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Vice is a monster of so frightful mien As to be hated needs but to be seen Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face, We first endure, then pity, then embrace.

Alexander Pope

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Alexander Pope
Age: 56 †
Born: 1688
Born: May 21
Died: 1744
Died: May 30
Literary Historian
Poet
Translator
the City
Pope the Poet
Alexander I Pope
Alexander
I Pope
Needs
Familiar
Mien
Endure
Frightful
Embrace
Monster
Seen
Vice
Face
Monsters
Faces
Vices
Firsts
Hated
First
Pity

More quotes by Alexander Pope

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Chaos of thought and passion, all confused Still by himself abused or disabused Created half to rise, and half to fall Great lord of all things, yet a prey to all Sole judge of truth, in endless error hurled,- The glory, jest, and riddle of the world.
Alexander Pope
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The pure and noble, the graceful and dignified, simplicity of language is nowhere in such perfection as in the Scriptures and Homer. The whole book of Job, with regard both to sublimity of thought and morality, exceeds, beyond all comparison, the most noble parts of Homer.
Alexander Pope
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Giving advice is many times only the privilege of saying a foolish thing one's self, under the pretense of hindering another from doing one.
Alexander Pope
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Poets like painters, thus unskilled to trace The naked nature and the living grace, With gold and jewels cover ev'ry part, And hide with ornaments their want of art. True wit is Nature to advantage dressed, What oft was thought, but ne'er so well expressed.
Alexander Pope
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What then remains, but well our power to use, And keep good-humor still whate'er we lose? And trust me, dear, good-humor can prevail, When airs, and flights, and screams, and scolding fail.
Alexander Pope
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How happy is the blameless vestal's lot? The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Alexander Pope
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To endeavor to work upon the vulgar with fine sense is like attempting to hew blocks with a razor.
Alexander Pope
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Extremes in nature equal ends produce In man they join to some mysterious use.
Alexander Pope
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Pleasure, or wrong or rightly understood, Our greatest evil, or our greatest good.
Alexander Pope
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Search then the ruling passion there alone, The wild are constant, and the cunning known The fool consistent, and the false sincere Priests, princes, women, no dissemblers here.
Alexander Pope
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The hog that ploughs not, not obeys thy call, Lives on the labours of this lord of all.
Alexander Pope
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No silver saints, by dying misers giv'n, Here brib'd the rage of ill-requited heav'n But such plain roofs as Piety could raise, And only vocal with the Maker's praise.
Alexander Pope
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Our grandsire, Adam, ere of Eve possesst, Alone, and e'en in Paradise unblest, With mournful looks the blissful scenes survey'd, And wander'd in the solitary shade. The Maker say, took pity, and bestow'd Woman, the last, the best reserv'd of God.
Alexander Pope
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In every work regard the writer's end, Since none can compass more than they intend.
Alexander Pope
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Nor in the critic let the man be lost.
Alexander Pope
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To buy books as some do who make no use of them, only because they were published by an eminent printer, is much as if a man should buy clothes that did not fit him, only because they were made by some famous tailor.
Alexander Pope
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Judge not of actions by their mere effect Dive to the center, and the cause detect. Great deeds from meanest springs may take their course, And smallest virtues from a mighty source.
Alexander Pope
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Th' unwilling gratitude of base mankind!
Alexander Pope
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Who sees pale Mammom pine amidst his store, Sees but a backward steward for the poor.
Alexander Pope
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And each blasphemer quite escape the rod, Because the insult's not on man, but God?
Alexander Pope