Great Throughts Treasury

"Let us not judge life by the number of its breaths taken, but by the number of times the breath is held, or lost, either under a deep emotion, caused by love, or when we stand before an object of interest and beauty."

"Any life truly lived is a risky business, and if one puts up too many fences against the risks one ends by shutting out life itself."

"Indeed this is the sweet life! my hand is under no proud man's command; there is no voice to break my rest before a bird has left its nest; there is no man to change my mood, when I go nutting in the wood; no man to pluck my sleeve and say -- I want thy labor for this day; no man to keep me out of sight, when that dear Sun is shining bright. None but my friends shall have command upon my time, my heart and hand; I'll rise from sleep to help a friend, but let no stranger orders send, or hear my curses fast and thick, which in his purse-proud throat would stick like burrs. If I cannot be free to do such work as pleases me, near woodland pools and under trees, you'll get no work at all, for I would rather live this life and die a beggar or a thief, than be a working slave with no days free."

"Autumn grows old: he, like some simple one, in Summer's castaway is strangely clad."

"From my own kind I only learn how foolish comfort is."

"I also love a quiet place that's green, away from all mankind; a lonely pool, and let a tree sigh with her bosom over me."

"Go you and, with such glorious hues, live with proud peacocks in green parks."

"Now, joy is born of parents poor, and pleasure of our richer kind; though pleasure's free, she cannot sing as sweet a song as joy confined. Pleasure's a Moth, that sleeps by day and dances by false glare at night; but Joy's a Butterfly, that loves to spread its wings in Nature's light. Joy's like a Bee that gently sucks away on blossoms its sweet hour; but pleasure's like a greedy Wasp, that plums and cherries would devour. Joy's like a Lark that lives alone, whose ties are very strong, though few; but Pleasure like a Cuckoo roams, makes much acquaintance, no friends true. Joy from her heart doth sing at home, with little care if others hear; but pleasure then is cold and dumb, and sings and laughs with strangers near."

"If I were gusty April now, how I would blow at laughing Rose; I'd make her ribbons slip their knots, and all her hair come loose. If I were merry April now, how I would pelt her cheeks with showers; I'd make carnations, rich and warm, of her vermillion flowers. Since she will laugh in April's face no matter how he rains or blows -- then O that I wild April were, to play with laughing Rose."

"No idle gold -- since this fine sun, my friend, is no mean miser, but doth freely spend. No prescious stones -- since these green mornings show, without a charge, their pearls where'er I go. No lifeless books -- since birds with their sweet tongues will read aloud to me their happier songs. No painted scenes -- since clouds can change their skies a hundred times a day to please my eyes. No headstrong wine -- since, when I drink, the spring into my eager ears will softly sing. No surplus clothes -- since every simple beast can teach me to be happy with the least."

"It was the Rainbow gave thee birth, and left thee all her lovely hues."

"No time to see, in broad daylight, streams full of stars, like skies at night. No time to turn at Beauty's glance, and watch her feet, how they can dance."

"Now shall I walk or shall I ride? "Ride", Pleasure said; "Walk", Joy replied. Now what shall I -- stay home or roam? "Roam", Pleasure said; and Joy -- "stay home." Now shall I dance, or sit for dreams? "Sit," answers Joy; "Dance," Pleasure screams. Which of ye two will kindest be? Pleasure laughed sweet, but Joy kissed me."

"Sweet Stay-at-Home, sweet Well-content, thou knowest of no strange continent; thou hast not felt thy bosom keep a gentle motion with the deep; thou hast not sailed in Indian seas, where scent comes forth in every breeze."

"The collier's wife had four tall sons brought from the pit's mouth dead, and crushed from foot to head."

"They sniffed, poor things, for their green fields, they cried so loud I could not sleep: for fifty thousand shillings down I would not sail again with sheep."

"Thou shalt not laugh, thou shalt not romp, let's grimly kiss with bated breath; as quietly and solemnly as Life when it is kissing Death. Now in the silence of the grave, my hand is squeezing that soft breast; while thou dost in such passion lie, it mocks me with its look of rest. But when the morning comes at last, and we must part, our passions cold, you'll think of some new feather, scarf to buy with my small piece of gold; and I'll be dreaming of green lanes, where little things with beating hearts hold shining eyes between the leaves, till men with horses pass, and carts."

"What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare. No time to stand beneath the boughs and stare as long as sheep or cows. No time to see, when woods we pass, where squirrels hide their nuts in grass. No time to see, in broad daylight, streams full of stars, like skies at night. No time to turn at Beauty's glance, and watch her feet, how they can dance. No time to wait till her mouth can enrich that smile her eyes began. A poor life this is if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare."

"What sweet, what happy days had I, when dreams made Time Eternity!"

"When April scatters charms of primrose gold among the copper leaves in thickets old, and singing skylarks from the meadows rise, to twinkle like black stars in sunny skies; when I can hear the small woodpecker ring time on a tree for all the birds that sing; and hear the pleasant cuckoo, loud and long -- the simple bird that thinks two notes a song; when I can hear the woodland brook, that could not drown a babe, with all his threatening mood; upon these banks the violets make their home, and let a few small strawberry blossoms come: when I go forth on such a pleasant day, one breath outdoors takes all my cares away; it goes like heavy smoke, when flames take hold of wood that's green and fill a grate with gold."

"When I had money, money, O! I knew no joy till I went poor; for many a false man as a friend came knocking all day at my door. Then felt I like a child that holds a trumpet that he must not blow because a man is dead; I dared not speak to let this false world know. Much have I thought of life, and seen how poor men?s hearts are ever light; and how their wives do hum like bees about their work from morn till night. So, when I hear these poor ones laugh, and see the rich ones coldly frown? Poor men, think I, need not go up so much as rich men should come down. When I had money, money, O! My many friends proved all untrue; but now I have no money, O! My friends are real, though very few."

"With thy true love I have more wealth than Charon's piled-up bank doth hold; where he makes kings lay down their crowns and life-long misers leave their gold. Without thy love I've no more wealth than seen upon that other shore; that cold, bare bank he rows them to - those kings and misers made so poor."