William Drummond of Hawthornden (December 13, 1585 - December 4, 1649) Scottish poet

Sourced:

• What doth it serve to see sun's burning face,
  And skies enamelled with both the Indies' gold?
  Or moon at night in jetty chariot roll'd,
  And all the glory of that starry place?
• "What doth it Serve?" Poems (1616)

• For what doth serve all that this world contains,
  Sith she for whom those once to me were dear,
  No part of them can have now with me here?
• "What doth it Serve?" Poems (1616)

• Phœbus, arise, and paint the sable skies with azure, white, and red.
• "Phoebus Arise" Poems (1616)

• Make an eternal spring; Give life to this dark world which lieth dead. Spread forth thy golden hair in larger locks than thou wast wont before, and emperor-like, decore with diadem of pearl thy temples fair.
• "Phoebus Arise" Poems (1616)

• This is the morn should bring unto this grove my love, to hear and recompense my love.
• "Phoebus Arise" Poems (1616)

• Here is the pleasant place, and ev'ry thing save her, who all should grace.
• "Phoebus Arise" Poems (1616)

• The last and greatest herald of Heaven's King,
  Girt with rough skins, hies to the deserts wild,
  Among that savage brood the woods forth bring,
  Which he than man more harmless found and mild.
  • "For the Baptist" Flowers of Sion (1623)

Attributed:

• As we had no part of our will on our entrance into this life, we should not presume to any on our leaving it, but soberly learn to will which He wills.

• He who will not reason is a bigot; he who cannot is a fool; and he who dares not is a slave.

• I study myself more than any other subject; it is my metaphysic, and my physic.

• Iron sharpens iron; scholar, the scholar.

• Put a bridle on thy tongue; set a guard before thy lips, lest the words of thine own mouth destroy thy peace... on much speaking cometh repentance, but in silence is safety.

• Sleep, Silence's child, sweet father of soft rest, Prince whose approach peace to all mortals brings Indifferent host to shepherds and kings; Sole comforter to minds with grief opprest

• Study what thou art Whereof thou art a part What thou knowest of this art This is really what thou art. All that is without thee also is within.

• There is a silence, the child of love, which expresses everything, and proclaims more loudly than the tongue is able to do.
  • This statement is also attributed to the Italian writer and statesman Vittorio Alfieri

External links:

• Sonnets of William Drummond
• William Drummond at Poet's Corner
• Selected Poetry at the University of Toronto