Edmund Waller Quotes

“Vexed sailors cursed the rain, for which poor shepherds prayed in vain.”

— Edmund Waller

“The lark that shuns on lofty boughs to build, Her humble nest, lies silent in the field.”

— Edmund Waller

All human things Of dearest value hang on slender strings.

— Edmund Waller

Tea does our fancy aid, Repress those vapours which the head invade, And keeps that palace of the soul serene.

— Edmund Waller

Stronger by weakness, wiser men become.

— Edmund Waller

“Go, lovely rose! Tell her that wastes her time and me That now she knows, When I resemble her to thee, How sweet and fair she seems to be.”

— Edmund Waller

Illustrious acts high raptures do infuse, And every conqueror creates a muse.

— Edmund Waller

“Poets lose half the praise they should have got, Could it be known what they discreetly blot.”

— Edmund Waller

“The seas are quiet when the winds give o'er; So calm are we when passions are no more!”

— Edmund Waller

And as pale sickness does invade, Your frailer part, the breaches made, In that fair lodging still more clear, Make the bright guest, your soul, appear.

— Edmund Waller

“How small a part of time they share, That are so wondrous sweet and fair!”

— Edmund Waller

“Others may use the ocean as their road; Only the English make it their abode.”

— Edmund Waller

“Could we forbear dispute, and practise love, We should agree as angels do above.”

— Edmund Waller

“Give us enough but with a sparing hand.”

— Edmund Waller

Leaving the old, both worlds at once they view, That stand upon the threshold of the new.

— Edmund Waller

“Circle are praised, not that abound, In largeness, but the exactly round.”

— Edmund Waller

“So must the writer, whose productions should Take with the vulgar, be of vulgar mould.”

— Edmund Waller

“A narrow compass! and yet there Dwelt all that 's good, and all that 's fair; Give me but what this riband bound, Take all the rest the sun goes round.”

— Edmund Waller

“The fear of hell, or aiming to be blest, savors too much of private interest.”

— Edmund Waller

“His love at once and dread instruct our thought; As man He suffer'd and as God He taught.”

— Edmund Waller

Seeming devotion does but gild a knave,
That's neither faithful, honest, just, nor brave;
But where religion does with virtue join,
It makes a hero like an angel shine.

— Edmund Waller

“And keeps the palace of the soul.”

— Edmund Waller

“Under the tropic is our language spoke, And part of Flanders hath receiv'd our yoke.”

— Edmund Waller

“The chain that's fixed to the throne of Jove, On which the fabric of our world depends, One link dissolved, the whole creation ends.”

— Edmund Waller

To man, that was in th' evening made,
Stars gave the first delight;
Admiring, in the gloomy shade,
Those little drops of light.

— Edmund Waller

The soul's dark cottage, batter'd and decay'd,
Lets in new light through chinks that Time has made.

— Edmund Waller

“Consent in virtue knit your hearts so fast,
That still the knot, in spite of death, does last;
For as your tears, and sorrow-wounded soul,
Prove well that on your part this bond is whole,
So all we know of what they do above,
Is that they happy are, and that they love.
Let dark oblivion, and the hollow grave,
Content themselves our frailer thoughts to have;
Well-chosen love is never taught to die,
But with our nobler part invades the sky.”

— Edmund Waller

“For all we know Of what the blessed do above Is, that they sing, and that they love. While I listen to thy Voice.”

— Edmund Waller

“Music so softens and disarms the mind That not an arrow does resistance find.”

— Edmund Waller

“His kingdom come! For this we pray in vain,
Unless He does in our affections reign.
How fond it were to wish for such a King,
And no obedience to his sceptre bring,
Whose yoke is easy, and His burthen light;
His service freedom, and His judgments right.”

— Edmund Waller

“What use of oaths, of promise, or of test, where men regard no God but interest?”

— Edmund Waller

Happy the innocent whose equal thoughts are free from anguish as they are from faults.

— Edmund Waller

“Fade, flowers, fade! Nature will have it so; 'tis but what we in our autumn do.”

— Edmund Waller

The fear of God is freedom, joy, and peace;
And makes all ills that vex us here to cease.

— Edmund Waller

When religion doth with virtue join, it makes a hero like an angel shine.

— Edmund Waller

Gods, that never change their state, vary oft their love and hate.

— Edmund Waller

“But virtue too, as well as vice, is clad in flesh and blood.”

— Edmund Waller

Ingenious to their ruin, every age improves the art and instruments of rage.

— Edmund Waller

“With wisdom fraught; not such as books, but such as practice taught.”

— Edmund Waller

“Happy is she that from the world retires, and carries with her what the world admires.”

— Edmund Waller

“If its length be not considered a merit, it hath no other.”

— Edmund Waller

“Virtue's a stronger guard than brass.”

— Edmund Waller

While we converse with her, we mark
No want of day, nor think it dark.

— Edmund Waller

“My joy, my grief, my hope, my love,
Did all within this circle move!”

— Edmund Waller

“In other things the knowing artist may Judge better than the people; but a play, (Made for delight, and for no other use) If you approve it not, has no excuse.”

— Edmund Waller

The rising sun complies with our weak sight, First gilds the clouds, then shows his globe of light At such a distance from our eyes, as though He knew what harm his hasty beams would do.

— Edmund Waller

“Since thou wouldst needs, bewitched with some ill charms, Be buried in those monumental arms: As we can wish, is, may that earth lie light Upon thy tender limbs, and so good night.”

— Edmund Waller

“Poets may boast (as safely-vain) Their work shall with the world remain: Both bound together, live, or die, The verses and the prophecy. But who can hope his lines shou'd long Last, in a daily changing tongue? While they are new, envy prevails, And as that dies, our language fails.”

— Edmund Waller

“He that alone would wise and mighty be,Commands that others love as well as he.Love as he lov'd! - How can we soar so high?-He can add wings when he commands to fly.Nor should we be with this command dismay'd;He that examples gives will give his aid:For he took flesh, that where his precepts fall,His practice, as a pattern, may prevail.”

— Edmund Waller

“Soft words, with nothing in them, make a song.”

— Edmund Waller