John Hoole

"My endeavour has been to render the sense of my author as nearly as possible, which could never be done merely by translating his words."

"The spotless maid is like the blooming rose Which on its native stem unsullied grows; Where fencing walls the garden-space surround, Nor swains, nor browsing cattle tread the ground. But if some hand the tender stalk invades, Lost is its beauty, and its colour fades: No more the care of heaven, or garden's boast, And all its praise with youths and maidens lost."

"Love what we see can from our sight remove, And things invisible are seen by Love."

"Ah! why so rare does cruel Love inspire Two tender bosoms with a mutual fire? Say, whence, perfidious, dost thou pleasure find To sow dissension in the human mind?"

"What has that wretched damsel left to boast, What good on earth, whose virtuous praise is lost?"

"So from a water clear, the trembling light Of Phoebus, or the silver queen of night, Along the spacious rooms with splendour plays, Now high, now low, and shifts a thousand ways."

"The youth, who pants to gain the amorous prize, Forgets that Heaven with all-discerning eyes Surveys the secret heart; and when desire Has, in possession, quenched its short-lived fire, The devious winds aside each promise bear, And scatter all his solemn vows in air!"

"Reflect, ye gentle dames, that much they know, Who gain experience from another's woe."

"What more our folly shows, Than while we others seek, ourselves to lose?"

"In blaming others, fools their folly show, And most attempt to speak when least they know."

"For oft the grace Of costly vest improves a beauteous face."

"Of all the sex this certain truth is known, No woman yet was ever content with one."

"To others never do That which yourselves would wish undone to you."

"Behold the state of man's unstable mind, Still prone to change with every changing wind! All our resolves are weak, but weakest prove Where sprung from sense of disappointed love."

"Never let us utter what we never can know, And chiefly when it works another's woe."

"But such their power who rule with tyrant sway, Whom most they loath the people most obey."

"When Fame, O monarch! good or evil tells, Evil or good beyond the truth she swells."

"And Neptune's white herds low above the wave."

"These friendly words awhile consoled the fair; For grief imparted oft alleviates care."

"Not beauty, wealth, or lineage e'er could raise A woman's name (he said) to height of praise, If not in action chaste."

"When highest placed on giddy Fortune's wheel, Unhappy man must soon expect to feel A sad reverse, and in the changing round With rapid whirl as sudden touch the ground."

"The toils of honour dignify repose."

"'Tis often constancy to change the mind."

"For while the treason I detest, The traitor still I love."

"A noble transmuter of gold into lead. [...] He did exactly so many couplets day by day, neither more nor less; and habit had made it light to him, however heavy it might seem to the reader."