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The Elephant is never won with Anger,
Nor must that man, who would reclaim a Lion,
Take him by the teeth.

— John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester Valentinian (1685)

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Notes from Wikiquote

Rochester's adaptation of a play (c. 1610–14) by John Fletcher

Topics

Anger

More quotes by John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester

There's not a thing on Earth, that I can name,
So foolish, and so false, as common fame.

Poems on Several Occasions (1680)

Love a woman? You're an ass!
'Tis a most insipid passion
To choose out for your happiness
The silliest part of God's creation.

Poems on Several Occasions (1680)

Dead, we become the lumber of the world.

Poems on Several Occasions (1680)

Natural freedoms are but just:
There's something generous in mere lust.

A Ramble in St. James' Park (1672)

The devil played booty, sure, with thee
To bring a blot on infamy.

All John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester quotes →

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An unsanctified temper is a fruitful source of error, and a mighty impediment to truth.

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.