TRIFLE.
A little fire is quickly trodden out,
Which, being suffered, rivers cannot quench.
King Henry VI., Pt. III. Act iv, Sc. 8. SHAKESPEARE.
Pretty! in amber to observe the forms
Of hair, or straws, or dirt, or grubs, or worms!
The things, we know, are neither rich nor rare,
But wonder how the devil they got there!
Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot: Prologue to Satires. A. POPE.
At every trifle scorn to take offence;
That always shows great pride or little sense.
Essay on Criticism. A. POPE.
Think naught a trifle, though it small appear;
Small sands the mountain, moments make the year.
And trifles life.
Love of Fame, Satire VI. DR. E. YOUNG.