"But he with empire fired, and vast desires, To all, and nothing less than all, aspires; He reckons not the past, while aught remained Great to be done, or mighty to be gained."

"Thus power and greatness to destruction haste, Thus bounds to human happiness are placed, And Jove forbids prosperity to last."

"No faith, no trust, no friendship shall be known Among the jealous partners of a throne; But he who reigns shall strive to reign alone."

"At length his thoughts from arms and vengeance cease, And for a while revolve the arts of peace; Careful to purchase popular applause, And gain the vulgar to his cause, He knew the constant practice of the great, That those who court the vulgar bid them eat. When pinched with want all reverence they withdraw; For hungry multitudes obey no law: Thus therefore factions make their parties good, And buy authority and power with food."

"But thus the malice of our fate commands, And nothing great to long duration stands; Aspiring Rome had risen too much in height, And sunk beneath her own unwieldy weight."

"Where kings prevail, all liberty is lost, And none but he who reigns can freedom boast; Some shadow of the bliss thou shalt retain, Choosing to do what sovereign powers ordain."

"From God derived, to God by nature joined, We act the dictates of His mighty mind: And though the priests are mute and temples still, God never wants a voice to speak His will. When first we from the teeming womb were brought, With in-born precepts then our souls were fraught, And then the Maker His new creatures taught. Then when He formed and gave us to be men, He gave us all our useful knowledge, then. Canst thou believe, the vast eternal mind Was e'er to Syrts and Libyan sands confined? That He would choose this waste, this barren ground, To teach the thin inhabitants around, And leave His truth in wilds and deserts drowned? Is there a place that God would choose to love Beyond this earth, the seas, yon heaven above, And virtuous minds, the noblest throne for Jove? Why seek we further then? Behold around How all thou see'st does with the God abound, Jove is alike in all, and always to be found. Let those weak minds, who live in doubt and fear, To juggling priests for oracles repair; One certain hour of death to each decreed, My fixed, my certain soul from doubt has freed. The coward and the brave are doomed to fall; And when Jove told this truth, he told us all."

"His noble name, his country's honour grown, Was venerably round the nations known."

"O Poesy divine! O sacred song! To thee bright fame and length of days belong; Thou, goddess! Thou eternity canst give And bid secure the mortal hero live."

"Not earth from yon high heavens which we admire, Not from the watery element the fire, Are severed by distinction half so wide, As interest and integrity divide."

"In cold laborious climes the wintery north Brings her undaunted hardy warriors forth, In body and in mind untaught to yield, Stubborn of soul and steady in the field; While Asia's softer climate, formed to please, Dissolves her sons in insolence and ease."

"For piety and virtue's starving rules, To mean retirements let them lead their fools; There may they still ingloriously be good: None can be safe in courts, who blush at blood."

"One of the greatest productions of English poetry."

"Whatever faction's partial notions are, No hand is wholly innocent in war."

"In war, in dangers, oft it has been known, That fear has driven the headlong coward on. Give me the man, whose cooler soul can wait, With patience, for the proper hour of fate."

"Though now thy cruelty denies a grave, These and the world, one common lot shall have; One last appointed flame, by Fate's decree, Shall waste yon azure heavens, this earth and sea; Shall knead the dead up in one mingled mass, Where stars and they shall undistinguished pass. And though thou scorn their fellowship, yet know, High as thy own can soar, these souls shall go; Or find, perhaps, a better place below. Death is beyond thy goddess Fortune's power, And parent earth receives whate'er she bore. Nor will we mourn those Romans' fate, who lie Beneath the glorious covering of the sky; That starry arch for ever round them turns, A nobler shelter far than tombs or urns."

"Her gabbling tongue a muttering tone confounds Discordant, and unlike to human sounds: It seemed of dogs the bark, of wolves the howl, The doleful screeching of the midnight owl; The hiss of snakes, the hungry lion's roar, The bound of billows beating on the shore: The groan of winds among the leafy wood And burst of thunder from the rending cloud: 'Twas these, all these in one."

"Oh, happy poverty! thou greatest good, Bestowed by Heaven, but seldom understood! Here nor the cruel spoiler seeks his prey, Nor ruthless armies take their dreadful way: Security thy narrow limit keeps, Safe are thy cottages and sound thy sleeps."

"Thus when the gods are pleased to plague mankind, Our own rash hands are to the task assigned; By them ordained the tools of fate to be, We blindly act the mischiefs they decree."

"Thus age to sorrows oft the great betrays, When loss of empire comes with length of days. Life and enjoyment still one end should have, Lest early misery prevent the grave. The good that lasts not was in vain bestowed, And ease, once past, becomes the present load: Then let the wise, in Fortune's kindest hour, Still keep one safe retreat within his power; Let death be near, to guard him from surprise, And free him, when the fickle goddess flies."

"Rowe's translation of Lucan has certainly never met with the popularity and applause it deserved. It is one of the few translations that is better than its original."

"For laws in great rebellions lose their end, And all go free when multitudes offend."

"Nor think such vulgar souls as yours were given To be the task of Fate and care of Heaven. Few are the lordly, the distinguished great, On whom the watchful gods, like guardians, wait; The rest for common use were all designed, An unregarded rabble of mankind."

"Guilt equal gives equality of state."

"By daring shows our greatest fears we hide."

"Heroic minds! that can even Fate command, And bid it wait upon a mortal hand; Who full of life forsake it as a feast, Take what they like, and give the gods the rest."

"Che chi si truova in degno laccio preso, Se ben di sé vede sua donna schiva, Se in tutto aversa al suo desire acceso; Se bene Amor d'ogni mercede il priva, Poscia che 'l tempo e la fatica ha speso; Pur ch'altamente abbia locato il core, Pianger non de', se ben languisce e muore."

"Bisognan di valor segni più chiari, Che por con leggiadria la lancia in resta: Ma fortuna anco più bisogna assai; Che senza, val virtù raro o non mai."

"Un magnanimo cor morte non prezza, Presta o tarda che sia, pur che ben muora."

"Fu il vincer sempremai laudabil cosa, Vincasi o per fortuna o per ingegno."

"Quivi il crudo tiranno Amor, che sempre D'ogni promessa sua fu disleale, E sempre guarda come involva e stempre Ogni nostro disegno razionale."

"Cader de la padella ne le brage."

"Che l'uomo il suo destin fugge di raro."

"Che non pur per cittadi e per castella, Ma per tuguri ancora e per fenili Spesso si trovan gli uomini gentili."

"Bene è felice quel, donne mie care, Ch'essere accorto all'altrui spese impare."

"Non vi vieto per questo (ch'avrei torto) Che vi lasciate amar; che senza amante Sareste come inculta vite in orto, Che non ha palo ove s'appoggi o piante."

"Che rilevare un che Fortuna ruote Talora al fondo, e consolar l'afflitto, Mai non fu biasmo, ma gloria sovente."

"L'amante, per aver quel che desia, Senza guardar che Dio tutto ode e vede, Aviluppa promesse e giuramenti, Che tutti spargon poi per l'aria i venti."

"Ch'aver può donna al mondo più di buono, A cui la castità levata sia?"

"Natura il fece, e poi roppe la stampa."

"Qual d'acqua chiara il tremolante lume, Dal sol percossa o da' notturni rai, Per gli ampli tetti va con lungo salto A destra et a sinistra, e basso et alto."

"Se non volea pulir sua scusa tanto, Che la facesse di menzogna rea."

"Che dona e tolle ogn'altro ben Fortuna; Sol in virtù non ha possanza alcuna."

"Sei giorni me n'andai matina e sera Per balze e per pendici orride e strane, Dove non via, dove sentier non era."

"Veniano sospirando, e gli occhi bassi Parean tener d'ogni baldanza privi."

"Il miser suole Dar facile credenza a quel che vuole."

"Quel che l'huom vede Amor gli fa invisibile E l'invisibil fa vedere Amore."

"Ingiustissimo Amor, perché sì raro Corrispondenti fai nostri desiri? Onde, perfido, avvien che t'è sì caro Il discorde voler ch’in duo cor miri?"

"Statti col dolce in bocca; e non ti doglia Ch'amareggiare al fin non te la voglia."