Abraham Cowley
Abraham Cowley
Abraham Cowleywas an English poet born in the City of London late in 1618. He was one of the leading English poets of the 17th century, with 14 printings of his Works published between 1668 and 1721...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPoet
nice heart men
It is a hard and nice subject for a man to speak of himself: it grates his own heart to say anything of disparagement, and the reader's ear to hear anything of praise from him.
art lying men
Why dost thou heap up wealth, which thou must quit, Or what is worse, be left by it? Why dost thou load thyself when thou 'rt to fly, Oh, man! ordain'd to die? Why dost thou build up stately rooms on high, Thou who art under ground to lie? Thou sow'st and plantest, but no fruit must see, For death, alas! is reaping thee.
cutting men wish
There is some help for all the defects of fortune; for, if a man cannot attain to the length of his wishes, he may have his remedy by cutting of them shorter.
drinking men glasses
Nothing in Nature's sober found, But an eternal Health goes round. Fill up the Bowl then, fill it high-- Fill all the Glasses there; for why Should every Creature Drink but I? Why, Man of Morals, tell me why?
dog men roaring
Man is too near all kinds of beasts,--a fawning dog, a roaring lion, a thieving fox, a robbing wolf, a dissembling crocodile, a treacherous decoy, and a rapacious vulture.
men cities retreat
To be a husbandman, is but a retreat from the city; to be a philosopher, from the world; or rather, a retreat from the world, as it is man's, into the world, as it is God's.
wise art men
Curs'd be that wretch (Death's factor sure) who brought Dire swords into the peaceful world, and taught Smiths (who before could only make The spade, the plough-share, and the rake) Arts, in most cruel wise Man's left to epitomize!
country men law
The liberty of a people consists in being governed by laws which they have made themselves, under whatsoever form it be of government; the liberty of a private man, in being master of his own time and actions, as far as may consist with the laws of God and of his country.
ills men universal
Hope! of all ills that men endure, the only cheap and universal cure.
age age-and-aging forever shall
What shall I do to be forever known,/ And make the age to come my own?
constant drink drinking earth fair fresh plants suck thirsty
The thirsty earth soaks up the rain, And drinks, and gapes for drink again; The plants suck in the earth, and are With constant drinking fresh and fair
contempt english-poet grant lie low means
This only grant me, that my means may lie too low for envy, for contempt too high.
creature drink man
For why / Should every creature drink but I, / Why, man of morals, tell me why?
both eyes kisses lips love outward parts pleasant sunny thousand walks
Love in her sunny eyes does basking play;/ Love walks the pleasant mazes of her hair;/ Love does on both her lips for ever stray;/ And sows and reaps a thousand kisses there./ In all her outward parts Love's always seen;/ But, oh, he never went within.