Sir Scott
Sir Scott
race simple smile toil tribute vain waste
A simple race! they waste their toil For the vain tribute of a smile
alert asserting constantly jealousy kept liable life pride resolute rights spent
Pride and jealousy there was in his eye, for his life had been spent in asserting rights which were constantly liable to invasion; and the prompt, fiery, and resolute disposition of the man, had been kept constantly upon the alert by the circumstances of his situation.
scorn
Better that they had ne'er been born, Who read to doubt, or read to scorn
daylight elbow ride safe says
Better ride safe in the dark, says the proverb, than in the daylight with a cut-throat at your elbow
court critics-and-criticism dread frown nor smile
Court not the critic's smile nor dread his frown
clean cracked credit looking wiped
Credit is like a looking - glass, which when once sullied by a breath, may be wiped clean again; but if once cracked can never be repaired
believed blest fair girl knew mourn thee thus
Mary, I believed thee true, And I was blest in thus believing; But now I mourn that ever I knew A girl so fair and so deceiving.
animals aware cats folk minds mysterious passing
Cats are mysterious kind of folk - there is more passing in their minds than we are aware of.
deceive oh practice tangled web
Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive
drinking greatness vices
Of all the vices drinking is the most incompatible with greatness
cheer christmas half heart oft poor
'Twas Christmas broach'd the mightiest ale; 'twas Christmas told the merriest tale; a Christmas gambol oft could cheer the poor man's heart through half the year.
burning disdain flow high locked pride rising softer source tear
Vengeance, deep-brooding o'er the slain, Had locked the source of softer woe, And burning pride and high disdain Forbade the rising tear to flow
begins either ended fighting freed men nature plain point quarrel stability tis wars
Tis plain that there is not in nature a point of stability to be found: everything either ascends or declines. When wars are ended abroad, sedition begins at home, and when men are freed from fighting for necessity, they quarrel through ambition.
drinking eating man starved till time
To be always intending to live a new life, but never find time to set about it - this is as if a man should put off eating and drinking from one day to another till he be starved and destroyed.