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Jonathan Swift Quotes - Page 6

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

This made me reflect, how vain an attempt it is for a man to endeavor to do himself honor among those who are out of all degree of equality or comparison with him.

This made me reflect, how vain an attempt it is for a man to endeavor to do himself honor among those who are out of all degree of equality or comparison with him.

Men, Honor, Degrees

Jonathan Swift (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Jonathan Swift (Illustrated)”, p.290, Delphi Classics

Words are but wind; and learning is nothing but words; ergo, learning is nothing but wind.

Wind, Understanding

Jonathan Swift, Frank H. Ellis (2006). “A Tale of a Tub: The Battle of the Books ; The Mechanical Operation of the Spirit”, p.68, Peter Lang

To acknowledge you were wrong yesterday is simply to let the world know that you are wiser today than you were then.

Acknowledge You, Yesterday, World

Everyone desires long life, not one old age.

Long, Age, Desire

She wears her clothes as if they were thrown on with a pitchfork.

Sarcastic, Clothes, Pitchforks

'Polite Conversation' (1738) dialogue 1

A true critic, in the perusal of a book, is like a dog at a feast, whose thoughts and stomach are wholly set upon what the guests fling away, and consequently is apt to snarl most when there are the fewest bones.

Dog, Book, Guests

Jonathan Swift, Sir Walter Scott (1824). “Tale of a tub. Battle of the books. A discourse concerning the mechancial operation of the spirit. Abstract of the history of England ... Letters ... Poems ascribed to Swift”, p.107

I never knew any man cured of inattention.

Men, Attention, Inattention

Jonathan Swift (1751). “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.205

Physicians ought not to give their judgment of religion, for the same reason that butchers are not admitted to be jurors upon life and death.

Life And Death, Giving, Physicians

Thoughts on Various Subjects, Moral and Diverting

And he gave it for his opinion, "that whoever could make two ears of corn, or two blades of grass, to grow upon a spot of ground where only one grew before, would deserve better of mankind, and do more essential service to his country, than the whole race of politicians put together.

Country, Agriculture, Race

Gulliver's Travels "A Voyage to Brobdingnag" ch. 7 (1726)

Perverseness is your whole defence.

Defence, Perverseness, Whole

Jonathan Swift, John Mitford (1871). “The Poetical Works of Jonathan Swift”, p.235

Exploding many things under the name of trifles is a very false proof either of wisdom or magnanimity, and a great check to virtuous actions with regard to fame.

Names, Action, Fame

Jonathan Swift (1861). “The Works of Jonathan Swift ...: With Cop'ous Notes and Additions”, p.612

Whence proceeds this weight we lay On what detracting people say? Their utmost malice cannot make Your head, or tooth, or finger ache; Nor spoil your shapes, distort your face, Or put one feature out of place.

People, Weight, Shapes

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.629

The sight of you is good for sore eyes.

Eye, Sight, Sore Eyes

Polite Conversation "First Conversation" (1738)

T is as cheap sitting as standing.

Sitting, Standing

Hail fellow, well met.

Hail, Mets, Wells

My Lady's Lamentation" l. 165 (written 1728)

Fools are apt to imitate only the defects of their betters.

Fool, Defects

Jonathan Swift, Thomas Roscoe (1859). “The works of Jonathan Swift, D.D.: with copious notes and additions and a memoir of the author”, p.187

Brisk talkers are usually slow thinkers. There is, indeed, no wild beast more to be dreaded than a communicative man having nothing to communicate. If you are civil to the voluble they will abuse your patience; if brusque, your character.

Character, Men, Talking

Walls have tongues, and hedges ears.

Wall, Ears, Tongue

'A Pastoral Dialogue between Richmond Lodge and Marble Hill' (1727) l. 8

The stoical scheme of supplying our wants by lopping off our desires, is like cutting off our feet when we want shoes.

Money, Cutting, Shoes

Thoughts on Various Subjects (1711)

I hate nobody: I am in charity with the world.

Hate, World, Charity

So endless and exorbitant are the desires of men that they will grasp at all, and can form no scheme of perfect happiness with less.

Happiness, Men, Perfect

Jonathan Swift, Thomas Roscoe (1859). “The works of Jonathan Swift, D.D.: with copious notes and additions and a memoir of the author”, p.420

He was a fiddler, and consequently a rogue.

Literature, Rogues, Fiddlers

1711 Journal to Stella, 25 July.

A pleasant companion is as good as a coach.

Companion, Coaches, Pleasant

Books, the children of the brain.

Inspirational, Children, Book

Jonathan Swift (2011). “Gulliver's Travels and Other Writings”, p.372, Bantam Classics

Whoever makes the fewest persons uneasy, is the best bred man in company.

Men, Company, Uneasy

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