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 Men of quality are in the wrong to undervalue, as they often do, 
the practise of a fair and read more 
 Men of quality are in the wrong to undervalue, as they often do, 
the practise of a fair and quick hand in writing; for it is no 
immaterial accomplishment.
 [Lat., Non sest aliena res, quae fere ab honestis negligi solet, 
cura bene ac velociter scribendi.] 
 Whose noble praise
 Deserves a quill pluckt from an angel's wing.  
 Whose noble praise
 Deserves a quill pluckt from an angel's wing. 
 Art thou a pen, whose task shall be
 To drown in ink
  What writers think?
  read more 
 Art thou a pen, whose task shall be
 To drown in ink
  What writers think?
   Oh, wisely write,
    That pages white
     Be not the worse for ink and thee. 
 If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest 
of men, I will find read more 
 If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest 
of men, I will find something in them which will hang him.
 [Fr., Qu'on me donne six lignes ecrites de la main du plus 
honnete homme, j'y trouverai de quoi le faire pendre.] 
 Oh! nature's noblest gift--my gray-goose quill!
 Slave of my thoughts, obedient to my will,
  Torn from thy read more 
 Oh! nature's noblest gift--my gray-goose quill!
 Slave of my thoughts, obedient to my will,
  Torn from thy parent-bird to form a pen,
   That might instrument of little men! 
 You write with ease, to show your breeding,
 But easy writing's curst hard reading.  
 You write with ease, to show your breeding,
 But easy writing's curst hard reading. 
 Let there be gall enough in thy ink, though thou write with a 
goose-pen, no matter.  
 Let there be gall enough in thy ink, though thou write with a 
goose-pen, no matter. 
 The pen wherewith thou dost so heavenly sing
 Made of a quill from an angel's wing.  
 The pen wherewith thou dost so heavenly sing
 Made of a quill from an angel's wing. 
 The feather, whence the pen
 Was shaped that traced the lives of these good men,
  Dropped from read more 
 The feather, whence the pen
 Was shaped that traced the lives of these good men,
  Dropped from an Angel's wing.