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Jonathan Swift

Jonathan Swift Quotes

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Famous Jonathan Swift Quotes

“A jargon form'd from the lost language, wit, Confounded in that Babel of the pit; Form'd by diseased conceptions, weak and wild, Sick lust of souls, and an abortive child; Born between whores and fops, by lewd compacts, Before the play, or else between the acts; Nor wonder, if from such polluted minds Should spring such short and transitory kinds.”

IfsShouldMindKindChildrenSoulPlayFormLostLanguageBornWonderSpringWeakSickWitLustConceptionPitsTransitoryJargonDiseasedBabel
Book:The Works of of the Rev. Jonathan Swift
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“Atlas, we read in ancient song, Was so exceeding tall and strong, He bore the skies upon his back, Just as the pedler does his pack; But, as the pedler overpress'd Unloads upon a stall to rest, Or, when he can no longer stand, Desires a friend to lend a hand, So Atlas, lest the ponderous spheres Should sink, and fall about his ears, Got Hercules to bear the pile, That he might sit and rest awhile.”

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Book:Delphi Complete Works of Jonathan Swift (Illustrated)
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“What poet would not grieve to see His brother write as well as he? But rather than they should excel, He'd wish his rivals all in Hell.”

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Book:The Works. Containing Interesting and Valuable Papers, Not Hitherto Published. With Memoir of the Author, by Thomas Roscoe. -London, Washbourne 1841
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“It is impossible that anything so natural, so necessary, and so universal as death, should ever have been designed by providence as an evil to mankind.”

ShouldHas BeensDeathEvilNaturalImpossibleMankindDyingUniversalDeath And DyingProvidenceDying DeathSomeone DyingNatural Death
Book:Sermons (cont.) Tracts in defence of Christianity. Tracts in support of the Church establishment. Tracts on the test act. Essays, periodical and miscellaneous
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“In all I wish, how happy should I be, Thou grand Deluder, were it not for thee? So weak thou art that fools thy power despise; And yet so strong, thou triumph'st o'er the wise.”

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Book:The works of Jonathan Swift, containing papers not hitherto publ. With memoir of the author by T. Roscoe
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“I will venture to affirm, that the three seasons wherein our corn has miscarried did no more contribute to our present misery, than one spoonful of water thrown upon a rat already drowned would contribute to his death; and that the present plentiful harvest, although it should be followed by a dozen ensuing, would no more restore us, than it would the rat aforesaid to put him near the fire, which might indeed warm his fur-coat, but never bring him back to life.”

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Book:The works of Jonathan Swift, containing papers not hitherto publ. With memoir of the author by T. Roscoe
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“Your notions of friendship are new to me; I believe every man is born with his quantum, and he cannot give to one without robbing another. I very well know to whom I would give the first place in my friendship, but they are not in the way, I am condemned to another scene, and therefore I distribute it in pennyworths to those about me, and who displease me least, and should do the same to my fellow prisoners if I were condemned to a jail.”

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Book:The works of Jonathan Swift, D.D.: with copious notes and additions and a memoir of the author
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