Charles Churchill
Charles Churchill
brother forgiving dunces
Wit, who never once Forgave a brother, shall forgive a dunce.
men reason poor
Drawn by conceit from reason's plan How vain is that poor creature man; How pleas'd in ev'ry paltry elf To grate about that thing himself.
mean flattery praise
If you mean to profit, learn to praise.
art feet hens
Gipsies, who every ill can cure, Except the ill of being poor Who charms 'gainst love and agues sell, Who can in hen-roost set a spell, Prepar'd by arts, to them best known To catch all feet except their own, Who, as to fortune, can unlock it, As easily as pick a pocket.
pain children evil
Old Age, a second child, by nature curst With more and greater evils than the first, Weak, sickly, full of pains: in ev'ry breath Railing at life, and yet afraid of death.
voice cells justice
Within the brain's most secret cells, A certain lord chief justice dwells, Of sov'reign power, whom one and all, With common voice we reason call.
hero heart discretion
Even in a hero's heart Discretion is the better part.
land size culture
England, a happy land we know, Where follies naturally grow, Where without culture they arise, And tow'r above the common size.
son honor way
If honor calls, where'er she points the way The sons of honor follow, and obey.
causes ill
Ourselves are to ourselves the cause of ill.
fool drink made
Whom drink made wits, though nature made them fools.
men brave soul
Enough of satire; in less harden'd times Great was her force, and mighty were her rhymes. I've read of men, beyond man's daring brave, Who yet have trembled at the strokes she gave; Whose souls have felt more terrible alarms From her one line, than from a world in arms.
wise men giving
Satire, whilst envy and ill-humor sway The mind of man, must always make her way; Nor to a bosom, with discretion fraught, Is all her malice worth a single thought. The wise have not the will, nor fools the power, To stop her headstrong course; within the hour Left to herself, she dies; opposing strife Gives her fresh vigor, and prolongs her life.
dream writing self
Enough of self, that darling luscious theme, O'er which philosophers in raptures dream; Of which with seeming disregard they write Then prizing most when most they seem to slight.