Old Age and Ageing

And when he’s old, cashier’d.

Thou hast nor youth nor age; But, as it were, an after-dinner’s sleep, Dreaming on both; for all thy blessed youth Becomes as aged, and doth beg the alms Of palsied eld; and when thou art old and rich, Thou hast neither heat, affection, limb, nor beauty, To make thy riches pleasant.

Hamlet: His beard was grizzled, no? Horatio: It was, as I have seen it in his life, A sable silver’d.

Oppress’d with two weak evils, age and hunger.

Therefore my age is as a lusty winter, Frosty, but kindly.

Though I look old, yet I am strong and lusty; For in my youth I never did apply Hot and rebellious liquors in my blood.

Young in limbs, in judgment old.

Care keeps his watch in every old man’s eye, And where care lodges, sleep will never lie.

Harvest, oh! harvest your hour While life is abloom with youth! For age with bitter ruth Will fade your beauty’s flower. 4

When you are old, at evening candlelit, Beside the fire bending to your wool, Read out my verse and murmur, “Ronsard writ This praise for me when I was beautiful.” 1

Til crowes feet be growen under youre yë.

Old men are children for a second time.

No falsehood lingers on into old age.

No man loves life like him that’s growing old.

The immortal Gods alone have neither age nor death! All other things almighty Time disquiets.

For age is opportunity no less Than youth itself, though in another dress, And as the evening twilight fades away The sky is filled with stars invisible by day.

One of the amusements of being old is that I have no illusions about my literary position. I have been taken very seriously, but I have also seen essays by clever young men on contemporary fiction who would never think of considering me. I no longer mind what people think. On the whole, I have done what I set out to do. Now my age makes everyone take me very seriously. If you are a writer, live a long time. I have found that longevity counts more than talent.

Not even old age knows how to love death.

A man growing old becomes a child again.

Old age and the passage of time teach all things.

I grow old learning something new every day.

Then not only an old man, but also a drunkard, becomes a second time a child.

He who is of calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age, but to him who is of an opposite disposition youth and age are equally a burden.

A graceful and honorable old age is the childhood of immortality.