The best-concerted schemes men lay for fame,
Die fast away: only themselves die faster.
The far-fam'd sculptor, read more

The best-concerted schemes men lay for fame,
Die fast away: only themselves die faster.
The far-fam'd sculptor, and the laurell'd bard,
Those bold insurancers of deathless fame,
Supply their little feeble aids in vain.

Fame is the inheritance not of the dead, but of the living. It is we who look back with lofty read more

Fame is the inheritance not of the dead, but of the living. It is we who look back with lofty pride to the great names of antiquity.

Fame is not just. She never finely or discriminatingly praises, but coarsely hurrahs.

Fame is not just. She never finely or discriminatingly praises, but coarsely hurrahs.

The present condition of fame is merely fashion.

The present condition of fame is merely fashion.

Nothing can cover his high fame but Heaven;
No pyramids set off his memories,
But the eternal read more

Nothing can cover his high fame but Heaven;
No pyramids set off his memories,
But the eternal substance of his greatness,--
To which I leave him.

What shall I do to be forever known,
And make the age to come my own?

What shall I do to be forever known,
And make the age to come my own?

To myself alone do I owe my fame.
[Fr., Je ne dois qu'a moi seul toute ma renommee.]

To myself alone do I owe my fame.
[Fr., Je ne dois qu'a moi seul toute ma renommee.]

What is the end of Fame? 'tis but to fill
A certain portion of uncertain paper:
Some read more

What is the end of Fame? 'tis but to fill
A certain portion of uncertain paper:
Some liken it to climbing up a hill,
Whose summit, like all hills, is lost in vapour:
For this men write, speak, preach, and heroes kill,
And bards burn what they call their "midnight taper,"
To have, when the original is dust,
A name, a wretched picture, and worse bust.

When you can do the common things of life in an uncommon way, you
will command the attention of read more

When you can do the common things of life in an uncommon way, you
will command the attention of the world.