John Hoole Quotes

The youth, who pants to gain the amorous prize,
Forgets that Heaven with all-discerning eyes
Surveys the secret heart; and when desire
Has, in possession, quenched its short-lived fire,
The devious winds aside each promise bear,
And scatter all his solemn vows in air!

What has that wretched damsel left to boast,
What good on earth, whose virtuous praise is lost?

These friendly words awhile consoled the fair;
For grief imparted oft alleviates care.

My endeavour has been to render the sense of my author as nearly as possible, which could never be done merely by translating his words.

When highest placed on giddy Fortune's wheel,
Unhappy man must soon expect to feel
A sad reverse, and in the changing round
With rapid whirl as sudden touch the ground.

Love what we see can from our sight remove,
And things invisible are seen by Love.

When Fame, O monarch! good or evil tells,
Evil or good beyond the truth she swells.

Ah! why so rare does cruel Love inspire
Two tender bosoms with a mutual fire?
Say, whence, perfidious, dost thou pleasure find
To sow dissension in the human mind?

Reflect, ye gentle dames, that much they know,
Who gain experience from another's woe.

Behold the state of man's unstable mind,
Still prone to change with every changing wind!
All our resolves are weak, but weakest prove
Where sprung from sense of disappointed love.

Never let us utter what we never can know,
And chiefly when it works another's woe.

For oft the grace
Of costly vest improves a beauteous face.

'Tis often constancy to change the mind.

Of all the sex this certain truth is known,
No woman yet was ever content with one.

In blaming others, fools their folly show,
And most attempt to speak when least they know.