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Jonathan Swift Quotes - Page 7

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

An idle reason lessens the weight of the good ones you gave before.

An idle reason lessens the weight of the good ones you gave before.

Weight, Reason, Idle

Jonathan Swift (1735). “The Works of J.S., D.D., D.S.P.D.”, p.303

A favor is half granted, when graciously refused.

Favors, Half, Granted

Have you not observed that there is a lower kind of discretion and regularity, which seldom fails of raising men to the highest station in the court, the church, and the law?

Men, Law, Church

Jonathan Swift, Sir Walter Scott (1824). “Epistolary correspondence. Letters from August 1714, to September 1724”, p.332

It is a miserable thing to live in suspense; it is the life of the spider.

Spiders, Suspense, Miserable

Jonathan Swift, Thomas Sheridan (1812). “The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift...”, p.169

The scholars of Ireland seem not to have the least conception of style, but run on in a flat phraseology, often mingled with barbarous terms.

Running, Style, Term

Where I am not understood, it shall be concluded that something very useful and profound is couched underneath.

Profound, Understanding, Literature

Jonathan Swift (2004). “A Modest Proposal and Other Prose”, p.57, Barnes & Noble Publishing

Come, agree, the law's costly.

Funny, Humor, Law

So geographers, in Africa maps, With savage pictures fill their gaps, And o'er uninhabitable downs Place elephants for want of towns

Elephants, Savages, Maps

Argument, as usually managed, is the worst sort of conversation, as it is generally in books the worst sort of reading.

Book, Reading, Argument

"The works of Dean Swif".

Complaint is the largest tribute heaven receives and the sincerest part of our devotion.

Prayer, Heaven, Devotion

Jonathan Swift (1755). “The works of Jonathan Swift ...: accurately revised ... adorned with copperplates; with some account of the author's life, and notes historical and explanatory”, p.227

Very few men, properly speaking, live at present, but are providing to live another time.

Men, Another Time, Providing

Jonathan Swift (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Jonathan Swift (Illustrated)”, p.899, Delphi Classics

Wisdom is a fox who, after long hunting, will at last cost you the pains to dig out; it is a cheese, which, by how much the richer, has the thicker, the homlier, and the coarser coat; and whereof to a judicious palate, the maggots are best. It is a sack posset, wherein the deeper you go, you'll find it the sweeter. Wisdom is a hen, whose cackling we must value and consider, because it is attended with an egg. But lastly, it is a nut, which, unless you choose with judgment, may cost you a tooth, and pay you with nothing but a worm.

Wisdom, Pain, Hunting

Brutes find out where their talents lie; A bear will not attempt to fly, A foundered horse will oft debate Before he tries a five barred gate. A dog by instinct turns aside Who sees the ditch too deep and wide, But man we find the only creature Who, led by folly, combats nature; Who, when she loudly cries-Forbear! With obstinacy fixes there; And where the genius least inclines, Absurdly bends his whole designs.

Dog, Horse, Lying

I love white Portugal wine better than claret, champagne, or burgundy. I have a sad vulgar appetite.

Wine, White, Portugal

Jonathan Swift, Thomas Roscoe (1859). “The works of Jonathan Swift, D.D.: with copious notes and additions and a memoir of the author”, p.373

It is in men as in soils where sometimes there is a vein of gold which the owner knows not.

Strength, Men, Gold

Jonathan Swift (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Jonathan Swift (Illustrated)”, p.896, Delphi Classics

A ridiculous passion which hath no being but in play-books and romances.

Love, Book, Passion

Jonathan Swift, Deane Swift, Thomas Birch, Thomas Wilkes, Thomas Hawkesworth (1768). “The Works of the Reverend Dr. Jonathan Swift: Miscellanies in prose”, p.366

There is nothing in this world constant, but inconstancy.

Literature, World, Constant

'A Critical Essay upon the Faculties of the Mind' (1709)

The reason why so few marriages are happy is because young ladies spend their time in making nets, not in making cages.

Funny, Marriage, Time

'Thoughts on Various Subjects' (1706)

There is nothing constant in this world but inconsistency.

World, This World, Inconsistency

How often do we contradict the right rules of reason in the whole course of our lives! Reason itself is true and just, but the reason of every particular man is weak and wavering, perpetually swayed and turned by his interests, his passions, and his vices.

Passion, Men, Wavering

Jonathan Swift (1761). “The Works ...: With the Author's Life and Character, Notes [etc.] In Eight Volumes”, p.262

Positiveness is a good quality for preachers and speakers because, whoever shares his thoughts with the public will convince them as he himself appears convinced.

Optimism, Quality, Share

'Tis happy for him that his Father was born before him.

Father, Conversation, Polite

"Parodies, Hoaxes, Mock Treatises: Polite Conversation, Directions to Servants and Other Works".

Undoubtedly, philosophers are in the right when they tell us that nothing is great or little otherwise than by comparison.

Littles, Gulliver's Travels, Philosopher

Jonathan Swift (1826). “Gulliver's Travels”, p.103

If it were a rainy day, a drunken vigil, a fit of the spleen, a course of physic, sleepy Sunday, an ill run at dice, a long tailor's bill, a beggar's purse, a factious head, a hot sun, costive diet, want of books, and a just contempt for learning - but for these. . .the number of authors and of writing would dwindle away to a degree most woeful to behold.

Running, Book, Writing

Who can deny that all men are violent lovers of the truth, when we see them so positive in their errors, which they will maintain out of their zeal for truth, although they contradict themselves every day of their lives.

Mistake, Men, Errors

Jonathan Swift (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Jonathan Swift (Illustrated)”, p.899, Delphi Classics

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