Meagre were his looks,
Sharp misery had worn him to the bones;
And in his needy shop a tortoise hung,
An alligator stuffed, and other skins
Of ill-shaped fishes; and about his shelves
A beggarly account of boxes,
Green earthen pots, bladders, and musty seeds,
Remnants of packthread, and old cakes of roses
Were thinly scattered, to make up a show.
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The worst of misery
Is when a nature framed for noblest things
Condemns itself in youth to read more
The worst of misery
Is when a nature framed for noblest things
Condemns itself in youth to petty joys,
And, sore athirst for air, breathes scanty life
Gasping from out the shallows.
Fire tries gold, misery tries brave men.
[Lat., Ignis aurum probat, misera fortes viros.]
Fire tries gold, misery tries brave men.
[Lat., Ignis aurum probat, misera fortes viros.]
Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.
Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.
The child of misery, baptized in tears!
The child of misery, baptized in tears!
People talk about the courage of condemned men walking to the place of execution: sometimes it needs as much courage read more
People talk about the courage of condemned men walking to the place of execution: sometimes it needs as much courage to walk with any kind of bearing towards another person's habitual misery.
Friends love misery, in fact. Sometimes, especially if we are too lucky or too successful or too pretty, our misery read more
Friends love misery, in fact. Sometimes, especially if we are too lucky or too successful or too pretty, our misery is the only thing that endears us to our friends.
The miserable have no other medicine but hope.
The miserable have no other medicine but hope.
Sweet recreation barred, what doth ensue
But moody and dull melancholy,
Kinsman to a grim and comfortless read more
Sweet recreation barred, what doth ensue
But moody and dull melancholy,
Kinsman to a grim and comfortless despair,
And at her heels a huge infectious troop
Of pale distemperatures and foes to life?
Maybe men are separated from each other only by the degree of their misery.
Maybe men are separated from each other only by the degree of their misery.
