"The Lusiad is best known in England by the translation of Mickle, who has been thought to have done something more than justice to his author, both by the unmeasured eulogies he bestows upon him, and by the more substantial service of excelling the original in his unfaithful delineation. The style of Mickle is certainly more poetical, according to our standard, than that of Camoens, that is, more figurative and emphatic; but it seems to me replenished with commonplace phrases, and wanting in the facility and sweetness of the original; in which it is well known that he has interpolated a great deal without a pretence."

"The Epic powers of Camoens have received their due honour in our language, by the elegant and spirited translation of Mr. Mickle."

"How pure the joy, when first my hands unfold The small, rare volume, black with tarnished gold!"

"The princeps copy, clad in blue and gold."

"Now cheaply bought for thrice their weight in gold."

"Torn from their destined page (unworthy meed Of knightly counsel and heroic deed)."

"The rose of all the world is not for me. I want for my part Only the little white rose of Scotland That smells sharp and sweet — and breaks the heart."

"The number of people who can copulate properly may be few; the number who can write well are infinitely fewer."

"To meddle wi the thistle and to pluck The figs frae't is my metier, I think."

"If there's a sword-like sang That can cut Scotland clear O a' the warld beside Rax me the hilt o't here.For there's nae jewal till Frae the rest o earth it's free, Wi the starry separateness I'd fain to Scotland gie."

"I amna fou' sae muckle as tired — deid dune. It's gey and hard wark coupin' gless for gless Wi' Cruivie and Gilsanquhar and the like, And I'm no' juist as bauld as aince I wes."

"I'll ha'e nae hauf-way hoose, but aye be whaur Extremes meet — it's the only way I ken To dodge the curst conceit o' bein' richt That damns the vast majority o' men."

"Unwilling friend, let not your spite abate; Help me with scorn, and strengthen me with hate."

"My feet are heavy now but on I go, My head erect beneath the tragic years."

"Seraphs and saints with one great voice Welcomed that soul that knew not fear. Amazed to find it could rejoice, Hell raised a hoarse, half-human cheer."

"Farewell the hope that mocked, farewell despair That went before me still and made the pace. The earth is full of graves, and mine was there Before my life began; my resting-place."

"Mere by-blows are the world and we, And time within eternity A sheer anachronism."

"That minister of ministers, Imagination, gathers up The undiscovered Universe, Like jewels in a jasper cup."

"And the difficultest job a man can do, Is to come it brave and meek with thirty bob a week, And feel that that's the proper thing for you. It's a naked child against a hungry wolf; It's playing bowls upon a splitting wreck; It's walking on a string across a gulf With millstones fore-and-aft about your neck; But the thing is daily done by many and many a one. And we fall, face forward, fighting, on the deck."

"How fast we learn in the day of sorrow! Scripture shines out in a new effulgence; every verse seems to contain a sunbeam, every promise stands out in illuminated splendor; things hard to be understood become in a moment plain."

"Sincerity and truth form the basis of every virtue. Be what thou seemest; live thy creed; Hold up to earth the torch divine; Be what thou prayest to be made; Let the great Master's steps be thine."

"Business – the world's work – is the sale of lies: Not goods, but trade-marks; and still more and more In every branch becomes the sale of money."

"Thy way, not mine, O Lord, However dark it be! Lead me by Thine own hand; Choose out the path for me."

"Thus while I journey on, my Lord to meet, My thoughts and meditations are so sweet, Of Him on whom I lean, my strength, my stay, I can forget the sorrows of the way."

"Less, less of self each day, And more, my God, of Thee!"

"One must become Fanatic – be a wedge – a thunder-bolt To smite a passage through the close-grained world."

"Toil on, and in thy toil rejoice; For toil comes rest, for exile, home; Soon shalt thou hear the bridegroom's voice, The midnight peal: "Behold, I come.""

"Yes, for me, for me He careth With a brother's tender care; Yes, with me, with me He shareth Every burden, every fear."

"Up, then, with speed, and work; Fling ease and self away — This is no time for thee to sleep — Up, watch, and work, and pray!"

"Thou must be true thyself, If thou the truth wouldst teach; Thy soul must overflow, if thou Another's soul would'st reach! It needs the overflow of heart To give the lips full speech.Think truly, and thy thoughts Shall the world's famine feed; Speak truly, and each word of thine Shall be a fruitful seed; Live truly, and thy life shall be A great and noble creed."

"In the day of prosperity we have many refuges to resort to; in the day of adversity, only one."

"Beyond the smiling and the weeping, I shall be soon; Beyond the waking and the sleeping, Beyond the sowing and the reaping, I shall be soon! Love, rest, and home — Sweet hope! Lord, tarry not, but come!"

"Fade, fade, each earthly joy; Jesus is mine! Break every earthly tie; Jesus is mine; Dark is the wilderness; Earth has no resting-place; Jesus alone can bless; Jesus is mine."

"Wee Willie Winkie rins through the town, Up stairs and doon stairs in his nicht-gown, Tirling at the window, crying at the lock, "Are the weans in their bed, for it's now ten o'clock?""

"Ojan aparchellan neud blodeu drein. Gorlas kein minit eluit neud kin."

"Ojan aparchellan Nyhaut kisscas. Rac godurt y galar y ssit arnaf. Deg mlinet a deu ugein yd portheise poen."

"Dec mlinet adev ugein in y gein anetwon. It vif inymteith gan willeith agwillon. Guydi da diogan aditan kertorion. Nv nev nam guy. guall. gan wylleith aguyllon."

"Nym gogaun guarvy. nym goffvy gorterch. Ac igueith aryw derit. oet eur. wy gorthorch. Kin buyf. aelav hetiv gan eiliv eleirch."

"Afallen pen. blodev essplit. Atiff inargel in argoydit."

"Kimry aorvit kein bid eudragon. Kaffaud paub y teithi. llauen vi bri.brython. Kenhittor kirrn eluch. kathil hetuch a hinon."

"Awallen pen. Atyf tra run. Kymaeth lissvne inybon. irbot y wun. Amyscud. arwy isguit. Am clet ar wy clun. Ac yg coed. Keliton y kisceisse vy hun."

"Three hundred men hastened forth, wearing gold torques, defending the land – and there was slaughter. Though they were slain they slew, and they shall be honoured to the end of the world; and of all us kinsmen who went, alas, but for one man none escaped."

"From the retinue of Mynyddog they hastened forth; in a shining array they fed together round the wine-vessel. My heart has become full of grief for the feast of Mynyddog, I have lost too many of my true kinsmen."

"The men went to Catraeth, swift was their host, the pale mead was their feast and it was their poison."

"He glutted black ravens on the rampart of the stronghold, though he was no Arthur."

"When you sleep in your cloak there's no lodging to pay."

"For everything created In the bounds of earth and sky Has such longing to be mated, It must couple or must die."

"Ah, better to love in the lowliest cot Than pine in a palace alone."

"Then drink, puppy, drink, and let ev’ry puppy drink, That is old enough to lap and to swallow; For he’ll grow into a hound, so we’ll pass the bottle round, And merrily we’ll whoop and we’ll holloa."