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Quote by Joseph Addison

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The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison

This volume gathers the literary output of Joseph Addison, one of the most prominent writers of the Augustan Age in English literature. The collection includes the witty and polished essays that made Addison famous through his periodical works, which helped shape the essay as a literary form in English. The compilation features his poetry, ranging from meditative verses to celebratory odes, as well as his dramatic productions, most notably the tragedy that secured his reputation in theatrical circles. Addison's prose style, characterized by clarity, elegance, and gentle satire, exemplifies the literary standards of his era and influenced generations of English writers. The collected works preserve for posterity the writings of a man who served his country in high political office while maintaining his position as a leading light of English letters during the reign of Queen Anne. more

Author

Joseph Addison
Joseph Addison

Joseph Addison, born on May 1, 1672, and died on June 17, 1719, was an influential English essayist, dramatist, and poet. He is known for his elegant prose style and his co-authorship of the magazine 'The Spectator' with Richard Steele. more

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“The name of medicine is thought to have been given from 'moderation', modus, that is, from a due proportion, which advises that things be done not to excess, but 'little by little', paulatim. For nature is pained by surfeit but rejoices in moderation. Whence also those who take drugs and antidotes constantly, or to the point of saturation, are sorely vexed, for every immoderation brings not health but danger.”

“The ordinary patient goes to his doctor because he is in pain or some other discomfort and wants to be comfortable again; he is not in pursuit of the ideal of health in any direct sense. The doctor on the other hand wants to discover the pathological condition and control it if he can. The two are thus to some degree at cross purposes from the first, and unless the affair is brought to an early and happy conclusion this diversion of aims is likely to become more and more serious as the case goes on.”

“The rapid growth of industry, the ever increasing population and the imperative need for a more varied, wholesome and nourishing foodstuff makes it all the more necessary to exhaust every means at our command to fill the empty dinner pail, enrich our soils, bring greater wealth and influence to our beautiful South land, which is synonymous to a healthy, happy and contented people.”

“Those who work standing ... carpenters, sawyers, carvers, blacksmiths, masons ... are liable to varicose veins ... [because] the strain on the muscles is such that the circulation of the blood is retarded. Standing even for a short time proves exhausting compared with walking and running though it be for a long time ... Nature delights and is restored by alternating and varied actions.”