William Cowper

An inadvertent step may crush the snail
That crawls at evening in the public path.
But he read more

An inadvertent step may crush the snail
That crawls at evening in the public path.
But he that has humanity, forewarned,
Will turn aside and let the reptile live.

We bear our shades about us; self-deprived
Of other screen, the thin umbrella spread,
And range an read more

We bear our shades about us; self-deprived
Of other screen, the thin umbrella spread,
And range an Indian waste without a tree.

If most of us are ashamed of shabby clothes and shoddy furniture,
let us be more ashamed of shabby read more

If most of us are ashamed of shabby clothes and shoddy furniture,
let us be more ashamed of shabby ideas and shoddy
philosophies. . . . It would be a sad situation if the wrapper
were better than the meat wrapped inside it.

Habits of close attention, thinking heads,
Become more rare as dissipation spreads,
Till authors hear at length read more

Habits of close attention, thinking heads,
Become more rare as dissipation spreads,
Till authors hear at length one general cry
Tickle and entertain us, or we die!

He who finds thought that lets us penetrate even a little deeper
into the eternal mystery of nature has read more

He who finds thought that lets us penetrate even a little deeper
into the eternal mystery of nature has been granted great grace.
He who, in addition, experiences the recognition, sympathy, and
help of the best minds of his times, had been given almost more
happiness than one man can bear.