Home / Authors / Joseph Addison

Joseph Addison Quotes

Essayist

Joseph Addison, born on May 1, 1672, and died on June 17, 1719, was an influential English essayist, dramatist, and poet. He is known for his elegant prose style and his co-authorship of the magazine 'The Spectator' with Richard Steele.

Filter quotes by topic

All Men Mind Ifs World Virtue May Soul Literature Giving Persons Mankind Life Art Kind Should Eye Lying Heart Passion Thinking

Famous Joseph Addison Quotes

“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!”

Thinking Moments Bigs Lasts Birth Periods Horror Conscience Filled Plot Anxious Intervals Filled Up

Book:The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison

Source: The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison

“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.”

Thinking Firsts Written Generations Poet Satire

Book:The spectator

Source: The spectator

“It is a melancholy consideration that there should be several among us so hardened and deluded as to think an oath a proper subject for a jest; and to make this, which is one of the most solemn acts of religion, an occasion of mirth. Yet such is the depravation of our manners at present, that nothing is more frequent than to hear profligate men ridiculing, to the best of their abilities, these sacred pledges of their duty and allegiance; and endeavouring to be witty upon themselves, for daring to prevaricate with God and man.”

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

“I should think myself a very bad woman, if I had done what I do for a farthing less.”

Ifs Thinking Should Done Bad Woman

Author:Joseph Addison

“Hunting is not a proper employment for a thinking man.”

Thinking Men Employment Hunting Thinking Man

Author:Joseph Addison

“If I can in any way contribute to the Diversion or Improvement of the Country in which I live, I shall leave it, when I am summoned out of it, with the secret Satisfaction of thinking that I have not lived in vain.”

Ifs Thinking Way I Can Country Secret Satisfaction Improvement Vain Diversion

Book:The Spectator: With a Biographical and Critical Preface, and Explanatory Notes ...

Source: The Spectator: With a Biographical and Critical Preface, and Explanatory Notes ...

“One would think that the larger the company is in which we are engaged, the greater variety of thoughts and subjects would be started into discourse; but, instead of this we find that conversation is never so much straightened and confined, as in numerous assemblies.”

Thinking Would Be Company Greater Subjects Conversation Variety Engaged Discourse Confined Assembly

Book:Delphi Complete Works of Joseph Addison (Illustrated)

Source: Delphi Complete Works of Joseph Addison (Illustrated)

“Every one knows the veneration which was paid by the Jews to a name so great, wonderful, and holy. They would not let it enter even into their religious discourses. What can we then think of those who make use of so tremendous a name, in the ordinary expression of their anger, mirth, and most impertinent passions?”

Thinking Knows Use Passion Names Religious Wonderful Expression Holy Ordinary Paid Jew Discourse Mirth Profanity Veneration

Book:The Evidences of the Christian Religion: To which are Added, Several Discourses Against Atheism and Infidelity, and in Defence of the Christian Revelation

Source: The Evidences of the Christian Religion: To which are Added, Several Discourses Against Atheism and Infidelity, and in Defence of the Christian Revelation

“A man who has any relish for fine writing either discovers new beauties or receives stronger impressions from the masterly strokes of a great author every time he peruses him; besides that he naturally wears himself into the same manner of speaking and thinking.”

Thinking Men Writing Reading Fine Stronger Impression Strokes Relish Great Author

Book:The British Essayists: Containing the Spectator, with Notes and General Index, and the Tatler and Guardian, with Notes and General Index

Source: The British Essayists: Containing the Spectator, with Notes and General Index, and the Tatler and Guardian, with Notes and General Index

“For my own part, I am apt to join in the opinion with those who believe that all the regions of Nature swarm with spirits, and that we have multitudes of spectators on all our actions when we think ourselves most alone.”

Thinking Believe Action Spirit My Own Opinion Regions Multitudes Spectators Our Actions Swarms

Book:The Spectator: With a Biographical and Critical Preface, and Explanatory Notes ...

Source: The Spectator: With a Biographical and Critical Preface, and Explanatory Notes ...

“If we hope for what we are not likely to possess, we act and think in vain, and make life a greater dream and shadow than it really is.”

Ifs Thinking Life Dream Reality Hope Greater Shadow Vain

Book:Essays, Moral and Humorous: Also Essays on Imagination and Taste

Source: Essays, Moral and Humorous: Also Essays on Imagination and Taste

“It is folly for an eminent man to think of escaping censure, and a weakness to be affected with it. All the illustrious persons of antiquity, and indeed of every age in the world, have passed through this fiery persecution.”

Thinking Men World Persons Age Political Politics Weakness Folly Birthday Affected Persecution Escaping Antiquity Fiery Censure

Book:The spectator

Source: The spectator

“In private conversation between intimate friends, the wisest men very often talk like the weakest : for indeed the talking with a friend is nothing else but thinking aloud.”

Thinking Men Talking Friends Conversation Intimate Wisest Wisest Man Intimate Friends

Book:The Spectator: With Notes, and a General Index

Source: The Spectator: With Notes, and a General Index

“Talking with a friend is nothing else but thinking aloud.”

Thinking Friendship Talking Best Friend Intimate Friends

Book:The Spectator: With Notes, and a General Index

Source: The Spectator: With Notes, and a General Index

“I think I may define taste to be that faculty of the soul which discerns the beauties of an author with pleasure, and the imperfections with dislike.”

Thinking May Soul Pleasure Taste Faculty Imperfection Dislike

Book:Essays, Moral and Humorous: Also Essays on Imagination and Taste

Source: Essays, Moral and Humorous: Also Essays on Imagination and Taste

“It is a celebrated thought of Socrates, that if all the misfortunes of mankind were cast into a public stock, in order to be equally distributed among the whole species, those who now think themselves the most unhappy would prefer the share they are already possessed of, before that which would fall to them by such a division. [as they realise their problems could be worse!]”

Ifs Thinking Whole Problem Order Fall Share Mankind Gratitude Species Casts Unhappy Division Misfortunes Realising Possessed

Book:The spectator

Source: The spectator

“I think a Person who is thus terrified with the Imagination of Ghosts and Spectres much more reasonable, than one who contrary to the Reports of all Historians sacred and profane, ancient and modern, and to the Traditions of all Nations, thinks the Appearance of Spirits fabulous and groundless.”

Source: The Spectator: With a Biographical and Critical Preface, and Explanatory Notes ...

“Blesses his stars and thinks it luxury.”

Thinking Stars Luxury Bless

Book: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

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