quote · Legacy record
The joy that vain amusements give, O, sad conclusion that it brings, The honey of a crowded hive Defended by a thousand stings. ’Tis thus the world rewards the fools That live upon her treacherous smiles; She leads them blindfold, by her rules, And ruins all whom she beguiles.
The joy that vain amusements give, O, sad conclusion that it brings, The honey of a crowded hive Defended by a thousand stings. ’Tis thus the world rewards the fools That live upon her treacherous smiles; She leads them blindfold, by her rules, And ruins all whom she beguiles.
Approximate author period: c. 1765 AD · early modern
Meaning not yet available
An individual explanation has not yet been added. We do not substitute a generic description for an interpretation of these particular words.
Begin with source-checked readings and explanations ↗Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- William Cowper
Attribution: attributed - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Approximate author period: c. 1765 AD · early modern
author lifetime midpoint (1731–1800)
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- A Cyclopædia of Sacred Poetical Quotations (catalogued1888) (1888 AD)
Page 688 · printed citation: Cowper · subject: WORLD
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.