Ben Jonson
Ben Jonson
Benjamin "Ben" Jonsonwas an English playwright, poet, actor and literary critic of the 17th century, whose artistry exerted a lasting impact upon English poetry and stage comedy. He popularised the comedy of humours. He is best known for the satirical plays Every Man in His Humour, Volpone, or The Foxe, The Alchemistand Bartholomew Fayre: A Comedyand for his lyric poetry; he is generally regarded as the second most important English dramatist, after William Shakespeare, during the reign of James I...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth11 June 1572
True melancholy breeds your perfect fine wit.
Honor's a good brooch to wear in a man's hat at all times.
A lily of a day Is fairer far in May, Although it fall and die that night, It was the plant and flower of light. In small proportions we just beauties see, And in short measures life may perfect be.
You learn nothing about someone by the way they win the fight, you learn everything about the way they lose and keep coming back.
Passions are spiritual rebels and raise sedition against the understanding.
Minds that are great and free, should not on fortune pause: 'Tis crown enough to virtue still, her own applause.
They that know no evil will suspect none.
Soul of the age! The applause! delight! The wonder of our stage!
Mischiefs feed / Like beasts, till they be fat, and then they bleed.
Cares that have entered once in the breast, will have whole possession of the rest.
Aristotle was the first accurate critic and truest judge nay, the greatest philosopher the world ever had; for he noted the vices of all knowledges, in all creatures, and out of many men's perfections in a science he formed still one Art.
There is no bounty to be showed to such As have real goodness: Bounty is A spice of virtue; and what virtuous act Can take effect on them that have no power Of equal habitude to apprehend it?
Who casts to write a living line, must sweat.
No man is so foolish but may give another good counsel sometimes; and no man is so wise, but may easily err, if he will take no others counsel but his own. But very few men are wise by their own counsel; or learned by their own teaching. For he that was only taught by himself had a fool to his master.