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William R. Alger Quotes

d. 1905 United States

William Rounseville Alger (December 28, 1822 – February 7, 1905) was an American Unitarian minister, author, poet, hymnist, editor, and abolitionist. He also served as Chaplain of the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

United States
Poets
Theologians
Unitarians

Also known as: Alger, William R., William Alger, William Rounseville Alger

Random William R. Alger quote

16 quotes

When man seized the loadstone of science, the loadstar of superstition vanished in the clouds.

Ten poor men sleep in peace on one straw heap, as Saadi sings,
But the immensest empire is too narrow for two kings.

Most men give advice by the bucket, but take it by the grain.

Men often make up in wrath what they want in reason.

To appreciate and use correctly a valuable maxim requires a genius, a vital appropriating exercise of mind, closely allied to that which first created it.

With strength and patience all his grievous loads are borne,
And from the world's rose-bed he only asks a thorn.

The moon is a silver pin-head vast,
That holds the heaven's tent-hangings fast.

God's mills grind slow,
But they grind woe.

In the nine heavens are eight Paradises;
Where is the ninth one? In the human breast.
Only the blessed dwell in th' Paradises,
But blessedness dwells in the human breast.

In the rest of Nirvana all sorrows surcease:
Only Buddha can guide to that city of Peace
Whose inhabitants have the eternal release.

Beware the deadly fumes of that insane elation
Which rises from the cup of mad impiety,
And go, get drunk with that divine intoxication
Which is more sober far than all sobriety.

As two floating planks meet and part on the sea,
O friend! so I met and then drifted from thee.

Fill up the goblet and reach to me some!
Drinking makes wise, but dry fasting makes glum.

A thousand years a poor man watched
Before the gate of Paradise:
But while one little nap he snatched,
It oped and shut. Ah! was he wise?

An Arab, by his earnest gaze,
Has clothed a lovely maid with blushes;
A smile within his eyelids plays
And into words his longing gushes.

A gray eye is a sly eye,
And roguish is a brown one;
Turn full upon me thy eye,—
Ah, how its wavelets drown one!
A blue eye is a true eye;
Mysterious is a dark one,
Which flashes like a spark-sun!
A black eye is the best one.

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: William R. Alger (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.