John Dryden's Quotes

Self-defence is Nature's eldest law.

Successful crimes alone are justified.

The first is the law, the last prerogative.

The intoxication of anger, like that of the grape, shows us to others, but hides us from ourselves.

There is a pleasure in being mad which none but madmen know.

They that possess the prince possess the laws.

Time, place, and action may with pains be wrought, but genius must be born; and never can be taught.

To die is landing on some distant shore.

Tomorrow do thy worst, I have lived today.

War is the trade of Kings.

What passions cannot music raise or quell?

You see through love, and that deludes your sight, As what is straight seems crooked through the water.

By education most have been misled; So they believe, because they were bred. The priest continues where the nurse began, And thus the child imposes on the man.

Seek not to know what must not be reveal, for joy only flows where fate is most concealed. A busy person would find their sorrows much more; if future fortunes were known before!

For they conquer who believe they can.

Anger will never disappear so long as thoughts of resentment are cherished in the mind. Anger will disappear just as soon as thoughts of resentment are forgotten.

Pains of love be sweeter far than all other pleasures are.

Beware the fury of a patient man.

When I consider life, it is all a cheat. Yet fooled with hope, people favor this deceit.

Boldness is a mask for fear, however great.

Love is love's reward.

But love's a malady without a cure.

Jealousy is the jaundice of the soul.

The sooner you treat your son as a man, the sooner he will be one.

He has not learned the first lesson of life who does not every day surmount a fear.

Dancing is the poetry of the foot.

We first make our habits, and then our habits make us.

Love is not in our choice but in our fate.

Beauty, like ice, our footing does betray; Who can tread sure on the smooth, slippery way: Pleased with the surface, we glide swiftly on, And see the dangers that we cannot shun.

Words are but pictures of our thoughts.

For truth has such a face and such a mien, as to be loved needs only to be seen.

Death in itself is nothing; but we fear to be we know not what, we know not where.

Happy the man, and happy he alone, he who can call today his own; he who, secure within, can say, tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today.

It is madness to make fortune the mistress of events, because by herself she is nothing and is ruled by prudence.

Let grace and goodness be the principal loadstone of thy affections. For love which hath ends, will have an end; whereas that which is founded on true virtue, will always continue.

All things are subject to decay and when fate summons, monarchs must obey.

Forgiveness to the injured does belong; but they ne'er pardon who have done wrong.

Go miser go, for money sell your soul. Trade wares for wares and trudge from pole to pole, So others may say when you are dead and gone. See what a vast estate he left his son.

A knock-down argument; 'tis but a word and a blow.