"Next o'er his books his eyes begin to roll, In pleasing memory of all he stole; How here he sipp'd, how there he plunder'd snug, And suck'd all o'er like an industrious bug."

"While pensive poets painful vigils keep, Sleepless themselves to give their readers sleep."

"Now night descending, the proud scene was o'er, But lived in Settle's numbers one day more."

"Poetic Justice, with her lifted scale, Where, in nice balance, truth with gold she weighs, And solid pudding against empty praise."

"O thou! whatever title please thine ear, Dean, Drapier, Bickerstaff, or Gulliver! Whether thou choose Cervantes' serious air, Or laugh and shake in Rabelais' easy chair."

"For I, who hold sage Homer's rule the best, Welcome the coming, speed the going guest."

"There St. John mingles with my friendly bowl The feast of reason and the flow of soul."

"Bare the mean heart that lurks behind a star."

"But touch me, and no minister so sore; Whoe'er offends at some unlucky time Slides into verse, and hitches in a rhyme, Sacred to ridicule his whole life long, And the sad burden of some merry song."

"Satire's my weapon, but I'm too discreet To run amuck, and tilt at all I meet."

"Lord Fanny spins a thousand such a day."

"Me let the tender office long engage To rock the cradle of reposing age; With lenient arts extend a mother's breath, Make languor smile, and smooth the bed of death; Explore the thought, explain the asking eye, And keep awhile one parent from the sky."

"Unlearned, he knew no schoolman's subtle art, No language, but the language of the heart."

"That not in fancy's maze he wander'd long, But stoop'd to truth, and moraliz'd his song."

"But Satan now is wiser than of yore, And tempts by making rich, not making poor."

"One science only will one genius fit: So vast is art, so narrow human wit."

"Nature to all things fix'd the Limits fit, And wisely curb'd proud Man's pretending Wit: As on the Land while here the Ocean gains, In other Parts it leaves wide sandy Plains; Thus in the Soul while Memory prevails, The solid Pow'r of Understanding fails; Where Beams of warm Imagination play, The Memory's soft Figures melt away."

"Some are bewildered in the maze of schools, And some made coxcombs nature meant but fools."

"Let such teach others who themselves excel, And censure freely who have written well."

"'Tis with our judgements as our watches, none Go just alike, yet each believes his own."

"Ten Censure wrong for one who Writes amiss."

"Statesman, yet friend to truth! of soul sincere, In action faithful, and in honor clear; Who broke no promise, served no private end, Who gained no title, and who lost no friend."

"To rest, the cushion and soft dean invite, Who never mentions hell to ears polite."

"Tis use alone that sanctifies expense, And splendor borrows all her rays from sense."

"Good sense, which only is the gift of Heaven, And though no science, fairly worth the seven."

"One of [Pope's] greatest though of his earliest works is the Essay on Criticism, which if he had written nothing else would have placed him among the first criticks and the first poets, as it exhibits every mode of excellence that can embellish or dignify didactick composition, selection of matter, novelty of arrangement, justness of precept, splendour of illustration, and propriety of digression. I know not whether it be pleasing to consider that he produced this piece at twenty, and never afterwards excelled it: he that delights himself with observing that such powers may be so soon attained, cannot but grieve to think that life was ever after at a stand."

"The Essay on Criticism...displays such extent of comprehension, such nicety of distinction, such acquaintance with mankind, and such knowledge both of ancient and modern learning as are not often attained by the maturest age and longest experience."

"Careless of censure, nor too fond of fame, Still pleased to praise, yet not afraid to blame, Averse alike to flatter or offend, Not free from faults, nor yet too vain to mend."

"Content if hence th' unlearn'd their wants may view, The learn'd reflect on what before they knew."

"Led by the light of the Mæonian star."

"But where's the man who counsel can bestow, Still pleased to teach, and yet not proud to know?"

"No Place so Sacred from such Fops is barr'd, Nor is Paul's Church more safe than Paul's Church-yard: Nay, fly to Altars; there they'll talk you dead; For fools rush in where angels fear to tread."

"Most authors steal their works, or buy; Garth did not write his own Dispensary."

"The bookful blockhead, ignorantly read, With loads of learned lumber in his head, With his own tongue still edifies his ears, And always list'ning to himself appears. All books he reads, and all he reads assails."

"'Tis not enough your Counsel still be true, Blunt Truths more Mischief than nice Falsehoods do; Men must be taught as if you taught them not; And Things unknown propos'd as Things forgot."

"And make each day a critic on the last."

"Be silent always when you doubt your sense."

"Learn then what morals critics ought to show, For 'tis but half a judge's task, to know."

"All seems Infected that th' Infected spy, As all looks yellow to the Jaundic'd Eye."

"Ah ne'er so dire a Thirst of Glory boast, Nor in the Critick let the Man be lost! Good-Nature and Good-Sense must ever join; To err is human, to forgive divine."

"Be thou the first true Merit to befriend; His praise is lost, who stays till All commend."

"Envy will merit as its shade pursue, But like a shadow proves the substance true."

"Fondly we think we honour Merit then, When we but praise Our selves in Other Men."

"We think our fathers fools, so wise we grow; Our wiser sons, no doubt, will think us so."

"Some praise at morning what they blame at night, But always think the last opinion right."