"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."

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

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

"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."

"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."

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

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

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

"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."

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

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

"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."

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

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

"Sweet Auburn! loveliest village of the plain."

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

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

"Silence gives consent."

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

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

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

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

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

"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."

"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?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"It has been a thousand times observed, and I must observe it once more, that the hours we pass with happy prospects in view are more pleasing than those crowned with fruition."

"They would talk of nothing but high life, and high-lived company, with other fashionable topics, such as pictures, taste, Shakespeare, and the musical glasses."

"By the living jingo, she was all of a muck of sweat."

"The sigh that rends thy constant heart Shall break thy Edwin's too."

"And what is friendship but a name, A charm that lulls to sleep, A shade that follows wealth or fame, And leaves the wretch to weep?"

"Man wants but little here below, Nor wants that little long."

"No flocks that range the valley free To slaughter I condemn; Taught by that Power that pities me, I learn to pity them: But from the mountain’s grassy side A guiltless feast I bring; A scrip with herbs and fruits supplied, And water from the spring."

"Turn, gentle Hermit of the Dale, And guide my lonely way To where yon taper cheers the vale With hospitable ray."

"I find you want me to furnish you with argument and intellects too."

"The premises being thus settled, I proceed to observe that the concatenation of self-existence, proceeding in a reciprocal duplicate ratio, naturally produces a problematical dialogism, which in some measure proves that the essence of spirituality may be referred to the second predicable."

"That virtue which requires to be ever guarded is scarce worth the sentinel."

"Let us draw upon Content for the deficiencies of fortune."

"Handsome is that handsome does."

"We sometimes had those little rubs which Providence sends to enhance the value of its favors."

"I...chose a wife, as she did her wedding gown, not for a fine glossy surface, but such qualities as would wear well."

"I was ever of the opinion that the honest man who married and brought up a large family, did more service than he who continued single, and only talked of population."

"A book may be very amusing with numerous errors, or it may be very dull without a single absurdity."