The Pleasure of Princes

What pleasures have great princes? These: to know

Themselves reputed mad with pride or power;

To speak few words — few words and short bring low

This ancient house, that city with flame devour;

To make old men, their father’s enemies,

Drunk on the vintage of the former age;

To have great painters show their mistresses

Naked to the succeeding time; engage

The cunning of able, treacherous ministers

To serve, despite themselves, the cause they hate,

And leave a prosperous kingdom to their heirs

Nursed by the caterpillars of the state;

To keep their spies in good men’s hearts; to read

The malice of the wise, and act betimes;

To hear the Grand Remonstrances of greed

Led by the pure; cheat justice of her crimes;

To beget worthless sons and, being old,

By starlight climb the battlements, and while

The pacing sentry hugs himself for cold,

Keep vigil like a lover, muse and smile,

And think, to see from the grim castle steep

The midnight city below rejoice and shine:

“There my great demon grumbles in his sleep

And dreams of his destruction, and of mine.”

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A few random poems:

External links

Bat’s Poetry Page – more poetry by Fledermaus

Talking Writing Monster’s Page –

Batty Writing – the bat’s idle chatter, thoughts, ideas and observations, all original, all fresh

Poems in English 

• Epigram—The Keekin Glass by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Epigram—Thanks for a National Victory by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Epigram pinned to Mrs. Riddell’s carriage by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Epigram on the same Laird’s Country Seat by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Epigram on the said Occasion by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Epigram on the Laird of Laggan by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Epigram on Rough Roads by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Epigram on Politics by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Epigram on Parting with a kind Host in the Highlands by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Epigram on Mr. James Gracie by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Epigram on Miss Fontenelle by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Epigram on Jessy Staig’s recovery by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Epigram on Francis Grose the Antiquary by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Epigram on Dr. Babington’s looks by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Epigram on Andrew Turner by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Epigram on an Innkeeper (“The Marquis”) by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Epigram on a Swearing Coxcomb by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Epigram on a Suicide by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Epigram on a Country Laird (Cardoness) by Robert Burns by Robert Burns
• Epigram—Kirk and State Excisemen by Robert Burns by Robert Burns

More external links (open in a new tab):

Russian Commerce Agency

Dealing Monster

Doska or the Board – write anything

Search engines:

Yandex – the best search engine for searches in Russian (and the best overall image search engine, in any language, anywhere)

Qwant – the best search engine for searches in French, German as well as Romance and Germanic languages.

Ecosia – a search engine that supposedly… plants trees

Duckduckgo – the real alternative and a search engine that actually works. Without much censorship or partisan politics.

Yahoo– yes, it’s still around, amazingly, miraculously, incredibly, but now it seems to be powered by Bing.

 

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