John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.
Page 659
| Elizabeth Barrett Browning. (1806–1861) (continued) |
| 6653 |
| Dreams of doing good For good-for-nothing people. |
| Aurora Leigh. Book ii. |
| 6654 |
| God answers sharp and sudden on some prayers, And thrusts the thing we have prayed for in our face, A gauntlet with a gift in it. |
| Aurora Leigh. Book ii. |
| 6655 |
| The beautiful seems right By force of Beauty, and the feeble wrong Because of weakness. |
| Aurora Leigh. Book ii. |
| 6656 |
| Every wish Is like a prayer—with God. 1 |
| Aurora Leigh. Book ii. |
| 6657 |
| Good critics, who have stamped out poets’ hope, Good statesmen, who pulled ruin on the state, Good patriots, who for a theory risked a cause. |
| Aurora Leigh. Book iv. |
| 6658 |
| Whoso loves Believes the impossible. |
| Aurora Leigh. Book v. |
| 6659 |
| The growing drama has outgrown such toys Of simulated stature, face, and speech: It also peradventure may outgrow The simulation of the painted scene, Boards, actors, prompters, gaslight, and costume, And take for a worthier stage the soul itself, Its shifting fancies and celestial lights, With all its grand orchestral silences To keep the pauses of its rhythmic sounds. |
| Aurora Leigh. Book v. |
| 6660 |
| Since when was genius found respectable? |
| Aurora Leigh. Book vi. |
| 6661 |
| Earth’s crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God; 2 And only he who sees takes off his shoes; The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries. |
| Aurora Leigh. Book vii. |
| Note 1. See Montgomery, page 497. Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire. [back] |
| Note 2. Whittier: Chapel of the Hermits. [back] |