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John Dryden Quotes

Poet

John Dryden, born on August 9, 1631, and died on May 12, 1700, was a prominent English poet and dramatist of the 17th century. His works have had a profound impact on English literature, particularly in the field of drama, and he is considered one of the founders of English drama.

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All Men Firsts Life Ifs Soul Mind Love Literature May Thinking Pleasure Age Fate Kind Knows Heaven Long Made World Reason

Famous John Dryden Quotes

“Whatever is, is in its causes just; But purblind man Sees but a part o' th' chain; the nearest link; His eyes not carrying to that equal beam That poises all above.”

Fate

Book:Oedipus: A Tragedy

Source: Oedipus: A Tragedy

“Tis Fate that flings the dice, And as she flings Of kings makes peasants, And of peasants kings.”

Fate Kings Peasants Dice Fling

Author:John Dryden

“Ill news is wing'd with fate, and flies apace.”

Fate News Wings Ill

Book:The Poetical Works of John Dryden. With Illustrations by John Franklin

Source: The Poetical Works of John Dryden. With Illustrations by John Franklin

“Be fair, or foul, or rain, or shine, The joys I have possessed, in spite of fate, are mine. Not heaven itself upon the past has power; But what has been, has been, and I have had my hour.”

Has Beens Past Joy Heaven Hours Fate Mines Rain Fairs Shining Spite Possessed Foul Rain Or Shine

Book:The works of John Dryden: now first collected in eighteen volumes. Illustrated with notes, historical, critical, and explanatory, and a life of the author

Source: The works of John Dryden: now first collected in eighteen volumes. Illustrated with notes, historical, critical, and explanatory, and a life of the author

“An hour will come, with pleasure to relate Your sorrows past, as benefits of Fate.”

Past Hours Pleasure Fate Sorrow Benefits Relate

Book:Virgil: the Eclogues

Source: Virgil: the Eclogues

“What I have left is from my native spring; I've still a heart that swells, in scorn of fate, And lifts me to my banks.”

Heart Stills Left Fate Spring Lifts Native Scorn

Author:John Dryden

“The Fates but only spin the coarser clue; The finest of the wool is left for you.”

Left Fate Finest Clue Wool

Book:The works of John Dryden: now first collected in eighteen volumes. Illustrated with notes, historical, critical, and explanatory, and a life of the author

Source: The works of John Dryden: now first collected in eighteen volumes. Illustrated with notes, historical, critical, and explanatory, and a life of the author

“The perverseness of my fate is such that he's not mine because he's mine too much.”

Too Much Fate Mines Perverseness

Book:Dryden: Selected Poems

Source: Dryden: Selected Poems

“Let Fortune empty her whole quiver on me, I have a soul that, like an ample shield, Can take in all, and verge enough for more; Fate was not mine, nor am I Fate's: Souls know no conquerors.”

Knows Soul Enough Whole Fate Mines Empty Fortune Prosperity Shields Conqueror Verge Quiver

Book:The Dramatick Works of John Dryden, Esq: Don Sebastian, king of Portugal. Amphitryon: or, The two Sosia's. Cleomenes, the Spartan heroe. King Arthur. Love triumphant

Source: The Dramatick Works of John Dryden, Esq: Don Sebastian, king of Portugal. Amphitryon: or, The two Sosia's. Cleomenes, the Spartan heroe. King Arthur. Love triumphant

“Of no distemper, of no blast he died, But fell like autumn fruit that mellow'd long: Even wonder'd at, because he dropp'd no sooner. Fate seem'd to wind him up for fourscore years; Yet freshly ran he on ten winters more; Till like a clock worn out with eating time, The wheels of weary life at last stood still.”