Skip to content
Linespedia

Songs Set To Music: 1. Set By Mr. Abel

By Matthew Prior

Topics: classic

Reading ends in melancholy, Wine breeds vices and diseases, Wealth is but care, and love but folly, Only friendship truly pleases. My wealth, my books, my flask, my Molly, Farewell all if friendship ceases.

AI analysis available. Enable JavaScript to interact.

About this line

"Reading ends in melancholy,..."

Exploring the themes of classic, Matthew Prior delivers a powerful performance in "Songs Set To Music: 1. Set By Mr. Abel"... ### Why We Love This Line At Linespedia, we believe that poetry is the ultimate sanctuary for the soul...

Attribution & Rights

Author:Matthew Prior

"Reading ends in melancholy,..." by Matthew Prior

For usage rights, copyright concerns, or to report an issue with this content, please visit our Copyright & Report page.

Related lines

"Out from the injured canvas, Kneller, strike These lines too faint; the picture is not like. Exalt thy thought, and try thy toil again: Dreadful in"

"In awful pomp and melancholy state, See settled Reason on the judgement-seat; Around her crowd Distrust, and Doubt, and Fear, And thoughtful Foresi"

"To John I owed great obligation, But John unhappily thought fit To publish it to all the nation: Sure John and I are more than quit."

"Come, weep no more, for 'tis in vain; Torment not thus your pretty heart; Think, Flavia, we may meet again, As well as that we now must part. You"

"Here morning in the ploughman's songs is met     Ere yet one footstep shows in all the sky,     And twilight in the east, a doubt as yet,     S"

"The Text is taken from Percy's Reliques (1765), vol. i. p. 71, 'given from two MS. copies, transmitted from Scotland.' Herd had a very similar bal"

Matthew Prior

About Matthew Prior

Matthew Prior (1664–1721) was an English poet and diplomat. His poem "Alma: or, The Progress of the Mind" and his epitaph "Nobles and heralds, by your leave" are witty Augustan verse.

Full Bibliography
Continue Reading

"Out from the injured canvas, Kneller, strike These..."

Weekly Poetic Insight

Join our literary Sanctuary

Get the most inspiring lines, poetic analysis, and secret shayaris delivered to your inbox every Sunday.