The best of men cannot suspend their fate: The good die early, and the bad die late.
quote by Daniel Defoe
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Nature has left this tincture in the blood, That all men would be tyrants if they could.
quote by Daniel Defoe
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Justice is always violent to the party offending, for every man is innocent in his own eyes.
quote by Daniel Defoe
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All our discontents about what we want appeared to spring from the want of thankfulness for what we have.
quote by Daniel Defoe
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It is better to have a lion at the head of an army of sheep, than a sheep at the head of an army of lions.
quote by Daniel Defoe
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The soul is placed in the body like a rough diamond, and must be polished, or the luster of it will never appear.
quote by Daniel Defoe
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I have often thought of it as one of the most barbarous customs in the world, considering us as a civilized and a Christian country, that we deny the advantages of learning to women.
quote by Daniel Defoe
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Introduction To The True-Born Englishman
Speak, satire; for there's none can tell like thee
Whether 'tis folly, pride, or knavery
That makes this discontented land appear
Less happy now in times of peace than war?
Why civil feuds disturb the nation more
Than all our bloody wars have done before?
Fools out of favour grudge at knaves in place,
And men are always honest in disgrace;
The court preferments make men knaves in course,
But they which would be in them would be worse.
'Tis not at foreigners that we repine,
Would foreigners their perquisites resign:
The grand contention's plainly to be seen,
To get some men put out, and some put in.
For this our senators make long harangues,
And florid members whet their polished tongues.
Statesmen are always sick of one disease,
And a good pension gives them present ease:
That's the specific makes them all content
With any king and any government.
[...] Read more
poem by Daniel Defoe
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The True Born Englishman (excerpt)
...
Thus from a mixture of all kinds began,
That het'rogeneous thing, an Englishman:
In eager rapes, and furious lust begot,
Betwixt a painted Britain and a Scot.
Whose gend'ring off-spring quickly learn'd to bow,
And yoke their heifers to the Roman plough:
From whence a mongrel half-bred race there came,
With neither name, nor nation, speech nor fame.
In whose hot veins new mixtures quickly ran,
Infus'd betwixt a Saxon and a Dane.
While their rank daughters, to their parents just,
Receiv'd all nations with promiscuous lust.
This nauseous brood directly did contain
The well-extracted blood of Englishmen.
Which medly canton'd in a heptarchy,
A rhapsody of nations to supply,
Among themselves maintain'd eternal wars,
And still the ladies lov'd the conquerors.
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poem by Daniel Defoe
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