Fanaticism, the false fire of an overheated mind.

A tale should be judicious, clear, succinct; The language plain, and incidents well link'd; Tell not as new what ev'ry body knows; and, new or old, still hasten to a close.

God made the country, and man made the town.

The art of poetry is to touch the passions, and its duty to lead them on the side of virtue.

Unmissed but by his dogs and by his groom.

Ages elapsed ere Homer's lamp appear'd, And ages ere the Mantuan swan was heard: To carry nature lengths unknown before, To give a Milton birth, ask'd ages more.

Man may dismiss compassion from his heart, but God never will.