“The pleasures of the fancy are more conducive to health, than those of the understanding, which are worked out by dint of thinking, and attended with too violent a labour of the brain. Delightful scenes, whether in nature, painting, or poetry, have a kindly influence on the body, as well as the mind, and not only serve to clear and brighten the imagination, but are able to disperse grief and melancholy, and to set the animal spirits in pleasing and agreeable motions. For this reason Sir Francis Bacon, in his Essay upon Health, has not thought it improper to prescribe to his reader a poem or a prospect, where he particularly dissuades him from knotty and subtle disquisitions, and advises him to pursue studies that fill the mind with splendid and illustrious objects, as histories, fables, and contemplations of nature.”
Source: The Pleasures of the Imagination : ur The Spectator, June 19th - July 3rd, 1712
“Paslm 19:1-6 - Interpretation
1 The spacious firmament on high,
With all the blue ethereal sky,
And spangled heavens, a shining frame,
Their great Original proclaim.
2 Th'unwearied sun, from day to day,
Does his Creator's power display;
And publishes to every land
The work of an almighty hand.
3 Soon as the evening shades prevail,
The moon takes up the wondrous tale,
And nightly to the listening earth
Repeats the story of her birth:
4 Whilst all the stars that round her burn,
And all the planets in their turn,
Confirm the tidings as they roll,
And spread the truth from pole to pole.
5 What though in solemn silence all
Move round this dark terrestrial ball;
What though no real voice or sound
Amidst their radiant orbs be found;
6 In reason's ear they all rejoice,
And utter forth a glorious voice,
For ever singing as they shine,
"The hand that made us is divine.”
“Psalm 19 1-6 Interpretation
1 The spacious firmament on high,
With all the blue ethereal sky,
And spangled heavens, a shining frame,
Their great Original proclaim.
2 Th'unwearied sun, from day to day,
Does his Creator's power display;
And publishes to every land
The work of an almighty hand.
3 Soon as the evening shades prevail,
The moon takes up the wondrous tale,
And nightly to the listening earth
Repeats the story of her birth:
4 Whilst all the stars that round her burn,
And all the planets in their turn,
Confirm the tidings as they roll,
And spread the truth from pole to pole.
5 What though in solemn silence all
Move round this dark terrestrial ball;
What though no real voice or sound
Amidst their radiant orbs be found;
6 In reason's ear they all rejoice,
And utter forth a glorious voice,
For ever singing as they shine,
"The hand that made us is divine.”
“The ways of heaven are dark and intricate;
Puzzled in mazes, and perplext with errors.”
Source: Cato: A Tragedy, and Selected Essays
“... when I see kings lying by those who deposed them,... or holy men that divided the world with their contests and disputes, I reflect with sorrow and astonishment on the little competitions, factions, and debates of mankind.”
“Cheerfulness keeps up a kind of daylight in the mind, and fills it with a steady and perpetual serenity.”
“If you wish success in life, make perseverance you bosom friend, experience your wise councellor, caution your elder brother, and hope your guardian genius.”
Source: The spectator
“Our lives, discoloured with our present woes,
May still grow white and shine with happier hours.
So the pure limped stream, when foul with stains
Of rushing torrents and descending rains,
Works itself clear, and as it runs refines,
till by degrees the floating mirror shines.”
“Thy life is not thy own, when Rome demands it.”
“Tis not in mortals to command success; but we’ll do more, Sempronius, we’ll deserve it.”
Source: Cato: A Tragedy, and Selected Essays
“Our real blessings often appear to us in the shape of pains, losses and disappointments; but let us have patience and we soon shall see them in proper figures.”
“L'editore cavalca il turbine e dirige la tempesta.”
“The hours of a wise man are lengthened by his ideas.”
Source: The Spectator: With a Biographical and Critical Preface, and Explanatory Notes ...
“Though a man cannot abstain from being weak, he may from being vicious.”
Source: THE WORKS OF THE RIGHT HONOURABLE JOSEPH ADDISON, Esq; In FOUR VOLUMES.: VOLUME the FOURTH
“The consciousness of being loved softens the keenest pang even at the moment of parting; yea, even the eternal farewell is robbed of half of its bitterness when uttered in accents that breathe love to the last sigh.”
“Oh! think what anxious moments pass between The birth of plots, and their last fatal periods, Oh! 'tis a dreadful interval of time, Filled up with horror all, and big with death!”
Source: The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison
“Method is not less requisite in ordinary conversation than in writing, provided a man would talk to make himself understood.”
Source: The spectator
“When I read the rules of criticism, I immediately inquire after the works of the author who has written them, and by that means discover what it is he likes in a composition.”
Source: The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison
“The man who will live above his present circumstances, is in great danger of soon living beneath them; or as the Italian proverb says, "The man that lives by hope, will die by despair.”
“Tis not my talent to conceal my thoughts, Or carry smiles and sunshine in my face, When discontent sits heavy at my heart.”
Source: Cato. A Tragedy. London 1808
“My death and life, My bane and antidote, are both before me.”
Source: The Earl of Essex, a Tragedy
“Let echo, too, perform her part, Prolonging every note with art; And in a low expiring strain, Play all the comfort o'er again.”
Source: The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison: Letters. Second appendix, containing miscellanies and gleanings. Translations of Addison's Latin poems. Addison's Latin prose. Official documents. Addisoniana. General index
“There is no talent so pernicious as eloquence to those who have it under command.”
Source: The Works of [the Right Honourable] Joseph Addison: The Spectator, no. 483-600. The Guardian. The lover. The present state of the war. The late trial and cenviction of Count Tariff. The Whig-examiner. The Freeholder, no. 1-30
“Eternity! thou pleasing dreadful thought! Through what variety of untried being, Through what new scenes and changes must we pass!”
Source: The Evidences of the Christian Religion: With Additional Discourses on the Following Subjects, Viz. Of God, and His Attributes, The Power and Wisdom of God in the Creation, The Providence of God, The Worship of God, Advantages of Revelation Above Natural Reason, Excellency of the Christian Institution, Dignity of the Scripture Language, Against Atheism and Infidelity, Against the Modern Free-thinkers, Immortality of the Soul, and a Future State, Death and Judgment
“Were not this desire of fame very strong, the difficulty of obtaining it, and the danger of losing it when obtained, would be sufficient to deter a man from so vain a pursuit.”
Source: The spectator
“An idol may be undeified by many accidental causes. Marriage, in particular, is a kind of counter apotheosis, as a deification inverted. When a man becomes familiar with his goddess she quickly sinks into a woman.”
Source: The spectator
“The sense of honour is of so fine and delicate a nature, that it is only to be met with in minds which are naturally noble, or in such as have been cultivated by good examples, or a refined education.”
Source: Essays, Moral and Humorous: Also Essays on Imagination and Taste
“Hypocrisy itself does great honor, or rather justice, to religion, and tacitly acknowledges it to be an ornament to human nature. The hypocrite would not be at so much pains to put on the appearance of virtue, if he did not know it was the most proper and effectual means to gain the love and esteem of mankind.”
Source: The spectator
“There is no virtue so truly great and godlike as justice.”
Source: Essays, Moral and Humorous: Also Essays on Imagination and Taste
“Knavery is ever suspicious of knavery.”
“God discovers the martyr and confessor without the trial of flames and tortures, and will hereafter entitle many to the reward of actions which they had never the opportunity of performing.”
“Music religious heat inspires, It wakes the soul, and lifts it high, And wings it with sublime desires, And fits it to bespeak the Deity.”
Source: The Tatler. The Guardian. The Freeholder. The Whig-examiner. The lover. Dialogues upon the usefulness of ancient medals. Remarks on several parts of Italy, etc. The present state of the war. The late trial and conviction of Count Tariff. The evidences of the Christian religion. Essay on Virgil's Georgics. Poems on several occasions. Translations from Ovid's Metamorphoses. Notes on some of the foregoing stories in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Poemata. Rosamond. Cato. The drummer
“Nature does nothing without purpose or uselessly.”
“There are greater depths and obscurities, greater intricacies and perplexities, in an elaborate and well-written piece of nonsense, than in the most abstruse and profound tract of school divinity.”
Source: The works of Joseph Addison: including the whole contents of Bp. Hurd's edition, with letters and other pieces not found in any previous collection; and Macaulay's essay on his life and works
“Novelty serves us for a kind of refreshment, and takes off from that satiety we are apt to complain of in our usual and ordinary entertainments.”
Source: The spectator
“How is it possible for those who are men of honor in their persons, thus to become notorious liars in their party”
Source: The spectator
“This party spirit has so ill an effect on our morals, it has likewise a very great one upon our judgments.”
Source: The spectator
“In that disputable point of persecuting men for conscience sake, I see such dreadful consequences rising, I would be as fully convinced of the truth of it, as a mathematical demonstration, before I would venture to act upon it or make it a part of my religion.”
Source: The evidences of the Christian religion: with additional discourses on the following subjects, viz: Of God, and his attributes. The power and wisdom of God in the creation. The providence of God. The worship of God. Advantages of revelation above natural reason. Excellency of the Christian institution. Dignity of the Scripture language. Against atheism and infidelity. Against the modern free-thinkers. Immortality of the soul, and a future state. Death and judgment
“Yet then from all my grief, O Lord, Thy mercy set me free, Whilst in the confidence of pray'r My soul took hold on thee.”
Source: The spectator
“O ye powers that search The heart of man, and weigh his inmost thoughts, If I have done amiss, impute it not! The best may err, but you are good.”
Source: The Tatler. The Guardian. The Freeholder. The Whig-examiner. The lover. Dialogues upon the usefulness of ancient medals. Remarks on several parts of Italy, etc. The present state of the war. The late trial and conviction of Count Tariff. The evidences of the Christian religion. Essay on Virgil's Georgics. Poems on several occasions. Translations from Ovid's Metamorphoses. Notes on some of the foregoing stories in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Poemata. Rosamond. Cato. The drummer
“A satire should expose nothing but what is corrigible, and should make a due discrimination between those that are and those that are not the proper objects of it.”
“Among the writers of antiquity there are none who instruct us more openly in the manners of their respective times in which they lived than those who have employed themselves in satire, under whatever dress it may appear.”
“Should a writer single out and point his raillery at particular persons, or satirize the miserable, he might be sure of pleasing a great part of his readers, but must be a very ill man if he could please himself.”
“Simonides, a poet famous in his generation, is, I think, author of the oldest satire that is now extant, and, as some say, of the first that was ever written.”
Source: The spectator
“The statue lies hid in a block of marble; and the art of the statuary only clears away the superfluous matter, and removes the rubbish.”
Source: The spectator
“A thousand trills and quivering sounds In airy circles o'er us fly, Till, wafted by a gentle breeze, They faint and languish by degrees, And at a distance die.”
Source: Delphi Complete Works of Joseph Addison (Illustrated)
“I have but nine-pence in ready money, but I can draw for a thousand pounds.”
“Why, a spirit is such a little, little thing, that I have heard man, who was a great scholar, say that he'll dance ye a hornpipe upon the point of a needle.”
Source: A Select Collection of the Best Modern English Plays: Vol. IV.
“Instability of temper ought to be checked when it disposes men to wander from one scheme to another: since such a fickleness cannot but be attended with fatal consequences.”
“Amidst the soft variety I'm lost.”
Source: The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison: Poems on several occasions. Poemata. Dialogues upon the usefulness of ancient medals, especially in relation to the Latin and Greek poets. Remarks on several parts of Italy, in the years 1701, 1702, 1703
