Quotes
Quotes - Pope
Never elated when one man's oppress'd;
Never dejected while another's bless'd.
Slave to no sect, who takes no private road,
But looks through Nature up to Nature's God.
Form'd by thy converse, happily to steer
From grave to gay, from lively to severe.
Say, shall my little bark attendant sail,
Pursue the triumph and partake the gale?
Thou wert my guide, philosopher, and friend.
That virtue only makes our bliss below,
And all our knowledge is ourselves to know.
To observations which ourselves we make,
We grow more partial for th' observer's sake.
Like following life through creatures you dissect,
You lose it in the moment you detect.
In vain sedate reflections we would make
When half our knowledge we must snatch, not take.
Not always actions show the man; we find
Who does a kindness is not therefore kind.
Who combats bravely is not therefore brave,
He dreads a death-bed like the meanest slave:
Who reasons wisely is not therefore wise,--
His pride in reasoning, not in acting lies.
'T is from high life high characters are drawn;
A saint in crape is twice a saint in lawn.
'T is education forms the common mind:
Just as the twig is bent the tree's inclined.
Manners with fortunes, humours turn with climes,
Tenets with books, and principles with times.
"Odious! in woollen! 't would a saint provoke,"
Were the last words that poor Narcissa spoke.
And you, brave Cobham! to the latest breath
Shall feel your ruling passion strong in death.
Whether the charmer sinner it or saint it,
If folly grow romantic, I must paint it.
Choose a firm cloud before it fall, and in it
Catch, ere she change, the Cynthia of this minute.
Fine by defect, and delicately weak.
With too much quickness ever to be taught;
With too much thinking to have common thought.
Atossa, cursed with every granted prayer,
Childless with all her children, wants an heir;
To heirs unknown descends the unguarded store,
Or wanders heaven-directed to the poor.
Virtue she finds too painful an endeavour,
Content to dwell in decencies forever.
Men, some to business, some to pleasure take;
But every woman is at heart a rake.
See how the world its veterans rewards!
A youth of frolics, an old age of cards.
Oh, blest with temper whose unclouded ray
Can make to-morrow cheerful as to-day!
