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Laurence Sterne

Laurence Sterne Quotes

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Famous Laurence Sterne Quotes

“If a man has a right to be proud of anything, it is of a good action done as it ought to be, without any base interest lurking at the bottom of it.”

IfsMenDoneActionInterestPrideOughtProudBottomBe ProudLurkingGood Actions
Book:The Beauties of Sterne: Containing All His Pathetic Tales, His Humorous Descriptions, His Most Distinguished Observations on Life, and a Copious Selection from His Sermons ...
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“There are some tempers--how shall I describe them--formed either of such impenetrable matter, or wrought up by habitual selfishness to such an utter insensibility of what becomes of the fortunes of their fellow-creatures, as if they were not partakers of the same nature, or had no lot or connection at all with the species.”

IfsMatterCreaturesConnectionsFellowsFortuneSpeciesSelfishnessTemperHabitualInsensibility
Book:The Works of Laurence Sterne ...: With a Life of the Author
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“Simplicity is the great friend to nature, and if I would be proud of anything in this silly world, it should be of this honest alliance.”

IfsWorldShouldWould BeHonestProudSimplicitySillyBe ProudAlliancesGreat Friend
Book:The Works of Laurence Sterne: Containing The Life and Opinions of Tristan Shandy ... [etc.] ; with a Life of the Author Written by Himself
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“So fruitful is slander in variety of expedients to satiate as well as disguise itself. But if these smoother weapons cut so sore, what shall we say of open and unblushing scandal, subjected to no caution, tied down to no restraints?”

IfsWellsCuttingWeaponsVarietyTiedDisguiseRestraintCautionScandalSlander
Book:The Beauties of Sterne: Containing All His Pathetic Tales, His Humorous Descriptions, His Most Distinguished Observations on Life, and a Copious Selection from His Sermons ...
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“If time, like money, could be laid by while one was not using it, there might be some excuse for the idleness of half of the world, but yet not a full one. For even this would be such an economy as the living on a principal sum, without making it purchase interest.”

IfsWorldMightWould BeTimeInterestHalfEconomyExcusePrincipalIdlenessLiving On
Book:The Works of Laurence Sterne ...: With a Life of the Author, Written by Himself ...
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“Every thing in this world, said my father, is big with jest,--and has wit in it, and instruction too,--if we can but find it out.”

IfsWorldSaidBigsFatherEducationKnowledgeThis WorldWitInstructionJest
Book:The Works of Laurence Sterne: Containing The Life and Opinions of Tristan Shandy ... [etc.] ; with a Life of the Author Written by Himself
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“Ye whose clay-cold heads and luke-warm hearts can argue down or mask your passions--tell me, what trespass is it that man should have them?... If nature has so wove her web of kindness, that some threads of love and desire are entangled with the piece--must the whole web be rent in drawing them out?”

IfsMenShouldHeartWholeDesirePassionKindnessPiecesHuman NatureColdShould HaveWarmArguingDrawingTemptationMaskThreadClayLukeWarm Heart
Book:The Works of Laurence Sterne: Containing The Life and Opinions of Tristan Shandy ... [etc.] ; with a Life of the Author Written by Himself
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“Conversation is a traffick; and if you enter into it, without some stock of knowledge, to ballance the account perpetually betwixtyou,--the trade drops at once: and this is the reasonwhy travellers have so little [good] conversation with natives,--owing to their [the natives'] suspicionthat there is nothing to be extracted from the conversationworth the trouble of their bad language.”

IfsLittlesLanguageTroubleConversationTravelAccountsTradeForeignersTravellerOwingGood ConversationBad Language
Author:Laurence Sterne
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“You can't make theater happen without actors. The actor is the central ingredient in making theater happen. Audiences may come to theaters to see the work of stage managers, directors and producers, but the only people who can communicate theater magic to audiences, through ideas and emotions, are the actors. They are the only ones who can communicate this by themselves, and if necessary, they can get along without you. But you can't make theater without the actor.”

PeopleIfsMayIdeasHappensActorsEmotionAudienceMagicStageDirectorsTheaterCommunicateTheatreProducersManagersIngredientsWithout YouStage Managers
Author:Laurence Sterne
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