William Blake, “The Proverbs of Hell”
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In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.
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Drive your cart and your plough over the bones of the dead.
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The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom.
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Prudence is a rich, ugly old maid courted by Incapacity.
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He who desires but acts not, breeds pestilence.
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The cut worm forgives the plough.
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Dip him in the river who loves water.
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A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees.
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He whose face gives no light, shall never become a star.
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Eternity is in love with the productions of time.
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The hours of folly are measur’d by the clock; but of wisdom, no clock can measure.
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No bird soars too high, if he soars with his own wings.
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A dead body revenges not injuries.
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If the fool would persist in his folly he would become wise.
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Shame is Pride’s cloak.
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…
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The pride of the peacock is the glory of God.
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The lust of the goat is the bounty of God.
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The wrath of the lion is the wisdom of God.
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The nakedness of woman is the work of God.
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Excess of sorrow laughs. Excess of joy weeps.
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The fox condemns the trap, not himself.
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Joys impregnate. Sorrows bring forth.
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The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship.
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What is now proved was once only imagin’d.
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The cistern contains: the fountain overflows.
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One thought fills immensity.
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Always be ready to speak your mind, and a base man will avoid you.
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Everything possible to be believ’d is an image of truth.
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The eagle never lost so much time as when he submitted to learn of the crow.
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The fox provides for himself; but God provides for the lion.
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As the plough follows words, so God rewards prayers.
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The tigers of wrath are wiser than the horses of instruction.
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Expect poison from the standing water.
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You never know what is enough unless you know what is more than enough.
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Listen to the fool’s reproach! it is a kingly title!
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As the caterpillar chooses the fairest leaves to lay her eggs on, so the priest lays his curse on the fairest joys.
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To create a little flower is the labour of ages.
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As the air to a bird or the sea to a fish, so is contempt to the contemptible.
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The crow wish’d everything was black, the owl that everything was white.
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Sooner unlived an infant in its cradle than nurse unacted desires.
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Where man is not, nature is barren.