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Jonathan Swift Quotes - Page 14

All Quotes Abuse Age Art Atheism Belief Character Children Church Coffee Cooking Corruption Country Criticism Desire Devil Eating Education Evil Fate Flattery Food Friends Friendship Funny Genius Giving Gold Greatness Greed Happiness Hate Heart Heaven House Inspirational Joy Judging Justice Kissing Language Life Literature Love Lying Madness Mankind Manners Mathematics Money Moon Pain Passion Philosophy Poetry Politics Praise Pride Quality Rain Reading Religion Romance Running Sarcasm Satire School Science Shame Style Success Talent Time Understanding Virtue Vision War Wine Wisdom Writing

In all assemblies, though you wedge them ever so close, we may observe this peculiar property, that over their heads there is room enough; but how to reach it is the difficult point. To this end the philosopher's way in

In all assemblies, though you wedge them ever so close, we may observe this peculiar property, that over their heads there is room enough; but how to reach it is the difficult point. To this end the philosopher's way in all ages has been by erecting certain edifices in the air.

Air, Age, May

Jonathan Swift (2004). “A Modest Proposal and Other Prose”, p.61, Barnes & Noble Publishing

Conscience signifies that knowledge which a man hath of his own thoughts and actions; and because, if a man judgeth fairly of his actions by comparing them with the law of God, his mind will approve or condemn him; this knowledge or conscience may be both an accuser and a judge.

Men, Law, Judging

Would a writer know how to behave himself with relation td posterity? Let him consider in old books what he finds that he is glad to know, and what omissions he most laments.

Book, Omission, Authorship

Atlas, we read in ancient song, Was so exceeding tall and strong, He bore the skies upon his back, Just as the pedler does his pack; But, as the pedler overpress'd Unloads upon a stall to rest, Or, when he can no longer stand, Desires a friend to lend a hand, So Atlas, lest the ponderous spheres Should sink, and fall about his ears, Got Hercules to bear the pile, That he might sit and rest awhile.

Song, Strong, Fall

Jonathan Swift (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Jonathan Swift (Illustrated)”, p.3013, Delphi Classics

It is with wits as with razors, which are never so apt to cut those they are employed on as when they have lost their edge.

Cutting, Razors, Lost

Jonathan Swift (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Jonathan Swift (Illustrated)”, p.27, Delphi Classics

The example alone of a vicious prince will corrupt an age; but that of a good one will not reform it.

Kings, Age, Example

The more careless, the more modish.

Careless

1738 Polite Conversation, dialogue 1.

Brutes find out where their talents lie; a bear will not attempt to fly.

Lying, Bears, Talent

Jonathan Swift, Thomas Sheridan, John Nichols (1801). “Poems, Polite convesation, etc”, p.166

Though fear should lend him pinions like the wind, yet swifter fate will seize him from behind.

Fate, Wind, Should

Jonathan Swift (1860). “The Works of Jonathan Swift ...: With Copious Notes and Additions, and a Memoir of the Author”, p.507

Silks, velvets, calicoes, and the whole lexicon of female fopperies.

Fashion, Female, Velvet

Jonathan Swift (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Jonathan Swift (Illustrated)”, p.1604, Delphi Classics

When a man of genius appears in the world, it is immediately recognized by the fact that all the blockheads join forces against him.

Men, Genius, World

I am convinced that if the virtuosi could once find out a world in the moon, with a passage to it, our women would wear nothing but what directly came from thence.

Moon, World, Passages

Jonathan Swift (1861). “The Works of Jonathan Swift ...: With Copious Notes and Additions, and a Memoir of the Author”, p.618

There is no talent so useful toward rising in the world, or which puts men more out of the reach of fortune, than that quality generally possessed by the dullest sort of men, and in common speech called discretion; a species of lower prudence, by the assistance of which, people of the meanest intellectuals, without any other qualification, pass through the world in great tranquillity, and with universal good treatment, neither giving nor taking offence.

Men, People, Giving

Jonathan Swift (1856). “The Works of Jonathan Swift ...: Containing Interesting and Valuable Papers, Not Hitherto Published ... With Memoir of the Author”, p.206

When dunces are satiric, I take it for a panegyric.

Satire, Dunces

Jonathan Swift, John Mitford (1854). “The Poetical Works of Jonathan Swift: With a Life”, p.168

"Lawyers Are": Those whose interests and abilities lie in perverting, confounding and eluding the law.

Lying, Law, Ability

All fits of pleasure are balanced by an equal degree of pain or languor; it is like spending this year part of the next year's revenue.

Happiness, Pain, Years

"Complete Works of Jonathan Swift".

The affectation of some late authors to introduce and multiply cant words is the most ruinous corruption in any language.

Language, Corruption, Introducing

Jonathan Swift, John Hawkesworth (1754). “The Works of Jonathan Swift: Accurately Revised in Twelve Volumes, Adorned with Copper-plates. With Some Account of the Author's Life and Notes, Historical and Explanatory”, p.325

It is pleasant to observe how free the present age is in laying taxes on the next. "Future ages shall talk of this; they shall be famous to all posterity;" whereas their time and thoughts will be taken up about present things, as ours are now.

Taken, Age, Next

This wine should be eaten, it is too good to be drunk.

Wine, Drunk, Should

Jonathan Swift (1861). “The Works of Jonathan Swift ...: With Copious Notes and Additions, and a Memoir of the Author”, p.75

Old sciences are unraveled like old stockings, by beginning at the foot.

Science, Oxen, Feet

Jonathan Swift (1765). “The Works of Dr. Jonathan Swift ...: Accurately Revised ... Adorned with Copper-plates; with Some Account of the Author's Life, and Notes Historical and Explanatory”, p.288

I row after health like a waterman.

Healthcare

Jonathan Swift, Deane Swift, Thomas Birch, Thomas Wilkes, Thomas Hawkesworth (1763). “The Works of the Reverend Dr. Jonathan Swift: More of his literary correspondence ... An account of the life and writings of Dr. Jonathan Swift”, p.146

Polite Conversation Why, everyone one as they like; as the good woman said when she kissed her cow.

Father, Good Woman, Cows

For want of a block, man will stumble at a straw.

Block, Men, Trying

Do you think I was born in a wood to be afraid of an owl?

Thinking, Owl, Woods

Jonathan Swift (1761). “The Works of Dr Jonathan Swift, Dean of St Patrick's, Dublin. Accurately Corrected by the Best Editions. With the Author's Life and Character; Notes Historical, Critical, and Explanatory; Tables of Contents, and Indexes. More Complete Than Any Preceding Edition. In Eight Volumes”, p.272

With a whirl of thought oppressed I sink from reverie to rest. An horrid vision seized my head, I saw the graves give up their dead.

Giving Up, Thoughtful, Thinking

Jonathan Swift, Alexander Norman Jeffares (1992). “The selected poems”

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