charles-caleb-colton Quotes About literature

“Literature has her quacks no less than medicine, and they are divided into two classes; those who have erudition without genius, and those who have volubility without depth; we shall get second-hand sense from the one, and original nonsense from the other.”

Two Hands Literature Class Genius Originals Medicine Depth Nonsense Divided Second Hand Quacks Erudition

Book:Lacon: or, Many things in few words

Source: Lacon: or, Many things in few words

“The present time has one advantage over every other -- it is our own.”

Happiness Time Literature Advantage Eternity Anticipation Present Time Always Happy Just Be Happy Key To Happiness Always Be Happy Others Happiness Found Happiness He Makes Me Happy My Own Happiness

Book:Lord Chesterfield's advice to his son on men and manners. To which are added, selections from Colton's 'Lacon'.

Source: Lord Chesterfield's advice to his son on men and manners. To which are added, selections from Colton's 'Lacon'.

“Knowledge is two-fold, and consists not only in an affirmation of what is true, but in the negation of that which is false.”

Two Science Literature Knowledge Selfless Affirmation Folds Negation Scientific Knowledge Useful Knowledge

Book:Remarks on the Talents of Lord Byron and the Tendencies of Don Juan

Source: Remarks on the Talents of Lord Byron and the Tendencies of Don Juan

“There are three difficulties in authorship;-to write any thing worth the publishing-to find honest men to publish it -and to get sensible men to read it. Literature has now become a game; in which the Booksellers are the Kings; The Critics the Knaves; the Public, the Pack; and the poor Author, the mere table, or the Thing played upon.”

Men Writing Three Literature Games Poor Honest Kings Difficulty Tables Mere Critics Sensible Publishing Packs Publish Honest Man Authorship Knaves Booksellers

Author:Charles Caleb Colton

“Nothing more completely baffles one who is full of trick and duplicity himself, than straight forward and simple integrity in another.”

Truth Literature Simple Honesty Integrity Tricks Straightforward Truth And Honesty Honesty Integrity Baffled Truth Honesty Honest And Integrity Duplicity Trust Honesty Trust And Honesty Being Straightforward

Author:Charles Caleb Colton

“Those that are the loudest in their threats are the weakest in their actions.”

Action Literature Conflict Threat

Book:Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think

Source: Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think

“Silence is foolish if we are wise, but wise if we are foolish.”

Ifs Humor Funny Literature Silence Wise Foolish Foolishness Silence Is Fools And Wise

Book:Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think

Source: Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think

“Ladies of Fashion starve their happiness to feed their vanity, and their love to feed their pride.”

Literature Fashion Pride Clothes Vanity Vanity And Pride

Book:Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think

Source: Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think

“Patience is the support of weakness; impatience the ruin of strength.”

Literature Support Strength Weakness Patience Ruins Impatience Great Patience Short Patience

Author:Charles Caleb Colton

“Power will intoxicate the best hearts, as wine the strongest heads. No man is wise enough, nor good enough to be trusted with unlimited power.”

Men Heart Enough Literature Power Wise Limits Wine Good Enough Strongest Trusted Unlimited Unlimited Power

Book:Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think

Source: Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think

“Suicide sometimes proceeds from cowardice, but not always; for cowardice sometimes prevents it; since as many live because they are afraid to die, as die because they are afraid to live.”

Sometimes Death Dies Literature Dying Sad Suicide Cowardice Suicidal Suicidal Thoughts Self Harm Suicide Inspirational

Book:Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think

Source: Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think

“If we steal thoughts from the moderns, it will be cried down as plagiarism; if from the ancients, it will be cried up as erudition.”

Ifs Literature Stealing Cried Plagiarism Erudition

Book:Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think

Source: Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think

“He that studies books alone, will know how things ought to be; and he that studies men, will know how things are.”

Knows Men Book Literature Education Know How Study Ought

Author:Charles Caleb Colton

“We own almost all our knowledge not to those who have agreed but to those who have differed.”

Wisdom Literature Knowledge Sharing Knowledge

Book:Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think

Source: Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think

“He that knows himself, knows others; and he that is ignorant of himself, could not write a very profound lecture on other men's heads.”

Knows Men Writing Culture Literature Diversity Social Justice Profound Ignorant Self Knowledge Lectures

Book:Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think

Source: Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think

“Law and equity are two things which God has joined, but which man has put asunder.”

Men Two God Law Literature Lawyer Two Things Equity

Author:Charles Caleb Colton

“If you would be known, and not know, vegetate in a village; if you would know, and not be known, live in a city.”

Ifs Knows Would Be Literature Cities Known Village

Author:Charles Caleb Colton

“There are three modes of bearing the ills of life; by indifference, which is the most common; by philosophy, which is the most ostentatious; and by religion, which is the most effectual.”

Philosophy Three Literature Indifference

Author:Charles Caleb Colton

“Avarice has ruined more souls than extravagance.”

Soul Literature Greed Ruined Avarice Extravagant Extravagance Avarice Greed

Author:Charles Caleb Colton

“Doubt is the vestibule through which all must pass before they can enter into the temple of wisdom.”

Literature Doubt Optimism Temples Doubted Overcoming Doubt

Book:Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think

Source: Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think

“If a horse has four legs, and I'm riding it, I think I can win.”

Ifs Thinking I Can Literature Winning Four Horse Legs Riding

Author:Charles Caleb Colton

“Moderation is the inseparable companion of wisdom, but with it genius has not even a nodding acquaintance.”

Literature Genius Companion Moderation Acquaintance Inseparable Nodding

Author:Charles Caleb Colton

“Our admiration of fine writing will always be in proportion to its real difficulty and its apparent ease.”

Writing Real Literature Fine Difficulty Ease Proportion Admiration Editing Aeroplanes

Book:Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think

Source: Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think

“Bigotry murders religion to frighten fools with her ghost.”

Literature Fool Murder Ghost Bigotry Religious Bigotry

Book:Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think

Source: Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think

“Commerce flourishes by circumstances, precarious, transitory, contingent, almost as the winds and waves that bring it to our shores.”

Literature Wind Circumstances Economics Wave Shore Commerce Transitory Precarious Economy And Economics

Author:Charles Caleb Colton

“Contemporaries appreciate the person rather than their merit, posterity will regard the merit rather than the person.”

Persons Literature Memories Appreciate Regard Merit Posterity

Author:Charles Caleb Colton

“In politics, as in religion, it so happens, that we have less charity for those who believe the half of our creed, than for those that deny the whole of it; since if Servetus had been a Mohammedan, he would not have been burnt by Calvin.”

Believe Whole Happens Literature Half Charity Deny Creeds

Author:Charles Caleb Colton

“It is always safe to learn, even from our enemies; seldom safe to venture to instruct, even our friends.”

Literature Enemy Learning Safe Venture

Book:Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think

Source: Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think

“Many speak the truth when they say that they despise riches, but they mean the riches possessed by others.”

Inspirational Mean Literature Speak Wealth Rich Riches Despise Possessed Speak The Truth

Author:Charles Caleb Colton

“Mystery is not profoundness.”

Wisdom Literature Mystery Intelligence

Book:Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think

Source: Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think

“Posthumous charities are the very essence of selfishness when bequeathed by those who, even alive, would part with nothing.”

Literature Alive Essence Charity Generosity Selfishness Transcendentalism Posthumous

Book:Lacon: or, Many things in few words

Source: Lacon: or, Many things in few words

“That writer does the most who gives his reader the most knowledge and takes from him the least time.”

Giving Doe Literature Reader Comeback Authorship

Book:Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think

Source: Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think

“There is nothing more imprudent than excessive prudence.”

Literature Prudence

Author:Charles Caleb Colton

“War kills men, and men deplore the loss; but war also crushes bad principles and tyrants, and so saves societies.”

Men War Literature Loss Principles Crush Tyrants Waging War

Author:Charles Caleb Colton

“When millions applaud you seriously ask yourself what harm you have done; and when they disapprove you, what good.”

Done Asks Literature Millions Harm

Author:Charles Caleb Colton

“Those who visit foreign nations, but who associate only with their own countrymen, change their climate, but not their customs 'caelum non animum mutant': they see new meridians, but the same men, and with heads as empty as their pockets.”

Men Mind Country Home Body Literature Nations Return Travel Empty Climate Pockets Customs Traveled Associates New Home Foreign Lands

Author:Charles Caleb Colton

“Death is the liberator of him whom freedom cannot release, the physician of him whom medicine cannot cure, and the comforter of him whom time cannot console.”

Death Literature Medicine Medical Cures Release Physicians Console Comforter Liberators

Book:Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think

Source: Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think

“The two most precious things this side of the grave are our reputation and our life. But it is to be lamented that the most contemptible whisper may deprive us of the one, and the weakest weapon of the other.”

May Two Literature Sides Our Lives Weapons Graves Reputation Precious Things Good Reputation Character And Reputation

Book:Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think

Source: Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think

“There are three difficulties in authorship; to write any thing worth the publishing — to find honest men to publish it — and to get sensible men to read it.”

Men Writing Three Literature Honest Difficulty Sensible Publishing Publish Honest Man Authorship Successful Writing

Author:Charles Caleb Colton

“Justice to my readers compels me to admit that I write because I have nothing to do; justice to myself induces me to add that I will cease to write the moment I have nothing to say.”

Writing Moments Literature Justice Reader Add Cease

Book:Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think

Source: Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think

“The drafts which true genius draws upon posterity, although they may not always be honored so soon as they are due, are sure to be paid with compound interest in the end.”

May Ends Literature Interest Genius Draws Paid Dues Honored Posterity Compounds True Genius Compound Interest

Book:Lacon: or, Many things in few words

Source: Lacon: or, Many things in few words

“It is doubtful whether mankind are most indebted to those who like Bacon and Butler dig the gold from the mine of literature, or to those who, like Paley, purify it, stamp it, fix its real value, and give it currency and utility”

Giving Real Values Literature Mankind Mines Gold Currency Stamps Utility Doubtful Butlers Indebted Real Value

Author:Charles Caleb Colton

“The Grecian’s maxim would indeed be a sweeping clause in Literature; it would reduce many a giant to a pygmy; many a speech to a sentence; and many a folio to a primer.”

Literature Speech Sentences Giants Quotations Maxims Sweeping Clauses

Book:Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think

Source: Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think

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