WIST Quotations

Dryden, John -- “The Character of a Good Parson,” l. 77, Fables (1700)

Dave — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 13:16:59 +0000

His preaching much, but more his practice wrought;
(A living sermon of the truths he taught).

John Dryden (1631–1700) English poet, dramatist, critic
“The Character of a Good Parson,” l. 77, Fables (1700)

Dryden, John -- (Attributed)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

How can finite grasp infinity?

John Dryden (1631–1700) English poet, dramatist, critic
(Attributed)

Dryden, John -- Absalom and Achitophel, l. 533 (1681)

Dave — Thu, 29 Dec 2016 00:44:44 +0000

Far more numerous was the herd of such,
Who think too little, and who talk too much.

John Dryden (1631–1700) English poet, dramatist, critic
Absalom and Achitophel, l. 533 (1681)

Dryden, John -- Absalom and Achitophel, l. 781 (1681)

Dave — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 12:58:34 +0000

Nor is the people’s judgment always true:
The most may err as grossly as the few.

John Dryden (1631–1700) English poet, dramatist, critic
Absalom and Achitophel, l. 781 (1681)

Dryden, John -- Absalom and Achitophel, Part I, l. 1005 (1681)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

Beware the fury of a patient man.

John Dryden (1631–1700) English poet, dramatist, critic
Absalom and Achitophel, Part I, l. 1005 (1681)

Dryden, John -- All for Love, “Prologue to Anthony and Cleopatra” (1677)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

Errours like Straws upon the surface flow;
He who would search for Pearls must dive below.

John Dryden (1631–1700) English poet, dramatist, critic
All for Love, “Prologue to Anthony and Cleopatra” (1677)

Dryden, John -- All for Love, 4.1 (1678)

Dave — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 12:28:06 +0000

Men are but children of a larger growth;
Our appetites as apt to change as theirs,
And full as craving too, and full as vain.

John Dryden (1631–1700) English poet, dramatist, critic
All for Love, 4.1 (1678)

Dryden, John -- Aureng-zebe, Act 4, sc. 1 (1675)

Dave — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 17:00:25 +0000

Distrust, and darkness, of a future state,
Make poor Mankind so fearful of their Fate.
Death, in itself, is nothing; but we fear
To be we know not what, we know not where.

John Dryden (1631–1700) English poet, dramatist, critic
Aureng-zebe, Act 4, sc. 1 (1675)

Dryden, John -- Imitation of Horace, Book 3, ode 29, l. 65 (1685)

Dave — Wed, 11 May 2016 13:44:29 +0000

Happy the man, and happy he alone,
He, who can call to-day his own:
He who, secure within, can say,
Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today.

John Dryden (1631–1700) English poet, dramatist, critic
Imitation of Horace, Book 3, ode 29, l. 65 (1685)

Dryden, John -- Œdipus, Act 4, sc. 1 (1679)

Dave — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 21:20:28 +0000

ÆGEON: Of no distemper, of no blast he died,
But fell like autumn-fruit that mellowed long;
Even wondered at, because he dropt no sooner.
Fate seemed to wind him up for fourscore years;
Yet freshly ran he on ten winters more:
Till, like a clock worn out with eating time,
The wheels of weary life at last stood still.

John Dryden (1631–1700) English poet, dramatist, critic
Œdipus, Act 4, sc. 1 (1679)

Of King Polybus' death.

Dryden, John -- The Conquest of Granada, 2.4.3 (1672)

Dave — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:41:40 +0000

Thou strong seducer, Opportunity!

John Dryden (1631–1700) English poet, dramatist, critic
The Conquest of Granada, 2.4.3 (1672)

Dryden, John -- The Hind and the Panther, Part 3, l. 47 (1687)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

Friendship, of itself a holy tie,
Is made more sacred by adversity.

John Dryden (1631–1700) English poet, dramatist, critic
The Hind and the Panther, Part 3, l. 47 (1687)

The actual lines read:

For friendship of it self, an holy tye,
Is made more sacred by adversity.

Dryden, John -- The Hind and the Panther, 1.240 (1687)

Dave — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:34:35 +0000

Of all the tyrannies on humankind,
The worst is that which persecutes the mind.

John Dryden (1631–1700) English poet, dramatist, critic
The Hind and the Panther, 1.240 (1687)

Dryden, John -- The Hind and the Panther, 2.769 (1687)

Dave — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 22:59:49 +0000

You rule the Scripture, not the Scripture you.

John Dryden (1631–1700) English poet, dramatist, critic
The Hind and the Panther, 2.769 (1687)

Dryden, John -- The Rival Ladies, 2.1 (1664)

Dave — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 13:05:48 +0000

Where passion rules, how weak does reason prove!

John Dryden (1631–1700) English poet, dramatist, critic
The Rival Ladies, 2.1 (1664)

Dryden, John -- Dedication in his translation of Virgil, The Aeneid

Dave — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 13:21:45 +0000

We must beat the iron while it is hot, but we may polish it at leisure.

John Dryden (1631–1700) English poet, dramatist, critic
Dedication in his translation of Virgil, The Aeneid

Dryden, John -- Epistle 13 “To My Honoured Kinsman, John Driden of Chesterton” (1699)

Dave — Fri, 18 Apr 2014 16:23:52 +0000

Better shun the bait than struggle in the snare.

John Dryden (1631–1700) English poet, dramatist, critic
Epistle 13 “To My Honoured Kinsman, John Driden of Chesterton” (1699)

Dryden, John -- Poem (1687), “A Song for St. Cecilia’s Day,” “Grand Chorus”

Dave — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 15:52:39 +0000

As from the pow’r of Sacred Lays
The Spheres began to move,
And sung the great Creator’s praise
To all the bless’d above;
So when the last and dreadful Hour
This crumbling Pageant shall devour,
The TRUMPET shall be heard on high,
The dead shall live, the living die,
And MUSICK shall untune the Sky.

John Dryden (1631–1700) English poet, dramatist, critic
Poem (1687), “A Song for St. Cecilia’s Day,” “Grand Chorus”

This was from the first ode to the occasion Dryden wrote (the second was "Alexander's Feast" (1697)). It was set to music at the time by Draghi, an Italian composer, and later by Handel (1730s).