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Reason to rule, mercy to forgive: The first is law, the last prerogative. Life is an adventure in forgiveness.
John Dryden
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John Dryden
Age: 68 †
Born: 1631
Born: August 7
Died: 1700
Died: May 12
Hymnwriter
Literary Critic
Playwright
Poet
Translator
Aldwincle
Northamptonshire
Law
Lasts
Prerogative
Last
Forgive
Reason
Forgiveness
Firsts
Forgiving
First
Mercy
Life
Adventure
Rule
More quotes by John Dryden
The brave man seeks not popular applause, Nor, overpower'd with arms, deserts his cause Unsham'd, though foil'd, he does the best he can, Force is of brutes, but honor is of man.
John Dryden
Since every man who lives is born to die, And none can boast sincere felicity, With equal mind, what happens, let us bear, Nor joy nor grieve too much for things beyond our care. Like pilgrims to the' appointed place we tend The world's an inn, and death the journey's end.
John Dryden
Plots, true or false, are necessary things, To raise up commonwealths and ruin kings.
John Dryden
For secrets are edged tools, And must be kept from children and from fools.
John Dryden
Restless at home, and ever prone to range.
John Dryden
Fool, not to know that love endures no tie, And Jove but laughs at lovers' perjury.
John Dryden
Democracy is essentially anti-authoritarian--that is, it not only demands the right but imposes the responsibility of thinking for ourselves.
John Dryden
Virtue in distress, and vice in triumph make atheists of mankind.
John Dryden
Old age creeps on us ere we think it nigh.
John Dryden
But 'tis the talent of our English nation, Still to be plotting some new reformation.
John Dryden
Softly sweet, in Lydian measures, Soon he sooth'd his soul to pleasures. War, he sung, is toil and trouble Honour but an empty bubble Never ending, still beginning, Fighting still, and still destroying. If all the world be worth the winning, Think, oh think it worth enjoying: Lovely Thais sits beside thee, Take the good the gods provide thee.
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Ill news is wing'd with fate, and flies apace.
John Dryden
Death ends our woes, and the kind grave shuts up the mournful scene.
John Dryden
The winds that never moderation knew, Afraid to blow too much, too faintly blew Or out of breath with joy, could not enlarge Their straighten'd lungs or conscious of their charge.
John Dryden
Damn'd neuters, in their middle way of steering, Are neither fish, nor flesh, nor good red herring.
John Dryden
Tis Fate that flings the dice, And as she flings Of kings makes peasants, And of peasants kings.
John Dryden
I am resolved to grow fat and look young till forty, and then slip out of the world with the first wrinkle and the reputation of five-and-twenty.
John Dryden
A knock-down argument 'tis but a word and a blow.
John Dryden
Pleasure never comes sincere to man but lent by heaven upon hard usury.
John Dryden
And after hearing what our Church can say, If still our reason runs another way, That private reason 'tis more just to curb, Than by disputes the public peace disturb For points obscure are of small use to learn, But common quiet is mankind's concern.
John Dryden
