John Dryden

So liv'd our sires, ere doctors learn'd to kill,
And multiplied with theirs the weekly bill.

So liv'd our sires, ere doctors learn'd to kill,
And multiplied with theirs the weekly bill.

Ev'n wit's a burthen, when it talks too long.

Ev'n wit's a burthen, when it talks too long.

Doeg, though without knowing how or why,
Made a still a blundering kind of melody;
Spurr'd boldly read more

Doeg, though without knowing how or why,
Made a still a blundering kind of melody;
Spurr'd boldly on, and dash'd through thick and thin,
Through sense and nonsense, never out nor in;
Free from all meaning whether good or bad,
And in one word, heroically mad.

Any fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent.
It takes a touch of genius--and a lot read more

Any fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent.
It takes a touch of genius--and a lot of courage--to move in the
opposite direction.

All human things are subject to decay,
And when fate summons, monarchs must obey.

All human things are subject to decay,
And when fate summons, monarchs must obey.