Great Throughts Treasury

"Youth cannot be recaptured once it has fled."

"‘Tis peace of mind, lad, we must find."

"Age overtakes us all; our temples first; then on o'er cheek and chin, slowly and surely, creep the frosts of Time. Up and do somewhat, ere thy limbs are sere."

"Beauty is a delightful prejudice."

"Cicala to cicala is dear, and ant to ant, and hawks to hawks, but to me the muse and song."

"Faults are beauties in a lover's eye."

"Heaven's eternal wisdom has decreed, that man should ever stand in need of man."

"Ne'er boast; for beauty is a dream that fades."

"Grasshopper to grasshopper, ant to ant is dear, hawks love hawks, but I the muse and song."

"I shall sing a sweeter song tomorrow"

"Heaven's eternal wisdom has decreed that man of man should ever stand in need."

"Now begins a torrent of words and a trickling of sense."

"Surely great loving-kindness yet may go With a little gift: all's dear that comes from friends."

"Smells us fertile summer harvest smells. Underfoot so pears and apples in hand Wala is in abundance, not far from a clone to land plum fruit branches pregnant. And wine from four dobyto tethered."

"They must try who would succeed."

"Verily, great grace may go with a little gift; and precious are all things that come from a friend."

"They who gratefully the gods adore, still find their joys increasing more and more."

"And but a little removed from master Weather-beat there?s a vineyard well laden with clusters red to the ripening, and a little lad seated watching upon a hedge. And on either side of him two foxes; this ranges to and fro along the rows and pilfers all such grapes as be ready for eating, while that setteth all his cunning at the lad?s wallet, and vows he will not let him be till he have set him breaking his fast with but poor victuals to his drink. And all the time the urchin?s got star-flower-stalks a-platting to a reed for to make him a pretty gin for locusts, and cares never so much, not he, for his wallet or his vines as he takes pleasure in his platting. And for an end, mark you, spread all about the cup goes the lissom bear?s-foot, a sight worth the seeing with its writhen leaves; ?tis a marvelous work, ?twill amaze your heart."

"As sweetly, good Shepherd, falls your music as the resounding water that gushes down from the top o? yonder rock. If the Muses get the ewe-lamb to their meed, you shall carry off the cosset, the ewe-lamb come to you."

"Cats love to sleep softly."

"Let the high Muse chant loves Olympian: We are but mortals, and must sing of men."

"Faults are beauties, when survey'd by love."

"Men shall look on thee and murmur to each other, "Lo! how small was the gift, and yet how precious! Friendship's gifts are priceless all.""

"Now for that cup a ferryman of Calymnus had a goat and a gallant great cheese-loaf of me, and never yet hath it touched my lip; it still lies unhandselled by. Yet right welcome to it art thou, if like a good fellow thou?lt sing me that pleasing and delightful song. Nay, not so; I am in right earnest. To?t, good friend; sure thou wilt not be hoarding that song against thuo be?st come where all?s forgot?"

"Reflect, ere you spurn me, that youth at his sides wears wings; and once gone, all pursuit he derides."

"Milk the ewe that thou hast, why pursue the thing that shuns thee?"

"No, no man; there?s no piping for me at high noon. I go in too great dread of Pan for that. I wot high noon?s his time for taking rest after the swink o? the chase; and he?s one o? the tetchy sort; his nostril?s ever sour wrath?s abiding-place. But for singing, you, Thyrsis, used to sing The Affliction of Daphnis as well as any man; you are no ?prentice in the art of country music. So let?s come and sit yonder beneath the elm, this way, over against Priapus and the fountain-goddesses, where that shepherd?s seat is and those oak-trees. And if you but sing as you sang that day in the match with Chromis of Libya, I?ll not only grant you three milkings of a twinner goat that for all her two young yields two pailfuls, but I?ll give you a fine great mazer to boot, well scoured with sweet beeswax, and of two lugs, bran-span-new and the smack of the graver upon it yet."

"The Greeks got into Troy by trying, my pretties; everything's done by trying."

"Something sweet is the whisper of the pine that makes her music by yonder springs, and sweet no less, master Goatherd, the melody of your pipe. Pan only shall take place and prize afore you; and if they give him a horny he-goat, then a she shall be yours; and if a she be for him, why, you shall have her kid; and kid?s meat?s good eating till your kids be milch-goatds."

"The godly seed fares well: the wicked's is accurst."

"The lip of it is hanged about with curling ivy, ivy freaked4 with a cassidony which goes twisting and twining among the leaves in the pride of her saffron fruitage. And within this bordure there?s a woman, fashioned as a god might fashion her, lapped in a robe and snood about her head. And either side the woman a swain with fair and flowing locks, and they bandy words the one with the other. Yet her heart is not touched by aught they say; for now ?tis a laughing glance to this, and anon a handful of regard to that, and for all their eyes have been so long hollow for love of her, they spend their labour in vain. Besides these there?s an old fisher wrought on?t and a rugged rock, and there stands gaffer gathering up his great net for a cast with a right good will like one that toils might and main. You would say that man went about his fishing with all the strength o?s limbs, he stands every sinew in his neck, for all his grey hairs, puffed and swollen; for his strength is the strength of youth."

"We fertile summer smells, smells of harvest. So underfoot pears and apples in hand wala is in abundance; clone off the ground Ku plum tree fruit pregnant. And the wine from the four captive smitten."

"While there's life there?s hope, and only the dead have none."