Date: 1699

"Reason 'tis true, should over sense preside, / Correct our Notions and our Judgments guide; / But false Opinions, rooted in the mind / Hood-wink the Soul, and keep the Reason blind."

— Pomfret, John (1667-1702)

Date: 1699

"Reason's a Taper, which but faintly burns: / A Languid Flame that glows and dies by turns: / We see't a while, and but a little way / We travel by its Light, as Men by Day; / But quickly dying, it forsakes us soon; / Like Morning Stars that never stay till Noon."

— Pomfret, John (1667-1702)

Date: 1699

"Reason has little now to do but prove / That some most perfect Being rules above, / And this by little Inference we find: / 'Tis plain; 'tis bright, 'tis written on the Mind."

— Pomfret, John (1667-1702)

Date: 1700

"The Passions still predominant will rule, / Ungovern'd, rude, not bred in Reason's School."

— Pomfret, John (1667-1702)

Date: 1700

"On these [passions] the Soul, as on some Flowing Tide, / Must sit, and on the raging Billows Ride, / Hurry'd away, for how can be withstood / Th' Impetuous Torrent of the boiling Blood?"

— Pomfret, John (1667-1702)

Date: 1700

"What's all the noisy Jargon of the Schools, / But idle Nonsense of laborious Fools, / Who fetter Reason with perplexing Rules."

— Pomfret, John (1667-1702)

Date: 1700

"Who travels Scotus swelling Tomes shall find / A Cloud of Darkness rising on the Mind."

— Pomfret, John (1667-1702)

Date: 1700

"We seldome use our Liberty aright, / Nor Judge of Things by Universal Light; / Our Prepossessions and Affections bind / The Soul in Chains, and Lord it o're the Mind."

— Pomfret, John (1667-1702)

Date: 1700

"Reason, 'tis true, shou'd over Sense Preside, / Correct our Notions, and our Judgment Guide; / But false Opinions, rooted in the Mind, / Hoodwink the Soul, and keep our Reason Blind."

— Pomfret, John (1667-1702)

Date: 1700

"Reason's a Taper, which but faintly burns, / A languid Flame that glows and dyes by Turns; / We see't a while, and but a little Way, / We Travel by its Light as Men by Day."

— Pomfret, John (1667-1702)