Philip James Bailey

Philip James Bailey(22 April1816–6 September1902) was an English poet, most famous as the author ofFestus.

We live indeeds,not years; inthoughts,not breaths;
Infeelings,not in figures on a dial.

Let each man think himself an act ofGod,
Hismindathought,hislifea breath of God;
And let each try, bygreatthoughts andgooddeeds,
To show the most ofHeavenhe hath in him.

Quotes

Festus(1839)

Festus(1872 edition) at the Internet Archive·(1889 edition) at Google Books

Poetsare all wholove,whofeelgreattruths,
And tell them; and the truth of truths is love.

• EvilandgoodareGod's righthandand left.
  • Proem

• Artis man'snature;nature isGod's art.
  • Proem

• Let each man think himself an act ofGod,
  Hismindathought,hislifea breath of God;
  And let each try, bygreatthoughts andgooddeeds,
  To show the most ofHeavenhe hath in him.
  • Proem

• Nightbrings outstarsassorrowshows ustruths.

• Anyheartturned Godward feels morejoy
  In one short hour ofprayer,than e'er was raised
  By all the feasts of earth since its foundation.

• I cannot be content with less than heaven;
  Living, and comprehensive of all life.
  Thee, universal heaven, celestial all;
  Thee, sacred seat of intellective time;
  Field of thesoul's best wisdom:homeoftruth,
  Star-throned.

• Men might be better if we better deemed
  Of them. The worst way toimprovetheworld
  Is to condemn it.
  • Scene IV, A Mountain; Sunrise. Compare: "The surest plan to make a man / Is to think him so", J. R. Lowell,Biglow Papers,II, ii. St. 9

• We live indeeds,not years; inthoughts,not breaths;
  Infeelings,not in figures on a dial.
  We should count time by heart-throbs. He most lives
  Who thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the best.
  Life's but a means unto an end; that end
  Beginning, mean, and end to all things, — God.
  The dead have all the glory of the world.
  • Scene V, A Country Town

• Who never doubted never half believed
  Where doubt there truth is—'t is her shadow.
  • Scene V, A Country Town; comparable toAlfred, Lord Tennyson"There lives more faith in honest doubt / Believe me, than in half the creeds."

• America thou half-brother of the world!
  With something good and bad of every land.
  • Scene X, Earth's Surface

• Music tells no truths.
  • Scene XI, A Village Feast

• Whilemenare what they are;while they have bad
  Passions to be roused up:whileruledby men;
  While all the powers and treasures of a land
  At beck of the ambitious, wrongs may be
  Offered, with insult; yea,whilerightsareworth
  Maintaining;freedomkeeping, orlifehaving,
  So long dread I, theswordshall shine.

• Poetsare all wholove,whofeelgreattruths,
  And tell them; and the truth of truths is love.
  • Scene XVI, The Hesperian Sphere

• The worst men often give the best advice.

• They who forgive most shall be most forgiven.

• Kindness is wisdom. There is none in life
  But needs it, and may learn.

• Envy's a coal comes hissing hot from hell.

• Respect is what we owe; love what we give.

• Prayer is the spirit speaking truth to Truth.

External links

• Festus(1872 edition)