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Joseph Addison Quotes - Page 9

All Quotes Affection Age Ambition Appearance Art Atheism Beauty Bravery Character Children Community Compassion Contentment Country Courage Criticism Critics Death Design Desire Destiny Earth Education Enthusiasm Eternity Evil Exercise Fame Fate Flattery Friends Friendship Funny Genius Giving Glory God Gold Gratitude Greatness Grief Happiness Health Heart Heaven Honesty Honor Hope Human Nature Humanity Humility Husband Imagination Imperfection Innocence Inspirational Inspiring Judgment Justice Kindness Knowledge Laughter Liberty Life Life And Death Literature Losing Love Lying Mankind Marriage Modesty Morality Mountain Music Nature Opportunity Pain Passion Perfection Philosophy Plato Praise Prejudice Pride Prosperity Quality Reading Religion Running Safety Satire Science Serenity Silence Sorrow Soul Success Suffering Sunshine Talent Time Tragedy Understanding Violence Virtue War Weakness Wine Wisdom Wit Work Writing

It is impossible for us, who live in the latter ages of the world, to make observations in criticism, morality, or in any art or science, which have not been touched upon by others. We have little else left us but to

It is impossible for us, who live in the latter ages of the world, to make observations in criticism, morality, or in any art or science, which have not been touched upon by others. We have little else left us but to represent the common sense of mankind in more strong, more beautiful, or more uncommon lights.

Beautiful, Strong, Art

Joseph Addison, Richard Steele (1854). “The Spectator”, p.306

There is no passion that steals into the heart more imperceptibly and covers itself under more disguises than pride.

Passion, Heart, Pride

Joseph Addison, Sir Richard Steele (1804). “The Guardian”, p.321

I have somewhere met with the epitaph on a charitable man which has pleased me very much. I cannot recollect the words, but here is the sense of it: 'What I spent I lost; what I possessed is left to others; what I gave away remains with me.'

Life, Men, Literature

"Complete Works of Joseph Addison " (Illustrated),

An indiscreet man is more hurtful than an ill-natured one; for as the latter will only attack his enemies, and those he wishes ill to, the other injures indifferently both friends and foes.

Men, Enemy, Wish

Joseph Addison, Sir Richard Steele (1853). “The Spectator: With a Biographical and Critical Preface, and Explanatory Notes ...”, p.74

A man with great talents, but void of discretion, is like Polyphemus in the fable, strong and blind, endued with an irresistible force, which for want of sight is of no use to him.

Strong, Men, Sight

Joseph Addison, Sir Richard Steele (1853). “The Spectator”, p.130

Devotion, when it does not lie under the check of reason, is apt to degenerate into enthusiasm.

Lying, Doe, Enthusiasm

Joseph Addison (1721). “The Spectator, no. 90-505”, p.171

Who does not more admire Cicero as an author than as a consul of Rome?

Rome, Doe, Admire

Joseph Addison, Henry George Bohn, Richard Hurd (1877). “The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison”, p.48

If we may believe our logicians, man is distinguished from all other creatures by the faculty of laughter. He has a heart capable of mirth, and naturally disposed to it.

Laughter, Believe, Heart

'The Spectator' no. 494, 26 September 1712

Cunning has only private selfish aims, and sticks at nothing which may make them succeed. Discretion has large and extended views, and, like a well-formed eye, commands a whole horizon; cunning is a kind of shortsightedness, that discovers the minutest objects which are near at hand, but is not able to discern things at a distance.

Selfish, Distance, Eye

Joseph Addison, Richard Steele (1854). “The Spectator”, p.226

As Vivacity is the Gift of Women, Gravity is that of Men.

Women, Gravity, Vivacity

"Complete Works of Joseph Addison".

Suspicion is not less an enemy to virtue than to happiness; he that is already corrupt is naturally suspicious, and he that becomes suspicious will quickly be corrupt.

Happiness, Enemy, Literature

Joseph Addison (1793). “A Collection of Interesting Anecdotes, Memoirs, Allegories, Essays, and Poetical Fragments”, p.378

Mere bashfulness without merit is awkward; and merit without modesty, insolent. But modest merit has a double claim to acceptance, and generally meets with as many patrons as beholders.

Acceptance, Awkward, Merit

Joseph Addison (1856). “The works of ... Joseph Addison, with notes by R. Hurd”, p.118

There is not a more pleasante exercise of the mind than gratitude.

Thank You, Gratitude, Exercise

The world is so full of ill-nature that I have lampoons sent me by people who cannot spell, and satires composed by those who scarce know how to write.

Writing, People, World

Sir Richard Steele, Alexander Chalmers, Joseph Addison (1806). “The Spectator”, p.93

There is no kind of false wit which has been so recommended by the practice of all ages, as that which consists in a jingle of words, and is comprehended under the general name of punning.

Practice, Names, Age

Joseph Addison, Sir Richard Steele (1826). “The Spectator: With Notes, and a General Index”, p.80

Dependence is a perpetual call upon humanity, and a greater incitement to tenderness and pity than any other motive whatever.

Humanity, Pity, Incitement

A money-lender--he serves you in the present tense; he lends you in the conditional mood; keeps you in the conjunctive; and ruins you in the future.

Ruins, Mood, Tense

Prejudice and self-sufficiency naturally proceed from inexperience of the world, and ignorance of mankind.

Ignorance, Self, Inexperience

Joseph Addison (1853). “The Works of Joseph Addison: Including the Whole Contents of Bp. Hurd's Edition, with Letters and Other Pieces Not Found in Any Previous Collection; and Macaulay's Essay on His Life and Works”, p.139

There is sometimes a greater judgement shewn in deviating from the rules of art, than in adhering to them; and?there ismore beauty inthe works of a great genius who is ignorant of all the rules of art, than in the works of a little genius, who not only knows but scrupulously observes them.

Art, Judgement, Ignorant

'The Spectator' no. 592, 10 September 1714.

Thus I live in the world rather as a spectator of mankind than as one of the species.

World, Mankind, Spectators

1711 In The Spectator, no.1,1Mar.

The moderns cannot reach their beauties, but can avoid their imperfections.

Imperfection

Joseph Addison, Sir Richard Steele (1853). “The Spectator: With a Biographical and Critical Preface, and Explanatory Notes ...”, p.195

Better to die ten thousand deaths, Than wound my honour.

Death, Honor, Thousand

"Cato, A Tragedy". Play by Joseph Addison, 1713.

When I read the several dates of the tombs, of some that died yesterday, and some six hundred years ago, I consider that great day when we shall all of us be contemporaries, and make our appearance together.

Years, Yesterday, Great Day

Joseph Addison (1856). “The works of ... Joseph Addison, with notes by R. Hurd”, p.284

The head has the most beautiful appearance, as well as the highest station, in a human figure.

Beautiful, Appearance, Figures

Joseph Addison, Sir Richard Steele (1824). “The Spectator: With Sketches of the Lives of the Authors, an Index, and Explanatory Notes”, p.221

There is not on earth a spectacle more worthy the regard of a Creator intent on his works, than a brave man superior to his sufferings.

Men, Suffering, Earth

"The Evidences of the Christian Religion: To which are Added, Several Discourses Against Atheism and Infidelity, and in Defence of the Christian Revelation".

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