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Walter Savage Landor Quotes

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Walter Savage Landor was an English writer known for his poetry and prose. His works are renowned for their wit, satire, and profound philosophical insights, which have had a lasting impact on literature.

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All Men May Ifs Heart Wise Littles Mind Fierce Greatness Thinking Death Earth Genius Great Men Has Beens Knows Lying Praise Should Sometimes

Famous Walter Savage Landor Quotes

“Wise or unwise, who doubts for a moment that contentment is the cause of happiness? Yet the inverse is true: we are contented because we are happy, and not happy because we are contented. Well-regulated minds may be satisfied with a small portion of happiness; none can be happy with a small portion of content.”

Mind Wells May Moments Causes Doubt Wise Satisfied Contentment Portions Not Happy Unwise Inverse

Book:The works of Walter Savage Landor [ed. by J. Forster].

Source: The works of Walter Savage Landor [ed. by J. Forster].

“Friendship is a vase, which, when it is flawed by heat, or violence, or accident, may as well be broken at once; it can never be trusted after.”

Wells May Violence Broken Accidents Heat Trusted Flawed Vases

Book:The works of Walter Savage Landor [ed. by J. Forster].

Source: The works of Walter Savage Landor [ed. by J. Forster].

“It often comes into my head That we may dream when we are dead, But I am far from sure we do. O that it were so! then my rest Would be indeed among the blest; I should for ever dream of you.”

Should May Dream Would Be

Book:Delphi Collected Poetical Works of Walter Savage Landor (Illustrated)

Source: Delphi Collected Poetical Works of Walter Savage Landor (Illustrated)

“Ah what avails the sceptred race, Ah what the form divine! What every virtue, every grace! Rose Aylmer, all were thine. Rose Aylmer, whom these wakeful eyes May weep, but never see, A night of memories and of sighs I consecrate to thee.”

May Eye Form Night Memories Race Virtue Grace Divine Rose Thee Sigh

Author:Walter Savage Landor

“Friendship may sometimes step a few paces in advance of truth.”

May Sometimes Steps Pace

Book:Imaginary Conversations

Source: Imaginary Conversations

“No good writer was ever long neglected; no great man overlooked by men equally great. Impatience is a proof of inferior strength, and a destroyer of what little there may be.”

Men May Littles Long Appreciation Proof Great Men Inferiors Neglected Impatience Good Writers Overlooked Destroyers

Book:Imaginary Conversations of Literary Men and Statesmen

Source: Imaginary Conversations of Literary Men and Statesmen

“Religion is the eldest sister of philosophy: on whatever subjects they may differ, it is unbecoming in either to quarrel, and most so about their inheritance.”

May Philosophy Religion Subjects Inheritance Quarrels Eldest Unbecoming

Book:The works of Walter Savage Landor [ed. by J. Forster].

Source: The works of Walter Savage Landor [ed. by J. Forster].

“Let me take up your metaphor. Friendship is a vase, which, when it is flawed by heat or violence or accident, may as well be broken at once; it can never be trusted after. The more graceful and ornamental it was, the more clearly do we discern the hopelessness of restoring it to its former state. Coarse stones, if they are fractured, may be cemented again; precious stones, never.”

Ifs Wells May States Friendship Violence Broken Stones Let Me Metaphor Accidents Former Heat Trusted Hopelessness Flawed Restoring Coarse Vases Precious Stones

Book:The Works of Walter Savage Landor

Source: The Works of Walter Savage Landor

“A mercantile democracy may govern long and widely; a mercantile aristocracy cannot stand.”

May Long Government Democracy Aristocracy

Book:Literary Hours

Source: Literary Hours

“Where power is absent we may find the robe of genius, but we miss the throne.”

May Power Missing Genius Thrones Absent Robes

Book:Imaginary conversations of Greeks and Romans

Source: Imaginary conversations of Greeks and Romans

“When a cat flatters ... he is not insincere: you may safely take it for real kindness.”

May Real Kindness Cat Insincere

Book:Classical conversations: being imaginary conversations among Greek, Roman and Modern personages of classic consequence in the history of human culture

Source: Classical conversations: being imaginary conversations among Greek, Roman and Modern personages of classic consequence in the history of human culture

“Two evils, of almost equal weight, may befall the man of erudition; never to be listened to, and to be listened to always.”

Men May Two Wisdom Evil He Man Equal Weight Intelligence Two Evils Erudition

Book:Imaginary Conversations of Literary Men and Statesmen

Source: Imaginary Conversations of Literary Men and Statesmen

“Heat and animosity, contest and conflict, may sharpen the wits, although they rarely do; they never strengthen the understanding, clear the perspicacity, guide the judgment, or improve the heart.”

Heart May Understanding Clear Conflict Judgment Argument Anger Guides Wit Heat Contests Animosity

Book:Selections from the Writings of Walter Savage Landor

Source: Selections from the Writings of Walter Savage Landor

“We may receive so much light as not to see, and so much philosophy as to be worse than foolish.”

May Philosophy Light Enlightenment Foolish

Book:Imaginary conversations of Greeks and Romans

Source: Imaginary conversations of Greeks and Romans

“Every great writer is a writer of history, let him treat on almost what subject he may.”

May History Subjects Treats Journal Great Writers

Author:Walter Savage Landor