Think you if Laura had been Petrarch's wife
He would have written sonnets all his life?

Think you if Laura had been Petrarch's wife
He would have written sonnets all his life?

Alas how difficult is it to preserve a high reputation!

Alas how difficult is it to preserve a high reputation!

Defer no time; delays have dangerous ends.

Defer no time; delays have dangerous ends.

Who will think that the gods can be insulted with impunity?

Who will think that the gods can be insulted with impunity?

You may suppress natural propensities by force, but they will be
certain to re-appear.

You may suppress natural propensities by force, but they will be
certain to re-appear.

There is nothing hard inside the olive; nothing hard outside the
nut.

There is nothing hard inside the olive; nothing hard outside the
nut.

For murder though it have no tongue, will speak
With most miraculous organ.

For murder though it have no tongue, will speak
With most miraculous organ.

No man ever properly calculates from time to time what it is his
duty to avoid.

No man ever properly calculates from time to time what it is his
duty to avoid.

This formal fool, your man, speaks naught but proverbs,
And speak men what they can to him he'll answer
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This formal fool, your man, speaks naught but proverbs,
And speak men what they can to him he'll answer
With some rhyme, rotten sentence, or old saying,
Such spokes as ye ancient of ye parish use.