John Dryden quotes - page 5

[T]he Famous Rules which the French call, Des Trois Unitez, or, The Three Unities, which ought to be observ'd in every Regular Play; namely, of Time, Place, and Action. (John Dryden)
Love taught him shame, and shame with love at strife Soon taught the sweet civilities of life. View quote
John Dryden
Not is the people's judgment always true The most may err as grossly as the few. View quote
John Dryden
She knows her man, and when you rant or swear, Can draw you to her with a single hair. View quote
John Dryden
By viewing Nature, Nature's handmaid, art, makes mighty things from small beginnings grow. View quote
John Dryden
A man so various, that he seem'd to be Not one, but all mankind's epitome Stiff in opinions, always in the wrong, Was everything by starts, and nothing long But in the course of one revolving moon Was chymist, fiddler, statesman, and buffoon. View quote
John Dryden
O gracious God how far have we Profan'd thy heavenly gift of poesy. View quote
John Dryden
All, all of a piece throughout Thy chase had a beast in view Thy wars brought nothing about Thy lovers were all untrue. 'Tis well an old age is out, And time to begin a new. View quote
John Dryden
Happy, happy, happy pair! None but the brave, None but the brave, None but the brave deserves the fair. View quote
John Dryden
I'm a little wounded, but I am not slain; I will lay me down to bleed a while. Then I'll rise and fight again. View quote
John Dryden
And raw in fields the rude militia swarms, Mouths without hands; maintain'd at vast expense, In peace a charge, in war a weak defence; Stout once a month they march, a blustering band, And ever but in times of need at hand. (John Dryden)
With all this bulk there's nothing lost in Og, For every inch that is not fool is rogue : A monstrous mass of fuul corrupted matter, As all the devils had spew'd to make the baiter. When wine has given him courage to blaspheme, He curses God, but God before curst him; And, if man could have reason, none has more. That made his paunch so rich, and him so poor. View quote
John Dryden
And, like another Helen, fir'd another Troy. View quote
John Dryden
T' abhor the makers, and their laws approve, Is to hate traitors and the treason love. View quote
John Dryden
Can heav'nly minds such high resentment show, Or exercise their spite in human woe? View quote
John Dryden
The rest to some faint meaning make pretense, But Shadwell never deviates into sense. Some beams of wit on other souls may fall, Strike through and make a lucid interval; But Shadwell's genuine night admits no ray, His rising fogs prevail upon the day. View quote
John Dryden
Your case no tame expedients will afford, Resolve on death or conquest by the sword, Which for no less a stake than life you draw, And self-defence is Nature's eldest law. View quote
John Dryden
Since heaven's eternal year is thine. View quote
John Dryden
And oft with holy hymns he charm'd their ears, And music more melodious than the spheres. View quote
John Dryden
Than a successive title long and dark, Drawn from the mouldy rolls of Noah's ark. View quote
John Dryden
All things are hush'd, as Nature's self lay dead, The Mountains seem to nod their drowsy head; The little Birds in dreams their Songs repeat, And sleeping Flowers, beneath the night-dew sweat; Even Lust and Envy sleep. (John Dryden)
As long as words a different sense will bear, And each may be his own interpreter, Our airy faith will no foundation find; The word's a weathercock for every wind. View quote
John Dryden
Like a led victim, to my death I'll go, And, dying, bless the hand that gave the blow. View quote
John Dryden
Sooth'd with the sound, the king grew vain; Fought all his battles o'er again; And thrice he routed all his foes, and thrice he slew the slain. View quote
John Dryden
And heaven had wanted one immortal song. But wild Ambition loves to slide, not stand, And Fortune's ice prefers to Virtue's land. View quote
John Dryden