Great wits and valours, like great estates, Do sometimes sink with their own weights. Ib. Hud. 2, 1. 269. And force mistake and ignorance to own A better sense than commonly is known. Butler, Misc. Tho. Great wits are sure to madness near allied, And thin partitions do their bounds divide. Dryden, Absalom and Achitophel, 1. 163. Wit in northern climates will not blow, Except, like orange trees, 'tis housed from snow. Some, to whom Heaven in wit has been profuse, For wit and judgment often are at strife, Pope. Though meant each other's aid, like man and wife. Pope, E. C. 80. Some to conceit alone their taste confine, And glittering thoughts struck out at ev'ry line; One glaring chaos and wild heap of wit. Pope, E. C. 289. True wit is nature to advantage dress'd. That gives us back the image of our mind. Modest plainness sets off sprightly wit, Pope, E.C. 297. For works may have more wit than does 'em good, A wit with dunces, and a dunce with wits. Pope, Dunc. 1v. 90. The pride of nature would as soon admit Competitors in empire as in wit; Onward they rush at fame's imperious call, And less than greatest, would not be at all. Churchill, Ap. 29. Against their wills, what numbers ruin shun, Purely through want of wit to be undone: That wit's a jewel which we need not wear. Young, Ep. to Pope, 11. 80. Sense is our helmet, wit is but the plume, Yet, wit apart, it is a diamond still. Young, N. T. VIII. 1259. Wit, how delicious to man's dainty taste! 'Tis precious as the vehicle of sense; Passion can give it; sometimes wine inspires The lucky flash and madness rarely fails. Ib. N. T. VIII. 1219. As in smooth oil, the razor best is whet, So wit is by politeness sharpest set; Their want of edge from their offence is seen : Both pain us least when exquisitely keen. Ib. L. of. F. 11. 118. What though wit tickles? tickling is unsafe, If still 'tis painful while it makes us laugh; Who, for the poor renown of being smart. Would leave a sting within a brother's heart. Ib. L. of F.11.153. How hard soe'er it be to bridle wit, Yet memory oft no less requires the bit. Stillingfleet. The rays of wit gild wheresoe'er they strike, And raise a foe as often as a friend. They charm the lively, but the grave offend, Stillingfleel. He says but little, and that little said Owes all its weight, like loaded dice, to lead; But when you knock, it never is at home. Cowper, Conver. 303. WIT-continued. WIT-WOES. A Christian's wit is inoffensive light, A beam that aids, but never grieves the sight; 697 Cowper, Conver. 599. Men famed for wit, of dangerous talents vain, Thelasting laurels flourish in the shade. Crabbe, Tales, Patron, 5. True wit is like the brilliant stone, Dug from the Indian mine, Which boasts two different pow'rs in one, To cut as well as shine. Notes and Queries, Aug. 11th, 1866. WITCHES. So wither'd, and so wild in their attire; What are these, That look not like the inhabitants o' the earth, And yet are on't. Sh. Macb. 1. 3. How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags, What is't you do P Sh. Macb. IV. 4. Black spirits and white, red spirits and gray, These midnight hags, By force of potent spells, of bloody characters, Rowe, Jane Shore. I 'spy'd a wither'd hag, with age grown double, The tatter'd remnants of an old striped hanging, WOES-see Adversity, Grief, Sorrow. So many miseries have craz'd my voice, That my woe-wearied tongue is still and mute. Sh. Ric.11.17.4. 698 WOES-WOMAN, WOMEN. WOES-continued. Woes cluster; rare are solitary woes; Young, N. T. II. 63. No words suffice the secret soul to show, And truth denies all eloquence to woe. Byron, Corsair, III. 22. WOMAN, WOMEN-see Anger, Coquette, Courtship, Frailty, Love, Maidens, Ruling Passion, Secrecy. He water ploughs and soweth in the sand And hopes the flickering wind with net to hold, Who hath his hopes laid on a woman's hand. Sir P. Sydney. Trust not the treason of those smiling looks, Until ye have their guileful trains well tried, For they are like unto the golden hooks, That from the foolish fish their baits do hide. Ed. Spenser. Extremely mad the man I surely deem, That weens with watch and hard restraint to stay A woman's will, which is dispos'd to go astray. Ed. Spencer. A woman's love is river-like, which stopt will overflow; There cannot be a greater clog to man, Than to be weary of a wanton woman. He bears an honourable mind, And will not use a woman lawlessly. Women are as roses; whose fair flower, W. Warner. Sir J. Harrington. Sh. Two G. v. 3. Being once display'd, doth fall that very hour. Sh. Tw. N. 11. 4. Women are frail, Ay, as the glasses where they view themselves; We shouid be woo'd, and were not made to woo. Sh. M. for M. 11. 4. We cannot fight for love as men may do; Sh. Mid. N. 11. 2. What? I! I love! I sue! I seek a wife! And never going aright; being a watch, And being watch'd that it may still go right! Sh. Love's L. L. III. 1. If ladies be but young and fair, They have the gift to know it. Sh. As Y. L. 11.7. WOMAN, WOMEN. WOMAN, WOMEN-continued. All that life can rate Worth name of life, in thee hath estimate: Youth, beauty, wisdom, courage, virtue, all 699 That happiness and prime can happy call. Sh. All's W. 11. 1. Why are our bodies soft, and weak, and smooth, Unapt to toil and trouble in the world; But that our soft conditions, and our hearts, Should well agree with our external parts. Sh. Tam. S. v. 2. 'Tis a good hearing, when children are toward: But a harsh hearing, when women are froward. Sh.Tam.S.v.2. 'Tis beauty, that doth oft make women proud; 'Tis virtue, that doth make them most admired; 'Tis modesty, that makes them seem divine. Sh. Hen. v1.3.1 4. Women are soft, mild, pitiful, and flexible; Thou stern, obdurate, flinty, rough, remorseless. Two women plac'd together makes cold weather. Sh. Hen. VI. 3, 1. 4. Sh. Hen. VIII. 1. 4. A woman impudent and mannish grown Sh. Troil. 111. 3. O most delicate friend! Sh. Cymb. v. 5. So horrid, as in woman. Sh. Lear, IV. 2. Who is't can read a woman? Proper deformity seems not in the fiend You are pictures out of doors, Bells in your parlours, wild cats in your kitchens, Have you not heard it said full oft, Sh. Oth. 11. 1. A woman's nay doth stand for naught? Sh. Pass. Pilg. 17. Among the many rare and special gifts, That in the female sex are found to sit, This one is chief, that they at merest shifts Give best advice, and shew most ready wit; How every part may answer to their fit, By rash abuse doth often over-shoot him, And doth accept the things that do not boot him. J. Wecver. |