Samuel Butler

Beside, he was a shrewd philosopher,
And had read ev'ry text and gloss over
Whate'er the crabbed'st read more

Beside, he was a shrewd philosopher,
And had read ev'ry text and gloss over
Whate'er the crabbed'st author hath,
He understood b' implicit faith.

So 'ere the storm of war broke out,
Religion spawn'd a various rout
Of petulant capricious sects,
read more

So 'ere the storm of war broke out,
Religion spawn'd a various rout
Of petulant capricious sects,
That maggots of corrupted texts,
That first run all religion down,
And after every swarm its own.

He who does not make his words rather serve to conceal than
discover the sense of his heart deserves read more

He who does not make his words rather serve to conceal than
discover the sense of his heart deserves to have it pulled out
like a traitor's and shown publicly to the rabble.

For trouts are tickled best in muddy water.

For trouts are tickled best in muddy water.

Compound for sins they are inclin'd to,
By damning those they have no mind to.

Compound for sins they are inclin'd to,
By damning those they have no mind to.