Ben Jonson Quotes - Page 8

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• Custom is the most certain mistress of language, as the public stamp makes the current money.

  Ben Jonson

  Mistress, Language, Stamps

  Timber: or Discoveries made upon Men and Matter (published 1640).

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• Tis the common disease of all your musicians that they know no mean, to be entreated, either to begin or end.

  Ben Jonson

  Music, Mean, Disease

  Ben Jonson, William Gifford (1816). “The Works: In 9 Volumes. ... containing Eyery man out of his humor. Cynthia's revels. The poetaster”, p.428

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• Guilt's a terrible thing.

  Ben Jonson

  Guilt, Terrible, Terrible Things

  Ben Jonson, William Gifford (1816). “The Works of Ben Jonson...: With Notes Critical and Explanatory, and a Biographical Memoir”, p.471

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• Success hath made me wanton.

  Ben Jonson

  Made, Wanton

  1609 Volpone, act 3, sc.1.

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• Whosoever loves not picture is injurious to truth, and all the wisdom of poetry. Picture is the invention of heaven, the most ancient and most akin to nature. It is itself a silent work, and always one and the same habit.

  Ben Jonson

  Heaven, Ancient, Silent

  Ben Jonson, William Gifford (1816). “The Works: In 9 Volumes. ... containing Underwoods, translations, &c. Discoveries. English grammar. Jonsonus viribus”, p.206

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• A new disease? I know not, new or old, but it may well be called poor mortals plague for, like a pestilence, it doth infect the houses of the brain till not a thought, or motion, in the mind, be free from the black poison of suspect.

  Ben Jonson

  House, Black, Brain

  Ben Jonson, William Gifford (1859). “The works of Ben Jonson”

  21 Copy quote

• I have discovered that a famed familiarity in great ones is a note of certain usurpation on the less; for great and popular men feign themselves to be servants to others to make those slaves to them.

  Ben Jonson

  Men, Slave, Popularity

  Ben Jonson, William Gifford (1857). “The Works of Ben Jonson”, p.875

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• Honor's a good brooch to wear in a man's hat at all times.

  Ben Jonson

  Hate, Men, Honor

  Ben Jonson, William Gifford (1857). “The Works of Ben Jonson”, p.207

  74 Copy quote

• No glass renders a man's form or likeness so true as his speech.

  Ben Jonson

  Men, Glasses, Speech

  Ben Jonson, Robert S. Miola (2000). “Every Man in His Humour: Quarto Version”, p.53, Manchester University Press

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• You are not now to think what's best to do,
  As in beginnings, but what must be done,
  Being thus enter'd; and slip no advantage
  That may secure you. Let them call it mischief;
  When it is past, and prosper'd , 'twill be virtue.

  Ben Jonson

  Past, Virtue, Mischief

  "Complete Works of Ben Jonson".

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• The two chief things that give a man reputation in counsel, are the opinion of his honesty, and the opinion of his wisdom; the authority of those two will persuade.

  Ben Jonson

  Honesty, Men, Two

  Ben Jonson, William Gifford (1857). “The Works of Ben Jonson”, p.866

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• Ods me I marle what pleasure or felicity they have in taking their roguish tobacco. It is good for nothing but to choke a man, and fill him full of smoke and embers.

  Ben Jonson

  Men, Cigarette Smoke, Smoking

  'Every Man in His Humour' (1598) act 3, sc. 5

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• Vice Is like a fury to the vicious mind, And turns delight itself to punishment.

  Ben Jonson

  Punishment, Mind, Vices

  Ben Jonson, William Gifford (1857). “The Works of Ben Jonson”, p.202

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• Poor worms, they hiss at me, whilst I at home Can be contented to applaud myself, . . . with joy To see how plump my bags are and my barns.

  Ben Jonson

  Home, Joy, Barns

  Ben Jonson, William Gifford (1857). “The Works of Ben Jonson”, p.132

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• The day For whose returns, and many, all these pray; And so do I.

  Ben Jonson

  Birthday, Return, Praying

  Ben Jonson (1756). “Works: Collated with all the former editions, and corrected with notes critical and explanatory”, p.425

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• Greatness of name, in the father, ofttimes helps not forth, but overwhelms the son: They stand too near one another. The shadow kills the growth.

  Ben Jonson

  Father, Son, Greatness

  Ben Jonson, Barry Cornwall (1838). “The Works of B. J. with a Memoir of His Life and Writings, by Barry Cornwall [i.e. B. W. Procter].”, p.745

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• There is no doctrine will do good where nature is wanting.

  Ben Jonson

  Doctrine, Creeds

  Ben Jonson, William Gifford (1816). “The Works: In 9 Volumes. ... containing Underwoods, translations, &c. Discoveries. English grammar. Jonsonus viribus”, p.176

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• Freedom doth with degree dispense.

  Ben Jonson

  Degrees

  1616 The Forest,'To Sir Robert Wroth'.

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• If all you boast of your great art be true; Sure, willing poverty lives most in you.

  Ben Jonson

  Art, Poverty, Being True

  Ben Jonson (1838). “The Works of Ben Jonson”, p.665

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• God wisheth none should wreck on a strange shelf: To him man's dearer than to himself.

  Ben Jonson

  Men, Wrecks, Strange

  Ben Jonson, William (Schriftsteller) Gifford (1816). “The Works: In 9 Volumes. ... containing Masques, &c. Epigrams. Underwoods”, p.260

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• Prevent your day at morning.

  Ben Jonson

  Morning

  Ben Jonson, William Gifford (1816). “The alchemist. Catiline. Bartholomew Fair”, p.59

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• And where she went, the flowers took thickest root, As she had sow'd them with her odorous foot.

  Ben Jonson

  Flower, Roots, Feet

  Ben Jonson (1875). “The works of Ben Jonson, with notes, and a biogr. memoir, by W. Gifford. With intr. and appendices by F. Cunningham”, p.238

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• That praises are without reason lavished on the dead, and that the honours due only to are paid to antiquity, is a complaint likely to be always continued by those who, being able to add nothing to truth, hope for eminence from the heresies of paradox; or those who, being forced by disappointment upon consolatory expedients, are willing to hope from posterity what the present age refuses, and flatter themselves that the regard which is yet denied by envy will be at last bestowed by time.

  Ben Jonson

  Truth, Disappointment, Envy

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• I am beholden to calumny, that she hath so endeavored to belie me.-It shall make me set a surer guard on myself, and keep a better watch upon my actions.

  Ben Jonson

  Calumny Is, Watches, Action

  Ben Jonson, William Gifford (1855). “The Works of Ben Jonson: With a Biographical Memoir”, p.867

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• For he that once is good, is ever great.

  Ben Jonson

  Greatness

  Ben Jonson (1856). “Poetical Works of Ben Jonson. Edited by Robert Bell”, p.173

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