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Samuel Johnson

Samuel Johnson Quotes

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Famous Samuel Johnson Quotes

“The truth is that the spectators are always in their senses, and know, from the first act to the last, that the stage is only a stage, and that the players are only players.”

KnowsFirstsLastsPlayerStageTruth IsTheatreSensesSpectators
Book:Dedication of the players. Preface of the players. Pope's preface. Theobald's preface. Hanmer's preface. Warburton's preface. Johnson's preface. Advertisement by Steevens. Capell's
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“I know not any crime so great that a man could contrive to commit as poisoning the sources of eternal truth.”

KnowsMenCrimeSourceEternalCommitPoisoning
Book:The beauties of Samuel Johnson, LL. D.: consisting of maxims and observations, moral, critical, and miscellaneous: to which are now added biographical anecdotes of the doctor, selected from the works of Mrs. Piozzi;--his Life, recently published by Mr. Boswell, and other authentic testimonies; also his will, and the sermon he wrote for the late Doctor Dodd
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“Men go to sea, before they know the unhappiness of that way of life; and when they have come to know it, they cannot escape from it, because it is then too late to choose another profession; as indeed is generally the case with men, when they have once engaged in any particular way of life.”

KnowsMenWayCasesSeaParticularLateSoldierProfessionEngagedToo LateUnhappiness
Book:The Table Talk of Dr. Johnson: Comprising Opinions and Anecdotes of Life and Literature, Men, Manners, and Morals
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“To be flattered is grateful, even when we know that our praises are not believed by those who pronounce them; for they prove, at least, our power, and show that our favour is valued, since it is purchased by the meanness of falsehood.”

KnowsShowsProvePraiseGratefulFalsehoodFavourFlatteryMeannessFlattered
Book:The beauties of Samuel Johnson, LL. D.: consisting of maxims and observations, moral, critical, and miscellaneous: to which are now added biographical anecdotes of the doctor, selected from the works of Mrs. Piozzi;--his Life, recently published by Mr. Boswell, and other authentic testimonies; also his will, and the sermon he wrote for the late Doctor Dodd
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“They who have already enjoyed the crowds and noise of the great city, know their desire to return is little more than the restlessness of a vacant mind, that they are not so much led by hope as driven by disgust, and wish rather to leave the country than to see the town.”

KnowsMindLittlesCountryDesireWishCitiesReturnTownsCrowdsDrivenNoiseEnjoyedDisgustingRestlessnessGreat CitiesVacant
Book:The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.
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“Difference of thoughts will produce difference of language. He that thinks with more extent than another, will want words of a larger meaning; he that thinks with more subtilty will seek for terms of more nice discrimination; and where is the wonder, since words are but the images of things, that he who never knew the original should not know the copies?”

ThinkingKnowsWantShouldLanguageTermDifferencesWonderNiceProduceOriginalsDiscriminationCopiesVocabulary
Book:The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.: With Murphy's Essay
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“How many may a man of diffusive conversation count among his acquaintances, whose lives have been signalized by numberless escapes; who never cross the river but in a storm, or take a journey into the country without more adventures than befel the knights-errant of ancient times in pathless forests or enchanted castles! How many must he know, to whom portents and prodigies are of daily occurrence; and for whom nature is hourly working wonders invisible to every other eye, only to supply them with subjects of conversation?”

KnowsMenMayHas BeensCountryEyeWonderJourneySubjectsAdventureConversationRiversCrossesAncientStormInvisibleForestsCastlesAcquaintanceKnightsExaggerationEnchantedProdigiesAncient TimesPortents
Book:The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.
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