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Jonathan Swift Quotes

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Jonathan Swift, born on November 30, 1667, and died on October 19, 1745, was an Irish writer, satirist, and politician, renowned for his satirical works.

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All Men Ifs Literature Age World Should May Reason Knows Wells Law Wise Wit Book Giving Ill Persons Two Company Has Beens

Famous Jonathan Swift Quotes

“A forward critic often dupes us With sham quotations peri hupsos, And if we have not read Longinus, Will magisterially outshine us. Then, lest with Greek he over-run ye, Procure the book for love or money, Translated from Boileau's translation, And quote quotation on quotation.”

Ifs Book Running Critics Greek Quotations Translations Dupes

Author:Jonathan Swift

“Books, like men their authors, have no more than one wayofcoming intothe world, but there areten thousand to go out of it, and return no more.”

Men World Book Return Thousand

Author:Jonathan Swift

“Big-endians and small-endians.”

Book Bigs Language

Book:The Works of Jonathan Swift: Gulliver's travels. Directions to servants

Source: The Works of Jonathan Swift: Gulliver's travels. Directions to servants

“Would a writer know how to behave himself with relation td posterity? Let him consider in old books what he finds that he is glad to know, and what omissions he most laments.”

Knows Book Know How Relation Glad Behave Posterity Lament Authorship Omission Old Books

Author:Jonathan Swift

“My father had a small Estate in Nottinghamshire; I was the Third of five Sons.”

Book Father Five Son Thirds Estates Gulliver's Travels

Book:The Very Best of Jonathan Swift In Plain and Simple English (Translated)

Source: The Very Best of Jonathan Swift In Plain and Simple English (Translated)

“A true critic, in the perusal of a book, is like a dog at a feast, whose thoughts and stomach are wholly set upon what the guests fling away, and consequently is apt to snarl most when there are the fewest bones.”

Book Dog Critics Bones Stomach Guests Fling

Book:Tale of a tub. Battle of the books. A discourse concerning the mechancial operation of the spirit. Abstract of the history of England ... Letters ... Poems ascribed to Swift

Source: Tale of a tub. Battle of the books. A discourse concerning the mechancial operation of the spirit. Abstract of the history of England ... Letters ... Poems ascribed to Swift

“The most ignorant person, at a reasonable charge, and with a little bodily labour, might write books in philosophy, poetry, politics, laws, mathematics, and theology, without the least assistance from genius or study.”