Authors:

Oliver Goldsmith Quotes - Page 7

All Quotes Age Ambition Arguing Art Character Children Country Crime Curiosity Desire Disappointment Duty Enthusiasm Excellence Failing Fame Fashion Flattery Friends Friendship Funny Generosity Genius Giving Gratitude Grief Happiness Heart Heaven Home Hope House Husband Ignorance Inspirational Integrity Joy Justice Laughter Learning Life Love Lying Mankind Mountain Pain Philosophy Pleasure Poverty Praise Pride Reading Reputation Running Science Silence Sorrow Soul Sports Travel Understanding Virtue Wealth Wisdom Writing
I was ever of the opinion, that the honest man who married and brought up a large family, did more service than he who continued single, and only talked of population.

I was ever of the opinion, that the honest man who married and brought up a large family, did more service than he who continued single, and only talked of population.

Oliver Goldsmith
Men, Population, Opinion
'The Vicar of Wakefield' (1766) ch. 1

Life has been compared to a race, but the allusion improves by observing, that the most swift are usually the least manageable and the most likely to stray from the course. Great abilities have always been less serviceable to the possessors than moderate ones.

Oliver Goldsmith
Life, Race, Ability

Careless their merits or their faults to scan, His pity gave ere charity began. Thus to relieve the wretched was his pride, And even his failings lean'd to Virtue's side.

Oliver Goldsmith
Pride, Charity, Faults
Oliver Goldsmith (1867). “The Poetical Works”, p.58

Unequal combinations are always disadvantageous to the weaker side.

Oliver Goldsmith
Business, Sides, Combination
Oliver Goldsmith (1809). “The miscellaneous works of Oliver Goldsmith”, p.76

When lovely woman stoops to folly, and finds too late that men betray, what charm can soothe her melancholy, what art can wash her guilt away?

Oliver Goldsmith
Love, Art, Betrayal
The Vicar of Wakefield ch. 29 (1766)

Turn, gentle Hermit of the Dale, And guide my lonely way To where yon taper cheers the vale With hospitable ray.

Oliver Goldsmith
Lonely, Cheer, Loneliness
Oliver Goldsmith (1841). “Goldsmith's miscellaneous works”, p.5

Whatever be the motives which induce men to write,--whether avarice or fame,--the country becomes more wise and happy in which they most serve for instructors.

Oliver Goldsmith
Wise, Country, Writing
Oliver Goldsmith, David Masson (1869). “The Miscellaneous Works of Oliver Goldsmith”, p.210

The person whose clothes are extremely fine I am too apt to consider as not being possessed of any superiority of fortune, but resembling those Indians who are found to wear all the gold they have in the world in a bob at the nose.

Oliver Goldsmith
Clothes, Gold, Bob
Oliver Goldsmith (1854). “The works of Oliver Goldsmith. 2: Enquiry into the present state of polite learning; The citizen of the world”, p.259

I fancy the character of a poet is in every country the same,--fond of enjoying the present, careless of the future; his conversation that of a man of sense, his actions those of a fool.

Oliver Goldsmith
Country, Character, Men
Oliver Goldsmith (1835). “His Works”, p.241

Popular glory is a perfect coquette; her lovers must toil, feel every inquietude, indulge every caprice, and perhaps at last be jilted into the bargain. True glory, on the other hand, resembles a woman of sense; her admirers must play no tricks. They feel no great anxiety, for they are sure in the end of being rewarded in proportion to their merit.

Oliver Goldsmith
Hands, Play, Perfect
Oliver Goldsmith (1856). “The Works of Oliver Goldsmith: Comprising His Poems, Comedies, Essays, and Vicar of Wakefield”, p.193

There is nothing so absurd or ridiculous that has not at some time been said by some philosopher.

Oliver Goldsmith
Cynical, Ridiculous, Philosopher

The heart of every man lies open to the shafts of correction if the archer can take proper aim.

Oliver Goldsmith
Lying, Archer, Heart

Nothing is so contemptible as that affectation of wisdom, which some display, by universal incredulity.

Oliver Goldsmith
Universal, Incredulity, Display
Oliver Goldsmith (1859). “A History of the Earth and Animated Nature: Illus. with 85 Copperplates”, p.270

A volcano may be considered as a cannon of immense size.

Oliver Goldsmith
Volcanoes, May, Size
Oliver Goldsmith (1816). “A History of the Earth, and Animated Nature”, p.75

Let observation with observant view, Observe mankind from China to Peru.

Oliver Goldsmith
Travel, Views, Peru

Could a man live by it, it were not unpleasant employment to be a poet.

Oliver Goldsmith
Men, Poetic, Live By
Oliver Goldsmith (1856). “The Miscellaneous Works: Poems. Miscellaneous pieces. Dramas. Criticism relating to poetry and the belles-lettres”, p.134

Religion does what philosophy could never do; it shows the equal dealings of Heaven to the happy and the unhappy, and levels all human enjoyments to nearly the same standard. It gives to both rich and poor the same happiness hereafter, and equal hopes to aspire after it.

Oliver Goldsmith
Philosophy, Giving, Heaven
Oliver Goldsmith (1871). “The works of Oliver Goldsmith: Vicar of Wakefield, select poems and comedies, with intr., notes and a life by J.F. Waller”, p.159

For praise too dearly lov'd, or warmly sought, Enfeebles all internal strength of thought; And the weak soul within itself unblest, Leans for all pleasure on another's breast.

Oliver Goldsmith
Soul, Flattery, Praise
Oliver Goldsmith (1824). “Essays, poems and plays”, p.141

The sports of children satisfy the child.

Oliver Goldsmith
Sports, Children
Oliver Goldsmith (1854). “The works of Oliver Goldsmith, ed. by P. Cunningham”, p.11

The youth who follows his appetites too soon seizes the cup, before it has received its best ingredients, and by anticipating his pleasures, robs the remaining parts of life of their share, so that his eagerness only produces manhood of imbecility and an age of pain.

Oliver Goldsmith
Pain, Age, Cups
Oliver Goldsmith (1816). “A History of the Earth, and Animated Nature”, p.399

The work of eradicating crimes is not by making punishment familiar, but formidable.

Oliver Goldsmith
Punishment, Crime, Familiar
Oliver Goldsmith (1871). “The works of Oliver Goldsmith: Vicar of Wakefield, select poems and comedies, with intr., notes and a life by J.F. Waller”, p.144

Eternal blessings crown my earliest friend, And round his dwelling guardian saints attend.

Oliver Goldsmith
Friends, Blessing, Dwelling
Oliver Goldsmith (1856). “The Miscellaneous Works: Poems. Miscellaneous pieces. Dramas. Criticism relating to poetry and the belles-lettres”, p.22

Blame where you must, be candid where you can, And be each critic the Good-natured Man.

Oliver Goldsmith
Men, Criticism, Blame
Oliver Goldsmith (1825). “The Miscellaneous Works of Oliver Goldsmith: Miscellaneous poems. The good-natured man. She stoops to conquer; or, the Mistakes of a night. An oratorio. Prefaces. [Criticisms”, p.218

Age, that lessens the enjoyment of life, increases our desire of living

Oliver Goldsmith
Age, Desire, Increase
Oliver Goldsmith (1851). “Poems, Plays and Essays”, p.310

Blest be those feasts, with simple plenty crowned, Where all the ruddy family around Laugh at the jests or pranks that never fail Or sigh with pity at some mournful tale.

Oliver Goldsmith
Simple, Laughing, Failing
Oliver Goldsmith (1837). “The Miscellaneous Works of Oliver Goldsmith, M. B.: Including a Variety of Pieces”, p.14

You May Also Like: