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Oliver Goldsmith Quotes - Page 9

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And his best riches, ignorance of wealth.

And his best riches, ignorance of wealth.

Oliver Goldsmith
Ignorance, Riches, Wealth
'The Deserted Village' (1770) l. 51

Here lies David Garrick, describe me who can, An abridgment of all that was pleasant in man.

Oliver Goldsmith
Lying, Men, Describe Me
'Retaliation' (1774) l. 93

And learn the luxury of doing good.

Oliver Goldsmith
Learning, Luxury, Doing Good
Oliver Goldsmith (1854). “The works of Oliver Goldsmith, ed. by P. Cunningham”, p.6

This is that eloquence the ancients represented as lightning, bearing down every opposer; this the power which has turned whole assemblies into astonishment, admiration and awe- - that is described by the torrent, the flame, and every other instance of irresistible impetuosity.

Oliver Goldsmith
Flames, Lightning, Astonishment
Oliver Goldsmith (1856). “The Miscellaneous Works: The bee. Essays. An inquiry into the present state of polite learning in Europe. Prefaces and introductions”, p.131

Romance and novel paint beauty in colors more charming than nature, and describe a happiness that humans never taste. How deceptive and destructive are those pictures of consummate bliss!

Oliver Goldsmith
Color, Romance, Taste

The pictures placed for ornament and use, The twelve good rules, the royal game of goose.

Oliver Goldsmith
Gambling, Games, Twelve
Oliver Goldsmith “the traveller and the deserted village”, CUP Archive

Honour sinks where commerce long prevails.

Oliver Goldsmith
Long, Commerce, Honour
Oliver Goldsmith (1825). “A History of the Earth: And Animated Nature”, p.844

The man recovered of the bite, The dog it was that died.

Oliver Goldsmith
Dog, Men, Poison
"An Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog" l. 29 (1766)

Be not affronted at a joke. If one throw salt at thee, thou wilt receive no harm, unless thou art raw.

Oliver Goldsmith
Art, Salt, Harm

Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog And in that town a dog was found, As many dogs there be, Both mongrel, puppy, whelp, and hound, And curs of low degree.

Oliver Goldsmith
Dog, Mad, Degrees
Oliver Goldsmith (1837). “The Works ...”, p.130

Of all kinds of ambition, that which pursues poetical fame is the wildest

Oliver Goldsmith
Ambition, Kind, Fame
Oliver Goldsmith (1854). “The Works of Oliver Goldsmith: Poetical works. Dramas. The vicar of Wakefield”, p.3

Some fleeting good, that mocks me with the view.

Oliver Goldsmith
Views, Fleeting
Oliver Goldsmith (1854). “The Works of Oliver Goldsmith: Poetical works. Dramas. The vicar of Wakefield”, p.6

Who, born for the universe, narrow'd his mind, And to party gave up what was meant for mankind; Though fraught with all learning, yet straining his throat To persuade Tommy Townshend to lend him a vote. Who too deep for his hearers still went on refining, And thought of convincing while they thought of dining: Though equal to all things, for all things unfit; Too nice for a statesman, too proud for a wit.

Oliver Goldsmith
Nice, Party, Learning
'Retaliation' (1774) l. 29 (on Edmund Burke)

On the stage he was natural, simple, affecting, 'Twas only when he was off, he was acting.

Oliver Goldsmith
Simple, Acting, Natural
'Retaliation' (1774) l. 101 (on Garrick)

In arguing too, the parson own'd his skill, For e'en though vanquish'd he could argue still; While words of learned length and thundering sound Amaz'd the gazing rustics rang'd around; And still they gaz'd, and still the wonder grew That one small head could carry all he knew.

Oliver Goldsmith
Learning, Skills, Sound
Oliver Goldsmith, John Mitford (1851). “The Poetical Works of Oliver Goldsmith”, p.42

Quality and title have such allurements that hundreds are ready to give up all their own importance, to cringe, to flatter, to look little, and to pall every pleasure in constraint, merely to be among the great, though without the least hopes of improving their understanding or sharing their generosity. They might be happier among their equals.

Oliver Goldsmith
Giving Up, Generosity, Understanding
Oliver Goldsmith (1849). “The Miscellaneous Works of Oliver Goldsmith: With an Account of His Life and Writings : Stereotyped from the Paris Edition : Complete in One Volume”, p.286

I have visited many countries, and have been in cities without number, yet never did I enter a town which could not produce ten or twelve little great men; all fancying themselves known to the rest of the world, and complimenting each other upon their extensive reputation.

Oliver Goldsmith
Country, Men, Cities
Oliver Goldsmith (1834). “The citizen of the world”, p.217

To aim at excellence, our reputation, and friends, and all must be ventured; to aim at the average we run no risk and provide little service.

Oliver Goldsmith
Running, Average, Risk

Surely the best way to meet the enemy is head on in the field and not wait till they plunder our very homes.

Oliver Goldsmith
Sports, Home, Waiting

Why was this heart of mine formed with so much sensibility! Or why not my fortune adapted to its impulses! Tenderness without a capacity of relieving only makes the man who feels it more wretched than the object which sues for assistance.

Oliver Goldsmith
Heart, Men, Compassion
Oliver Goldsmith (1834). “The miscellaneous works of Oliver Goldsmith, M.B.: with a biographical memoir of the author, written expressly for this edition”, p.325

Blest be that spot, where cheerful guests retire To pause from toil, and trim their evening fire; Blest that abode, where want and pain repair, And every stranger finds a ready chair Blest be those feasts with simple plenty crown'd, Where all the ruddy family around Laugh at the jest or pranks, that never fail, Or sigh with pity at some mournful tale, Or press the bashful stranger to his food, And learn the luxury of doing good.

Oliver Goldsmith
Pain, Simple, Fire
Oliver Goldsmith (1833). “Miscellaneous Works of Oliver Goldsmith: With a New Life of the Author”, p.81

Like the bee, we should make our industry our amusement.

Oliver Goldsmith
Work, Amusement, Bees

We may affirm of Mr. Buffon, that which has been said of the chemists of old; though he may have failed in attaining his principal aim, of establishing a theory, yet he has brought together such a multitude of facts relative to the history of the earth, and the nature of its fossil productions, that curiosity finds ample compensation, even while it feels the want of conviction.

Oliver Goldsmith
Nature, Science, Curiosity
Oliver Goldsmith (1847). “A history of the earth and animated nature, with an intr. view of the animal kingdom tr. from the Fr. of baron Cuvier, notes [and] a life of the author by W. Irving”, p.73

The polite of every country seem to have but one character. A gentleman of Sweden differs but little, except in trifles, from one of any other country. It is among the vulgar we are to find those distinctions which characterize a people.

Oliver Goldsmith
Country, Character, People
Oliver Goldsmith (1834). “An inquiry into the present state of polite learning. The Bee. History of Cyrillo Padovano. Life of Dr. Parnell. Life of Lord Bolingbroke. Prefaces and introductions”, p.77

All the sciences are, in some measure, linked with each other, and before the one is ended, the other begins.

Oliver Goldsmith
Science, Accounts, Linked
Oliver Goldsmith (1824). “A History of the Earth, and Animated Nature”, p.4

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