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To A Friend Who Had Been Much Abused In Many Inveterate Libels

By Jonathan Swift

Topics: classic

The greatest monarch may be stabb'd by night     And fortune help the murderer in his flight;     The vilest ruffian may commit a rape,     Yet safe from injured innocence escape;     And calumny, by working under ground,     Can, unrevenged, the greatest merit wound.         What's to be done? Shall wit and learning choose     To live obscure, and have no fame to lose?     By Censure[1] frighted out of Honour's road,     Nor dare to use the gifts by Heaven bestow'd?     Or fearless enter in through Virtue's gate,     And buy distinction at the dearest rate.

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"The greatest monarch may be stabb'd by night..."

Exploring the themes of classic, Jonathan Swift delivers a powerful performance in "To A Friend Who Had Been Much Abused In Many Inveterate Libels"... ### Why We Love This Line At Linespedia, we believe that poetry is the ultimate sanctuary for the soul...

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Author:Jonathan Swift

"The greatest monarch may be stabb'd by night..." by Jonathan Swift

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Jonathan Swift

About Jonathan Swift

Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) was an Irish satirist, essayist, and poet. Best known for "Gulliver's Travels," his poetry includes "A Description of a City Shower" and "Verses on the Death of Dr. Swift." His sharp wit and moral indignation made him one of the greatest satirists in English.

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