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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]