Queen Mary of England died 1558.
Joost van den Vondel born 1587.
George Grote born 1794.
There are evergreen men and women in the world, praise be to
God!--not many of them, but a few. They are not the showy folk.
(Nature is an old-fashioned shopkeeper; she never puts her best
goods in the window.) They are only the quiet, strong folk; they are
stronger than Fate. The storms of life sweep over them, and the
biting frosts creep round them; but the winds and the frosts pass
away, and they are still standing, green and straight.
--Jerome K. Jerome.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water,
That bringeth forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also doth not wither;
And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
--Psalm 1.3.
Gracious Lord, may I not spend most in equipment and forget the tides,
which may desert me on the sands, or the rocks in the channels, which
may crush the finest vessel. May I be prepared for the hard knocks if
they come, but may I know how to keep clear of them. Amen.