Home / Quotes / Quote by William Shenstone

Quote by William Shenstone

“Some men are called sagacious, merely on account of their avarice; whereas a child can clench its fist the moment it is born.”

Quote by William Shenstone

Book:Essays on Men and Manners

Work

Essays on Men and Manners

This book is a compilation of thoughtful essays that delve into the character traits and societal norms of men, offering insights into the expectations and behaviors of their era. more

Author

William Shenstone

William Shenstone was an English poet, born on November 18, 1714, and died on February 11, 1763. His poetry is known for its fresh and natural style and its depiction of rural life. more

You May Also Like

“Deference is the most complicate, the most indirect, and the most elegant of all compliments.”

Compliment Elegant Indirect Deference

Book:The Works, in Verse and Prose

Source: The Works, in Verse and Prose

“Deference often shrinks and withers as much upon the approach of intimacy as the sensitive plant does upon the touch of one's finger.”

Doe Approach Plant Fingers Intimacy Sensitive Shrinks Deference

Book:The Works in Verse and Prose, of William Shenstone, Esq;: Essays on men, manners, and things. A description of The Leasowes, the seat of the late William Shenstone, Esq. Verses to Mr. Shenstone

Source: The Works in Verse and Prose, of William Shenstone, Esq;: Essays on men, manners, and things. A description of The Leasowes, the seat of the late William Shenstone, Esq. Verses to Mr. Shenstone

“The lowest people are generally the first to find fault with show or equipage; especially that of a person lately emerged from his obscurity. They never once consider that he is breaking the ice for themselves.”

People Firsts Persons Shows Faults Ice Lowest Obscurity

Book:Men & Manners

Source: Men & Manners

“It is true there is nothing displays a genius, I mean a quickness of genius, more than a dispute; as two diamonds, encountering, contribute to each other's luster. But perhaps the odds is much against the man of taste in this particular.”

Men Mean Two Particular He Man Genius Taste Display Diamond Odds Disputes Quickness Luster

Book:Essays on Men and Manners

Source: Essays on Men and Manners

“A large retinue upon a small income, like a large cascade upon a small stream, tends to discover its tenuity.”

Income Streams Extravagance Cascade

Book:Essays on Men and Manners

Source: Essays on Men and Manners

“We may daily discover crowds acquire sufficient wealth to buy gentility, but very few that possess the virtues which ennoble human nature, and (in the best sense of the word) constitute a gentleman.”

Humans May Wealth Virtue Human Nature Crowds Gentleman Sufficient Acquire Gentility

Book:Essays on Men and Manners

Source: Essays on Men and Manners

“The making presents to a lady one addresses is like throwing armor into an enemy's camp, with a resolution to recover it.”

Enemy Addresses Resolution Camps Throwing Armor

Book:Essays on Men and Manners

Source: Essays on Men and Manners

“Glory relaxes often and debilitates the mind; censure stimulates and contracts,--both to an extreme. Simple fame is, perhaps, the proper medium.”

Mind Simple Fame Glory Extremes Mediums Relax Contracts Censure

Book:Essays on men and manners; with aphorisms, criticisms, impromptus, fragments, etc

Source: Essays on men and manners; with aphorisms, criticisms, impromptus, fragments, etc

“A court of heraldry sprung up to supply the place of crusade exploits, to grant imaginary shields and trophies to families that never wore real armor, and it is but of late that it has been discovered to have no real jurisdiction.”

Has Beens Real Late Court Grants Imaginary Exploits Shields Armor Trophies Crusades Sprung Jurisdiction Sprung Up

Book:Essays on Men and Manners

Source: Essays on Men and Manners

“It should seem that indolence itself would incline a person to be honest, as it requires infinitely greater pains and contrivance to be a knave.”

Should Persons Seems Pain Greater Honest Honesty Being Honest Indolence Incline Knaves

Book:Essays on Men and Manners

Source: Essays on Men and Manners