Abraham Cowley
![Abraham Cowley](/assets/img/authors/abraham-cowley.jpg)
Abraham Cowley
Abraham Cowleywas an English poet born in the City of London late in 1618. He was one of the leading English poets of the 17th century, with 14 printings of his Works published between 1668 and 1721...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPoet
ills men universal
Hope! of all ills that men endure, the only cheap and universal cure.
faith might nice perhaps
His faith perhaps in some nice tenets might Be wrong; his life, I'm sure, was always in the right
faith might perhaps
His faith perhaps in some nice tenets might be wrong; his life, I'm sure, was always in the right.
english-poet nature scene
The world's a scene of changes, and to be constant, in nature were inconstancy.
contempt english-poet grant lie low means
This only grant me, that my means may lie too low for envy, for contempt too high.
ancient arms eagles field fields guided lions noble please spread talk
We may talk as we please of lilies, and lions rampant, and spread eagles in fields of d'or or d'argent, but if heraldry were guided by reason, a plough in the field arable would be the most noble and ancient arms
hope cures endure
Of all ills that one endures, hope is a cheap and universal cure.
yesterday yield gone
Our yesterday's to-morrow now is gone, And still a new to-morrow does come on. We by to-morrow draw out all our store, Till the exhausted well can yield no more.
hopeless
Hope is the most hopeless thing of all.
women blunders
But what is woman? Only one of nature's agreeable blunders.
humble inspire may
Awake, awake, my Lyre!And tell thy silent master's humble taleIn sounds that may prevail;Sounds that gentle thoughts inspire:Though so exalted sheAnd I so lowly beTell her, such different notes make all thy harmony.
sleep thinking naps
The Sunflow'r, thinking 'twas for him foul shame To nap by daylight, strove t' excuse the blame; It was not sleep that made him nod, he said, But too great weight and largeness of his head.
nice heart men
It is a hard and nice subject for a man to speak of himself: it grates his own heart to say anything of disparagement, and the reader's ear to hear anything of praise from him.
hope cheating fortune
Hope! fortune's cheating lottery; when for one prize an hundred blanks there be!