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Opportunity to be improved.—Shakespeare.
There is a tide in the affairs of men,
⟨Which⟩, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
⟨Omitted⟩, all the voyage of their life
⟨Is⟩ bound in shallows, and in miseries.
Bitter Jesting.—Johnson.
⟨Of⟩ all the griefs that harrass the distress’d,
⟨Sure⟩ the most bitter, is a scornful jest.
⟨Fate⟩ never wounds more deep the gen’rous heart,
⟨Than⟩ when a blockhead’s insult points the dart.
Pride.—Pope.
⟨Of⟩ all the causes which conspire to blind
⟨Man’s⟩ erring judgment, and misguide the mind,
⟨What⟩ the weak head with strongest bias rules,
⟨Is⟩ Pride, the never-failing voice of fools.
Love and Esteem better than Riches.—Pope.
⟨To⟩ whom can riches give repute or trust,
⟨Content⟩ or pleasure, but the good and just!
⟨Judges⟩ and senates have been bought for gold,
⟨Esteem⟩ and love were never to be sold.
Vanity of Man—Gay.
⟨Ah!⟩ what is life! with ills encompass’d round,
⟨Amidst⟩ our hopes, fate strikes the sudden wound:
⟨To-day⟩, the statesman of new honour dreams,
⟨To-morrow⟩, death destroys his airy schemes.
