Surely, sir,
There's in him stuff that puts him to these ends;
For, being not propped by ancestry, whose grace
Chalks successors their way, nor called upon
For high feats done to th' crown, neither allied
To eminent assistants, but spiderlike
Out of his self-drawing web, 'a gives us note,
The force of his own merit makes his way,
A gift that heaven gives for him, which buys
A place next to the king.
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There is merit without elevation, but there is no elevation
without some merit.
[Fr., Il y a du read more
There is merit without elevation, but there is no elevation
without some merit.
[Fr., Il y a du merite sans elevation mais il n'y a point
d'elevation sans quelque merite.]
True merit, like a river, the deeper it is, the less noise it makes.
True merit, like a river, the deeper it is, the less noise it makes.
The sufficiency of merit is to know that my merit is not
sufficient.
The sufficiency of merit is to know that my merit is not
sufficient.
Contemporaries appreciate the man rather than his merit; posterity will regard the merit rather than the man.
Contemporaries appreciate the man rather than his merit; posterity will regard the merit rather than the man.
On their own merits modest men are dumb.
On their own merits modest men are dumb.
There is a season for man's merit as well as for fruit.
[Fr., Le merite des hommes a sa read more
There is a season for man's merit as well as for fruit.
[Fr., Le merite des hommes a sa saison aussi bien que les
fruits.]
We start with gifts. Merit comes from what we make of them.
We start with gifts. Merit comes from what we make of them.
View the whole scene, with critic judgment scan,
And then deny him merit if you can.
Where read more
View the whole scene, with critic judgment scan,
And then deny him merit if you can.
Where he falls short, 'tis Nature's fault alone
Where he succeeds, the merit's all his own.
The world more often rewards the appearances of merit than merit itself.
The world more often rewards the appearances of merit than merit itself.
