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Quote by George Saintsbury

Work

History Of English Criticism

This book delves into the various schools of thought and influential figures that have shaped the study and analysis of English literature, providing a historical perspective on the evolution of critical approaches. more

Author

George Saintsbury
George Saintsbury

George Saintsbury was an influential British writer, literary critic, and historian. His works spanned across various fields including literary criticism, historical research, and biography, having a profound impact on 19th-century British literature. more

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“My toils in the quotation field have led me to formulate two or three laws about the way people use and abuse quotations. My first law is: When in doubt, ascribe all quotations to Bernard Shaw - which I don't mean to be taken literally, but as a general observation of the habit people have of attaching remarks to the nearest obvious speaker. Churchill, Wilde, Orson Welles and Alexander Woollcott are other useful figures upon whom to father remarks when you don't know who really said them.”

“Do not give alms promiscuously. Select the unworthy poor and make them happy. To give to the deserving is a duty, but to help the improvident, drinking class is clear generosity, so that the donor has a right to be warmed by a selfish pride and count on a most flattering obituary.”

“Never pretend to have money except when you are in straits. The poor man who pretends to have a bank account betters his credit and takes no risk. But the prosperous individual who counts his money in the street, forthwith will be invited to attend a charity bazaar.”