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Jonathan Swift Quotes - Page 15

From not the gravest of Divines, Accept for once some serious Lines.

From not the gravest of Divines, Accept for once some serious Lines.

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.142

Lord, Madame, I have fed like a farmer; I shall grow as fat as a porpoise.

Jonathan Swift (1741). “The Works of Jonathan Swift ...: Containing, I. His Miscellanies in prose. II. His poetical writings. III. The travels of Capt. Lemuel Gulliver. IV. Papers relating to Ireland, and The Drapier's letters. V. The conduct of the allies, and The examiners. VI. The publick spirit of the Whiggs, &c. with Polite conversation. VII. Letters to and from Dr. Swift. VIII. Directions to servants, sermons, poems, &c”, p.326

In like manner, the disbelief of a Divine Providence renders a man uncapable of holding any public station; for, since kings avow themselves to be the deputies of Providence.

Jonathan Swift, Jesse Gale, Cynthia Brantley Johnson (2005). “Gulliver's Travels and A Modest Proposal”, p.63, Simon and Schuster

I with borrow'd silver shine, What you see is none of mine. First I show you but a quarter, Like the bow that guards the Tartar: Then the half, and then the whole, Ever dancing round the pole.

Jonathan Swift (1841). “The Works. Containing Interesting and Valuable Papers, Not Hitherto Published. With Memoir of the Author, by Thomas Roscoe. -London, Washbourne 1841”, p.742

It may pass for a maxim in State, that the administration cannot be placed in too few hands, nor the legislature in too many.

Jonathan Swift (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Jonathan Swift (Illustrated)”, p.1109, Delphi Classics

When a man is made a spiritual peer he loses his surname; when a temporal, his Christian name.

Jonathan Swift (1823). “The Select Works of Jonathan Swift: Containing the Whole of His Poetical Works, the Tale of a Tab, Battle of the Books, Gulliver's Travels, Directions to Servants, Art of Punning, Etc”, p.300

All Pretences of foretelling by Astrology, are Deceits; for this manifest Reason, because the Wise and Learned, who can only judge whether there be any Truth in this Science, do all unanimously agree to laugh at and despise it; and none but the poor ignorant Vulgar give it any Credit.

Jonathan Swift, John Hawkesworth (1766). “The Works of Dr. 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.194

In all I wish, how happy should I be, Thou grand Deluder, were it not for thee? So weak thou art that fools thy power despise; And yet so strong, thou triumph'st o'er the wise.

Jonathan Swift (1841). “The works of Jonathan Swift, containing papers not hitherto publ. With memoir of the author by T. Roscoe”, p.682

Triumphant Tories, and desponding Whigs, Forget their feuds, and join to save their wigs.

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.45

Bread is the staff of life.

"Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations" by Jehiel Keeler Hoyt, p. 210-15, Tale of a Tub, 1922.

Pedantry is properly the over-rating of any kind of knowledge we pretend to.

Jonathan Swift (1857). “The works of Dean Swift: comprising A tale of a tub, The battle of the books, with thoughts and essays on various subjects, together with The Dean's advice to a young lady on her marriage”, p.268