As an eagle seeing prey appear SPENSER. The kingly bird that bears Jove's thunderclap One day did scorn the simple scarabee, Proud of his highest service, and good hap, That made all other fowls his thralls to be. SPENSER. Lifted aloft, he 'gan to mount up higher, An haggard hawk, presuming to contend The nightingale is sovereign of song, The rook, who high amid the boughs In early spring his airy city builds, And ceaseless caws. THOMSON. The swallow sweeps The slimy pool to build his hanging house. THOMSON. The stately-sailing swan Gives out his snowy plumage to the gale; And, arching proud his neck, with oary feet Bears forward fierce, and guards his osier isle, Protective of his young. THOMSON. BLANDISHMENTS. Him Dido now with blandishment detains; Each bird and beast behold BLINDNESS. He blinds the wise, gives eyesight to the blind, Approaching two and two; these cow'ring low To outward view of blemish or of spot, This three years day, these eyes, though clear With blandishment. MILTON. Bereft of sight, their seeing have forgot. MILTON. 6 Exempt from many a care and chance, to which May Heav'n, great monarch, still augment your Eyesight exposes daily men abroad. MILTON. bliss With length of days, and every day like this. DRYDEN. Vain, very vain, my weary search to find That bliss which only centres in the mind. GOLDSMITH. Bliss, as thou hast part, to me is bliss; Condition, circumstance, is not the thing: This day's ensample hath this lesson dear A thousand blushing apparitions BOASTING. That brawny fool who did his vigour boast, DRYDEN. No more delays, vain boaster! but begin; 83 DRYDEN. He the proud boasters sent, with stern assault, JOHN PHILIPS. If it be so, yet bragless let it be: SHAKSPEARE. Who knows himself a braggart, Let him fear this; for it will come to pass, That every braggart shall be found an ass. SHAKSPEARE BOOKS. Its no' in books, its no' in lear, BURNS: Epistle to Davie. 'Tis in books the chief BUTLER. To start into her face; a thousand innocent They cannot read, and so don't lisp in criticism; shames, In angel whiteness, bear away those blushes. SHAKSPEARE. To-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hope; to-morrow blossoms, Her lips blush deeper sweets. him. upon SHAKSPEARE. THOMSON. Nor write, and so they don't affect the muse; Were never caught in epigram or witticism; Have no romances, sermons, plays, reviews. BYRON. 'Twere well with most, if books, that could Their childhood, pleased them at a riper age, Along those blushing borders, bright with dew. The gem of truth from his unguarded soul. THOMSON. The man that blushes is not quite a brute. YOUNG. COWPER. Books are not seldom talismans and spells. Books cannot always please, however good; CRABBE. Books should to one of these four ends conduce: For wisdom, piety, delight, or use. SIR J. DENHAM. Fixt and contemplative their looks, Still turning over nature's books. SIR J. DENHAM. Yet vainly most their age in study spend: Let moths through pages eat their way, DRYDEN. Whate'er these booklearn'd blockheads say, Solon's the veriest fool in all the play. DRYDEN. How pure the joy when first my hands unfold The small, rare volume, black with tarnish'd gold. FERRIAR: Bibliomania. The princeps copy, clad in blue and gold. FERRIAR: Bibliomania. Now cheaply bought for thrice their weight in gold. FERRIAR: Bibliomania. That place that does Contain my books, the best companions, is To me a glorious court, where hourly I Converse with the old sages and philosophers. FLETCHER. Whence is thy learning? Hath thy toil O'er books consumed the midnight oil? GAY. Volumes on shelter'd stalls expanded lie, And various science lures the learned eye. GAY. Uncertain and unsettled he remains, That we to them our solitude may give, Plunged for his sense, but found no bottom there; Next o'er his books his eyes began to roll РОРЕ. MILTON. My only books Were woman's looks, And folly's all they taught me. MOORE. Books are part of man's prerogative; |