Abraham Cowley Quotes

80 Sourced Quotes

Ah, yet, e'er I descend to th' grave, May I a small House and a large Garden have. And a few Friends, and many Books both true, Both wise, and both delightful too. And since Love ne'er will from me flee, A mistress moderately fair, And good as Guardian angels are, Only belov'd and loving me.

Abraham Cowley
So when by various Turns of the Celestial Dance, In many thousand years, A Star, so long unknown, appears, Though Heaven it self more beauteous by it grow, It troubles and alarms the World below, Does to the Wise a Star, to Fools a Meteor show.

Abraham Cowley
Poets by Death are conquer'd but the wit Of poets triumphs over it.

Abraham Cowley
Books should, not Business, entertain the Light;
And Sleep, as undisturb'd as Death, the Night.

Abraham Cowley
And I myself a Catholic will be,
So far at least, great saint, to pray to thee.
Hail, Bard triumphant! and some care bestow
On us, the Poets militant below.

Abraham Cowley
Does not the passage of Moses and the Israelites into the Holy Land yield incomparably more poetic variety than the voyages of Ulysses or Aeneas?

Abraham Cowley
There is some help for all the defects of fortune; for, if a man cannot attain to the length of his wishes, he may have his remedy by cutting of them shorter.

Abraham Cowley
What a brave privilege is it to be free from all contentions, from all envying or being envied, from receiving or paying all kinds of ceremonies!

Abraham Cowley
Who that has reason, and his smell,
Would not among roses and jasmin dwell?

Abraham Cowley
Unbind the charms that in slight fables lie and teach that truth is truest poesy.

Abraham Cowley
To-day is ours; what do we fear?
To-day is ours; we have it here.
Let's treat it kindly, that it may
Wish, at least, with us to stay.
Let's banish business, banish sorrow;
To the gods belong to-morrow.

Abraham Cowley
Poet and Saint! to thee alone are given
The two most sacred names of earth and Heaven.

Abraham Cowley
Why dost thou heap up wealth, which thou must quit,
Or what is worse, be left by it?
Why dost thou load thyself when thou 'rt to fly,
Oh, man! ordain'd to die?
Why dost thou build up stately rooms on high,
Thou who art under ground to lie?
Thou sow'st and plantest, but no fruit must see,
For death, alas! is reaping thee.

Abraham Cowley
Ah! Wretched and too solitary he who loves not his own company.

Abraham Cowley
Begin, be bold, and venture to be wise,
He who defers this work from day to day,
Does on a river's bank expecting stay,
Till the whole stream, which stopped him, should be gone,
That runs, and as it runs, for ever will run on.

Abraham Cowley
The liberty of a people consists in being governed by laws which they have made themselves, under whatsoever form it be of government; the liberty of a private man, in being master of his own time and actions, as far as may consist with the laws of God and of his country.

Abraham Cowley
Thus each extream to equal danger tends,
Plenty as well as Want can separate Friends;

Abraham Cowley
Enjoy the present hour, Be thankful for the past, And neither fear nor wish Th' approaches of the last.

Abraham Cowley
Such was Gods Poem, this Worlds new Essay;
So wild and rude in its first draught it lay;
Th' ungovern'd parts no Correspondence knew,
An artless war from thwarting Motions grew;
Till they to Number and fixt Rules were brought
By the eternal Minds Poetique Thought.
Water and Air he for the Tenor chose,
Earth made the Base, the Treble Flame arose,
To th' active Moon a quick brisk stroke he gave,
To Saturns string a touch more soft and grave.
The motions Strait, and Round, and Swift, and Slow,
And Short, and Long, were mixt and woven so,
Did in such artful Figures smoothly fall,
As made this decent measur'd Dance of All.

Abraham Cowley
Unable to corrupt, seek to destroy;
And where their Poysons miss, the Sword employ.

Abraham Cowley
Life for delays and doubts no time does give,
None ever yet made haste enough to live.

Abraham Cowley
If of their pleasures and desires no end be found;
God to their cares and fears will set no bound.
What would content you? Who can tell?
Ye fear so much to lose what you have got
As if ye liked it well.
Ye strive for more, as if ye liked it not.

Abraham Cowley
Th' adorning thee with so much art
Is but a barb'rous skill;
'T is like the pois'ning of a dart,
Too apt before to kill.

Abraham Cowley
The stings,
The crowd, and buzz, and murmurings
Of this great hive, the city.

Abraham Cowley
Awake, awake, my Lyre!
And tell thy silent master's humble tale
In sounds that may prevail;
Sounds that gentle thoughts inspire:
Though so exalted she
And I so lowly be
Tell her, such different notes make all thy harmony.

Abraham Cowley
Ah yet, ere I descend to the grave
May I a small house and large garden have;
And a few friends, and many books, both true,
Both wise, and both delightful too!

Abraham Cowley
Hence, ye profane! I hate ye all,
Both the great vulgar and the small.

Abraham Cowley
Fond archer, Hope! who tak'st thy aim so far,
That still or short, or wide thine arrows are!

Abraham Cowley
An harmless flaming meteor shone for hair,
And fell adown his shoulders with loose care.

Abraham Cowley
I would not fear nor wish my fate, but boldly say each night, to-morrow let my sun his beams display, or in clouds hide them; I have lived today.

Abraham Cowley