Essayists From Ireland

"Conscience is a coward, and those faults it has not strength enough to prevent it seldom has justice enough to accuse."

"It seemed to be pretty plain, that they had more of love than matrimony in them."

"A kind and gentle heart he had, To comfort friends and foes; The naked every day he clad When he put on his clothes."

"And in that town a dog was found, As many dogs there be, Both mongrel, puppy, whelp, and hound, And curs of low degree."

"The dog, to gain some private ends, Went mad, and bit the man."

"The man recovered of the bite, The dog it was that died."

"To what happy accident is it that we owe so unexpected a visit?"

"To what fortuitous occurrence do we not owe every pleasure and convenience of our lives."

"When lovely woman stoops to folly, And finds too late that men betray, What charm can soothe her melancholy, What art can wash her guilt away?"

"The only art her guilt to cover, To hide her shame from every eye, To give repentance to her lover, And wring his bosom——is to die."

"This same philosophy is a good horse in the stable, but an arrant jade on a journey."

"He calls his extravagance, generosity; and his trusting everybody, universal benevolence."

"All his faults are such that one loves him still the better for them."

"Friendship is a disinterested commerce between equals; love, an abject intercourse between tyrants and slaves."

"Don't let us make imaginary evils, when you know we have so many real ones to encounter."

"Silence gives consent."

"Measures, not men, have always been my mark."

"Certainly, in two opposite opinions, if one be perfectly reasonable, the other can't be perfectly right."

"Sweet Auburn! loveliest village of the plain."

"The hawthorn bush, with seats beneath the shade, For talking age and whispering lovers made."

"The bashful virgin's sidelong looks of love, The matron's glance that would those looks reprove."

"Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey, Where wealth accumulates, and men decay; Princes and lords may flourish, or may fade; A breath can make them, as a breath has made; But a bold peasantry, their country's pride, When once destroyed, can never be supplied."

"His best companions, innocence and health; And his best riches, ignorance of wealth."

"How happy he who crowns in shades like these, A youth of labour with an age of ease."

"Bends to the grave with unperceived decay, While resignation gently slopes the way; And, all his prospects brightening to the last, His heaven commences ere the world be past."

"The watchdog's voice that bayed the whispering wind, And the loud laugh that spoke the vacant mind."

"A man he was to all the country dear, And passing rich with forty pounds a year."

"Wept o'er his wounds, or tales of sorrow done, Shoulder'd his crutch, and shew'd how fields were won."

"Careless their merits or their faults to scan, His pity gave ere charity began. Thus to relieve the wretched was his pride, And e'en his failings leaned to Virtue's side."

"And, as a bird each fond endearment tries To tempt its new-fledged offspring to the skies, He tried each art, reproved each dull delay, Allured to brighter worlds, and led the way."

"Truth from his lips prevailed with double sway, And fools, who came to scoff, remained to pray."

"Even children followed with endearing wile, And plucked his gown, to share the good man's smile."

"A man severe he was, and stern to view; I knew him well, and every truant knew: Well had the boding tremblers learned to trace The day's disasters in his morning face; Full well they laughed with counterfeited glee, At all his jokes, for many a joke had he; Full well the bust whisper, circling round, Conveyed the dismal tidings when he frowned; Yet he was kind; or if severe in aught, The love he bore to learning was in fault; The village all declared how much he knew; 'Twas certain he could write, and cipher too."

"As some tall cliff that lifts its awful form, Swells from the vale, and midway leaves the storm,— Though round its breast the rolling clouds are spread, Eternal sunshine settles on its head."

"Well had the boding tremblers learn'd to trace The day's disasters in his morning face; Full well they laugh'd with counterfeited glee At all his jokes, for many a joke had he; Full well the busy whisper circling round Convey'd the dismal tidings when he frown'd. Yet was he kind, or if severe in aught, The love he bore to learning was in fault; The village all declar'd how much he knew, 'T was certain he could write and cipher too."

"In arguing too, the parson owned his skill, For e'en though vanquished, he could argue still; While words of learned length, and thundering sound Amazed the gazing rustics ranged around; And still they gazed, and still the wonder grew, That one small head could carry all he knew."

"Where village statesmen talked with looks profound, And news much older than their ale went round."

"The whitewashed wall, the nicely sanded floor, The varnished clock that clicked behind the door; The chest contrived a double debt to pay, A bed by night, a chest of drawers by day."

"The twelve good rules, the royal game of goose."

"To me more dear, congenial to my heart, One native charm, than all the gloss of art."

"And, ev'n while fashion's brightest arts decoy, The heart distrusting asks, if this be joy."

"Her modest looks the cottage might adorn, Sweet as the primrose peeps beneath the thorn."

"Through torrid tracts with fainting steps they go, Where wild Altama murmurs to their woe."

"In all the silent manliness of grief."

"O Luxury! thou curst by Heaven's decree!"

"Thou source of all my bliss, and all my woe, That found'st me poor at first, and keep'st me so."

"In my time, the follies of the town crept slowly among us, but now they travel faster than a stagecoach."

"I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines."

"The very pink of perfection."

"The genteel thing is the genteel thing any time, if as be that a gentleman bees in a concatenation accordingly."