eternal in the human breast Man never is but always to be blest.
For I who hold sage Homer’s rule the best Welcome the coming speed the going guest.
The hungry judges soon the sentence sign and wretches hang that jurymen may dine.
The learned is happy nature to explore the fool is happy that he knows no more.
A little learning is a dangerous thing Drink deep or taste not the Pierian spring Their shallow draughts intoxicate the brain And drinking largely sobers us again.
The vanity of human life is like a river constantly passing away and yet constantly coming on.
Nature and Nature’s laws lay hid in night: God said “Let Newton be!” and all was light.
A perfect judge will read each word of wit with the same spirit that its author writ.
What dire offence from am’rous causes springs. What mighty contests rise from trivial things.
Know then thyself presume not God to scan The proper study of mankind is man.
Sickness is a sort of early old age it teaches us a diffidence in our earthly state.
Light quirks of music broken and uneven make the soul dance upon a jig of heaven.
Light quirks of music broken and uneven Make the soul dance upon a jig to Heav’n.
Blessed be he who expects nothing for he shall never be disappointed.
How happy is the blameless vestal’s lot! The world forgetting by the world forgot.
Thus let me live unseen unknown Thus unlamented let me die Steal from the world and not a stone Tell where I lie.
An obstinate man does not hold opinions but they hold him.
The ruling passion be it what it will the ruling passion conquers reason still.
The ruling passion be it what it will The ruling passion conquers reason still.
Whoever thinks a faultless piece to see. Thinks what ne’er was nor is nor e’er shall be.
A man of business may talk of philosophy a man who has none may practise it.
Party-spirit . . . which at best is but the madness of many for the gain of a few.
All seems infected that the infected spy as all looks yellow to the jaundiced eye.
If I am right Thy grace impart Still in the right to stay If I am wrong O teach my heart To find that better way!
In pride in reas’ning pride our error lies All quit their sphere and rush into the skies. Pride still is aiming at the bless’d abodes Men would be angels angels would be gods.
The bookful blockhead ignorantly read With loads of learned lumber in his head.
Get place and wealth if possible with grace If not by any means get wealth and place.
Never elated while one man’s oppress’d Never dejected while another’s bless’d.
Not to go back is somewhat to advance. And men must walk at least before they dance.
Get place and wealth if possible with grace If not by any means get wealth and place.
All other goods by fortune’s hand are given: A wife is the peculiar gift of Heav’n.
True wit is Nature to advantage dress’d What oft was thought but ne’er so well express’d.
True wit is nature to advantage dress’d What oft was thought but ne’er so well expressed.
Offend her and she knows not to forgive Oblige her and she’ll hate you while you live.
Worth makes the man and want of it the fellow The rest is all but leather and prunello.
We think our fathers fools so wise we grow Our wiser sons no doubt will think us so.
If a man’s character is to be abused there’s nobody like a relative to do the business.
A person who is too nice an observer of the business of the crowd, like one who is too curious in observing the labor of bees, will often be stung for his curiosity.
Hope springs eternal in the human breast: Man never is, but always to be blest.
No woman ever hates a man for being in love with her, but many a woman hate a man for being a friend to her.
The learned is happy, nature to explore; The fool is happy, that he knows no more.
A God without dominion, providence, and final causes, is nothing else but fate and nature.
The way of the Creative works through change and transformation, so that each thing receives its true nature and destiny and comes into permanent accord with the Great Harmony: this is what furthers and what perseveres.
Happy the man whose wish and care a few paternal acres bound, content to breathe his native air in his own ground.
All are but parts of one stupendous whole, Whose body Nature is, and God the soul.
One science only will one genius fit; so vast is art, so narrow human wit.
Genius creates, and taste preserves. Taste is the good sense of genius; without taste, genius is only sublime folly.
The bookful blockhead, ignorantly read, With loads of learned lumber in his head.
A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring.
True ease in writing comes from art, not chance, as those move easiest who have learn’d to dance.
And, after all, what is a lie? ‘Tis but the truth in a masquerade.
The same ambition can destroy or save, and make a patriot as it makes a knave.
For modes of faith let graceless zealots fight, His can’t be wrong whose life is in the right.
Trust not yourself, but your defects to know, make use of every friend and every foe.
A work of art that contains theories is like an object on which the price tag has been left.
Education forms the common mind. Just as the twig is bent, the tree’s inclined.
Some people will never learn anything, for this reason, because they understand everything too soon.