Abraham Cowley Quotes:

Life is an incurable disease.

source: - "To Dr. Scarborough" l. 111 (1656)

Topics: Life, Disease, Life Is, Incurable Disease

For the whole world, without a native home, Is nothing but a prison of larger room.

source: - Abraham Cowley (1779). “The Poems of Cowley”, p.113

Topics: Home, World, Rooms, Whole World

I never had any other desire so strong, and so like covetousness, as that ... I might be master at last of a small house and a large garden, with very moderate conveniences joined to them, and there dedicate the remainder of my life to the culture of them and the study of nature.

source: - Abraham Cowley, Samuel Johnson (1822). “The Poems of Abraham Cowley”, p.152

Topics: Strong, Home, Garden, Moderates, Covetousness

Of all ills that one endures, hope is a cheap and universal cure.

Topics: Hope, Cures, Endure

Nothing so soon the drooping spirits can raise As praises from the men, whom all men praise.

source: - 'Ode upon a Copy of Verses of My Lord Broghill's' (1663)

Topics: Encouragement, Hard Work, Spirit

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.

source: - Abraham Cowley, Abraham Cowley, Etc, A. R. Waller (2014). “Essays, Plays and Sundry Verses”, p.377, Cambridge University Press

Topics: Country, Men, Law

All the world's bravery that delights our eyes is but thy several liveries.

Topics: Eye, Bravery, Delight

Plenty, as well as Want, can separate friends.

Topics: Friends, Want, Wells

The monster London laugh at me.

Topics: Laughing, Monsters, London

Build yourself a book-nest to forget the world without.

Topics: Book, World, Nests, Forget The World

Beauty, thou wild fantastic ape Who dost in every country change thy shape!

Topics: Country, Shapes, Apes

Who that has reason, and his smell, Would not among roses and jasmin dwell?

Topics: Smell, Rose, Reason

The getting out of doors is the greatest part of the journey.

source: - Abraham Cowley, Thomas Sprat (1710). “The Works of Mr. Abraham Cowley ...: Consisting of Those which Were Formerly Printed, and Those which He Design'd for the Press, Publish'd Out of the Author's Original Copies ; with The Cutter of Coleman-street”, p.179

Topics: Journey, Doors

What a brave privilege is it to be free from all contentions, from all envying or being envied, from receiving or paying all kinds of ceremonies!

Topics: Brave, Solitude, Receiving

Our yesterday's to-morrow now is gone, And still a new to-morrow does come on. We by to-morrow draw out all our store, Till the exhausted well can yield no more.

Topics: Yield, Yesterday, Doe

Much will always wanting be To him who much desires.

Topics: Desire

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.

source: - Abraham Cowley, Samuel Johnson (1822). “The Poems of Abraham Cowley ...”

Topics: Dog, Men, Roaring

There have been fewer friends on earth than kings.

Topics: Friends, Kings, Earth, Fewer Friends

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?

Topics: Drinking, Men, Glasses

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.

Topics: Cutting, Men, Wish

Books should, not Business, entertain the Light; And Sleep, as undisturb'd as Death, the Night.

Topics: Book, Sleep, Night

As for being much known by sight, and pointed out, I cannot comprehend the honor that lies withal; whatsoever it be, every mountebank has it more than the best doctor.

Topics: Lying, Doctors, Sight, Notoriety

Water and air He for the Tenor chose, Earth made the Base, the Treble Fame arose, To th' active Moon a quick brisk stroke he gave, To Saturn's string a touch more sore and grave. The motions strait, and round, and swift, and slow, And short and long, were mixt and woven so, Did in such artful Figures smoothly fall, As made this decent measur'd dance of all. And this is Musick.

Topics: Music, Fall, Moon, Saturn

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.

Topics: Men, Cities, World

I would not fear nor wish my fate, but boldly say each night, to-morrow let my sun his beams display, or in clouds hide them; I have lived today.

source: - Abraham Cowley, “A Vote (Excerpt)”

Topics: Fate, Night, Clouds

Acquaintance I would have, but when it depends; not on number, but the choice of friends.

Topics: Friendship, Numbers, Choices

A mighty pain to love it is, And 'tis a pain that pain to miss; But, of all pains, the greatest pain Is to love, but love in vain.

source: - Abraham Cowley, Thomas Sprat (1707). “The Works of Mr. Abraham Cowley ...: Consisting of Those which Were Formerly Printed; and Those which He Design'd for the Press, Publish'd Out of the Author's Original Copies. With The Cutter of Coleman-street”, p.55

Topics: Love, Life, Pain, Love Pain, Love Is Pain

His faith, perhaps, in some nice tenets might Be wrong; his life, I'm sure, was in the right.

Topics: Life, Nice, Might, Some Nice

Life for delays and doubts no time does give, None ever yet made haste enough to live.

Topics: Life, Giving, Doubt

s a scene of changes, and to be constant in Nature were inconstancy.

Topics: Change, Scene, Constant, Creating Change, Inconstancy

Enjoy the present hour, Be thankful for the past, And neither fear nor wish Th' approaches of the last.

source: - Abraham Cowley (2013). “Cowley's Essays”, p.114, Cambridge University Press

Topics: Time, Past, Being Thankful

His time's forever, everywhere his place.

Topics: Time, Forever

Nothing is there to come, and nothing past, But an eternal Now does always last.

source: - Abraham Cowley (1679). “The Works of Mr Abraham Cowley: Consisting of Those which Were Formerly Printed : and Those which He Design'd for the Press”, p.11

Topics: Time, Past, Doe

Begin, be bold, and venture to be wise, He who defers this work from day to day, Does on a river's bank expecting stay, Till the whole stream, which stopped him, should be gone, That runs, and as it runs, for ever will run on.

Topics: Wise, Running, Time

This only grant me, that my means may lie, too low for envy, for contempt to high.

Topics: Lying, Mean, Envy

Coy Nature, (which remain'd, though aged grown, A beauteous virgin still, enjoy'd by none, Nor seen unveil'd by anyone), When Harvey's violent passion she did see, Began to tremble and to flee; Took sanctuary, like Daphne, in a tree: There Daphne's Lover stopped, and thought it much The very leaves of her to touch: But Harvey, our Apollo, stopp'd not so; Into the Bark and Root he after her did go!

Topics: Nature, Passion, Roots

Ah! Wretched and too solitary he who loves not his own company.

Topics: Life, Solitary, Company

Lukewarmness I account a sin, as great in love as in religion.

Topics: Love, Religion, Sin

Hope is the most hopeless thing of all.

source: - Abraham Cowley, Samuel Johnson (1822). “The Poems of Abraham Cowley”, p.50

Topics: Hopeless

Come, my best friends, my best books, and lead me on.

Topics: Book, My Best Friend, Leading Me

May I a small house and large garden have; And a few friends, And many books, both true.

source: - Abraham Cowley, A. R. Waller (2014). “Poems”, p.88, Cambridge University Press

Topics: Book, Garden, House

God the first garden made, and the first city Cain.

Topics: Garden, Cities, Firsts

To-day is ours; what do we fear? To-day is ours; we have it here. Let's treat it kindly, that it may Wish, at least, with us to stay. Let's banish business, banish sorrow; To the gods belong to-morrow.

source: - Abraham Cowley (1679). “The Works of Mr Abraham Cowley: Consisting of Those which Were Formerly Printed : and Those which He Design'd for the Press”

Topics: Sorrow, Wish, May

Neither the praise nor the blame is our own.

Topics: Appreciation, Blame, Praise

Does not the passage of Moses and the Israelites into the Holy Land yield incomparably more poetic variety than the voyages of Ulysses or Aeneas?

Topics: Bible, Yield, Land, Ulysses, Aeneas

Nay, in death's hand, the grape-stone proves As strong as thunder is in Jove's.

Topics: Strong, Hands, Stones

Hope! fortune's cheating lottery; when for one prize an hundred blanks there be!

Topics: Hope, Cheating, Hundred, Lottery

All this world's noise appears to me a dull, ill-acted comedy!

Topics: World, Dull, Noise

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.

source: - Abraham Cowley, Thomas Sprat (1826). “Prose works of Abraham Cowley ; including his essays in prose and verse”, p.217

Topics: Art, Lying, Men

The present is all the ready money Fate can give.

Topics: Fate, Giving, Ready

The present is an eternal now.

Thus would I double my life's fading space;For he that runs it well, runs twice his race.

source: - Abraham Cowley, T. Sprat (1721). “Poems and other pieces published by the late Lord Bishop of Rochester; with some account of his life and writings”, p.719

Topics: Running, Race, Space

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.

Topics: Nice, Heart, Men, Grate

Gold begets in brethren hate; Gold in families debate; Gold does friendship separate; Gold does civil wars create.

source: - Abraham Cowley (1721). “([2], lxviii, 372 p.)”, p.44

Topics: Hate, War, Gold, Begets

Thus each extreme to equal danger tends, Plenty, as well as Want, can sep'rate friends.

Topics: Want, Danger, Equal

"We may talk what we please," he cries in his enthusiasm for the oldest of the arts, "of lilies, and lions rampant, and spread eagles, in fields d'or or d'argent; but, if heraldry were guided by reason, a plough in a field arable would be the most noble and ancient arms."

Topics: Art, Garden, Eagles

Curiosity does, no less than devotion, pilgrims make.

source: - Abraham Cowley, A. R. Waller (2014). “Poems”, p.413, Cambridge University Press

Topics: Curiosity, Doe, Devotion

Solitude can be used well by very few people. They who do must have a knowledge of the world to see the foolishness of it, and enough virtue to despise all the vanity.

Topics: Vanity, People, Solitude, Knowledge Of The World

And I myself a Catholic will be, So far at least, great saint, to pray to thee. Hail, Bard triumphant! and some care bestow On us, the Poets militant below.

Topics: Catholic, Religion, Saint, Militant, Bards

What shall I do to be for ever known, And make the age to come my own?

Topics: Age, Reputation

Happy insect! what can be In happiness compared to thee? Fed with nourishment divine, The dewy morning's gentle wine! Nature waits upon thee still, And thy verdant cup does fill; 'Tis fill'd wherever thou dost tread, Nature's self's thy Ganymede.

Topics: Morning, Wine, Self, Grasshoppers

Stones of small worth may lie unseen by day, But night itself does the rich gem betray.

source: - Abraham Cowley (1806). “The Works ... Re-edited. - London, G. Kearsley 1806”, p.261

Topics: Lying, Night, Jewels, Gems

Who lets slip fortune, her shall never find: Occasion once past by, is bald behind.

Topics: Past, Opportunity, Fortune

Vain, weak-built isthmus, which dost proudly rise Up between two eternities!

Topics: Life, Two, Eternity

Ah, yet, e'er I descend to th' grave, May I a small House and a large Garden have. And a few Friends, and many Books both true, Both wise, and both delightful too. And since Love ne'er will from me flee, A mistress moderately fair, And good as Guardian angels are, Only belov'd and loving me.

Topics: Wise, Book, Angel, Loving Me

But what is woman? Only one of nature's agreeable blunders.

Topics: Women, Blunders

Why to mute fish should'st thou thyself discoverAnd not to me, thy no less silent lover?

Topics: Lovers, Silent, Should

Poets by Death are conquer'd but the wit Of poets triumphs over it.

Topics: Triumph, Conquer, Poet

Awake, awake, my Lyre!And tell thy silent master's humble taleIn sounds that may prevail;Sounds that gentle thoughts inspire:Though so exalted sheAnd I so lowly beTell her, such different notes make all thy harmony.

Topics: Humble, Inspire, Sound

The Sunflow'r, thinking 'twas for him foul shame To nap by daylight, strove t' excuse the blame; It was not sleep that made him nod, he said, But too great weight and largeness of his head.

Topics: Sleep, Thinking, Naps

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!

Topics: Wise, Art, Men, Spades

When Israel was from bondage led,Led by the Almighty's handFrom out of foreign land,The great sea beheld and fled.

Topics: Israel, Sea, Land

I confess I love littleness almost in all things. A little convenient estate, a little cheerful house, a little company, and a little feast.

source: - Abraham Cowley, Samuel Johnson (1822). “The Poems of Abraham Cowley”, p.162

Topics: House, Cheerful, Littles

Sleep is a god too proud to wait in palaces, and yet so humble too as not to scorn the meanest country cottages.

source: - Abraham Cowley, Samuel Johnson (1822). “The Poems of Abraham Cowley ...”

Topics: Country, Humble, Sleep

Unbind the charms that in slight fables lie and teach that truth is truest poesy.

source: - Abraham Cowley, Samuel Johnson (1822). “The Poems of Abraham Cowley ...”, p.161

Topics: Lying, Fiction, Fables

Come, my best Friends! my Books! and lead me on.

source: - "The Poetical Works of Abraham Cowley".

Topics: Book, My Best Friend, Leading Me

Fill the bowl with rosy wine, around our temples roses twine, And let us cheerfully awhile, like wine and roses, smile.

source: - Abraham Cowley (1784). “The Poetical Works of Abraham Cowley ...”, p.245

Topics: Wine, Rose, Temples, Rosy

The world's a scene of changes.

source: - 'The Mistress: or...Love Verses' (1647) 'Inconstancy'

Topics: World, Scene