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Laurence Sterne Quotes

Novelist

Laurence Sterne, born on November 24, 1713, and died on March 18, 1768, was a prominent English novelist of the 18th century. He is best known for his novel 'Tristram Shandy', which is considered a pioneer of modern fiction and is renowned for its unique narrative style and profound insights into human nature.

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Famous Laurence Sterne Quotes

“The brave only know how to forgive.”

Knows Know How Forgiveness Forgiving Brave How To Forgive

Book:The Works of Laurence Sterne ...: With a Life of the Author

Source: The Works of Laurence Sterne ...: With a Life of the Author

“A man should know something of his own country too, before he goes abroad.”

Knows Men Should Country

Author:Laurence Sterne

“Beauty has so many charms, one knows not how to speak against it; and when it happens that a graceful figure is the habitation of a virtuous soul, when the beauty of the face speaks out the modesty and humility of the mind, and the justness of the proportion raises our thoughts up to the heart and wisdom of the great Creator, something may be allowed it,--and something to the embellishments which set it off; and yet, when the whole apology is read, it will be found at last that beauty, like truth, never is so glorious as when it goes the plainest.”

Source: The Works of Laurence Sterne: With a Life of the Author

“I would go fifty miles on foot to kiss the hand of that man whose generous heart will give up the reins of his imagination into his Author's hands; be pleased, he knows not why, and cares not wherefore.”

Knows Men Giving Heart Hands Care Imagination Feet Kissing Giving Up Miles Generous Fifty Sympathy Reins Generous 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

Source: The Works of Laurence Sterne: Containing The Life and Opinions of Tristan Shandy ... [etc.] ; with a Life of the Author Written by Himself

“I know not whether the remark is to our honour or otherwise, that lessons of wisdom have never such power over us, as when they are wrought into the heart, through the ground-work of a story which engages the passions: Is it that we are like iron, and must first be heated before we can be wrought upon?”

Knows Firsts Heart Stories Passion Fiction Lessons Iron Honour Maxims Remarks

Book:The Works of Laurence Sterne ...: With a Life of the Author

Source: The Works of Laurence Sterne ...: With a Life of the Author

“Tis going, I own, like the Knight of the Woeful Countenance, in quest of melancholy adventures--but I know not how it is, but I am never so perfectly conscious of the existence of a soul within me, as when I am entangled in them.”

Knows Soul Existence Adventure Sorrow Conscious Melancholy Quests Knights Countenance Sentimentality

Book:A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy: And, Continuation of the Bramine's Journal : with Related Texts

Source: A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy: And, Continuation of the Bramine's Journal : with Related Texts

“I know as well as any one, [the devil] is an adversary, whom if we resist, he will fly from us--but I seldom resist him at all; from a terror, that though I may conquer, I may still get a hurt in the combat--soinstead of thinking to make him fly, I generally fly myself.”

Ifs Thinking Knows Wells May Stills Hurt Devil Terror Temptation Conquer Combat Adversaries Irreverence

Book:THE

Source: THE

“I am persuaded ... that both man and woman bear pain or sorrow, (and, for aught I know, pleasure too) best in a horizontal position.”

Knows Men Pain Pleasure Position Bears Sorrow Men And Women Horizontal

Book:The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman. And A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy ... With Life of the Author by Sir Walter Scott, Portrait, and Outline Wood Engravings After Thomas Stothard

Source: The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman. And A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy ... With Life of the Author by Sir Walter Scott, Portrait, and Outline Wood Engravings After Thomas Stothard

“Only the brave know how to forgive... a coward never forgave; it is not in his nature.”

Knows Literature Know How Forgiveness Bravery Forgiving Brave Coward I Forgive You What Is Forgiveness How To Forgive

Author:Laurence Sterne

“Only the brave know how to forgive; it is the most refined and generous pitch of virtue human nature can arrive at.”

Knows Humans Motivational Know How Virtue Human Nature Forgiveness Bravery Forgiving Brave Generous Refined How To Forgive

Book:Delphi Complete Works of Laurence Sterne (Illustrated)

Source: Delphi Complete Works of Laurence Sterne (Illustrated)

“All womankind, from the highest to the lowest love jokes; the difficulty is to know how they choose to have them cut; and there is no knowing that, but by trying, as we do with our artillery in the field, by raising or letting down their breeches, till we hit the mark.”

Knows Love Trying Know How Knowing Cutting Fields Highest Jokes Difficulty Mark Lowest Artillery

Book:3 Books by Laurence Sterne

Source: 3 Books by Laurence Sterne

“Pain and pleasure, like light and darkness, succeed each other; and he that knows how to accommodate himself to their periodical returns, and can wisely extract the good from the evil, knows only how to live: this is true contentment, at least all that is to be had of it in this world; and for this every man must be indebted not to his fortune, but to himself.”

Knows Light Pain Evil Pleasure Darkness Know How Return Gratitude Succeed Light And Darkness Accommodate Light And Dark Pain And Pleasure

Author:Laurence Sterne