English
Author,
Poet,
Critic and
Essayist
(September 18,
1709 -
December 13,
1784)
"Actions are visible, though motives are secret."
"Adversity has ever been considered the state in which a man most easily becomes acquainted with himself."
"Advertisements are now so numerous that they are very negligently perused, and it is therefore become necessary to gain attention by magnificence of promises, and by eloquences sometimes sublime and sometimes pathetic."
"Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous mind."
"A decent provision for the poor is the true test of civilization."
"Do not accustom yourself to use big words for little matters."
"The future is purchased by the present."
"The greatest part of a writer's time is spent in reading in order to write. A man will turn over half a library to make a book."
"He that would be superior to external influences must first become superior to his own passions."
"Hope is itself a species of happiness, and perhaps the chief happiness this world affords."
"In order that all men may be taught to speak truth, it is necessary that all likewise should learn to hear it."
"An injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere."
"Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful."
"It is better to suffer wrong than to do it, and happier to be sometimes cheated than not to trust."
"Kindness is in our power, even when fondness is not."
"Mankind have a great aversion to intellectual labor; but even supposing knowledge to be easily attainable, more people would be content to be ignorant than would take even a little trouble to acquire it."
"Nothing will ever be attempted, if all possible objections must be first overcome."
"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel."
"Poetry is the art of uniting pleasure with truth."
"Power is not sufficient evidence of truth."
"Pride is a vice, which pride itself inclines every man to find in others, and to overlook in himself."
"Resolve not to be poor: whatever you have, spend less. Poverty is a great enemy to human happiness; it certainly destroys liberty, and it makes some virtues impracticable, and others extremely difficult."
"Things don't go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be."
"'Tis better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than open one's mouth and remove all doubt."
"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good."
"What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure."
