History of If it were told as shortly, and with as little England Strange preparation for introducing the different events, as the history of the Jewish Kings, it would be equally liable to objections of improbability.—Journal. October 21. Produce of Our commerce is in a very good state; England and suppose we had no commerce at all, we could live very well on the produce of our own country. -Life. April 14, 1775. Present Such is the emptiness of human enjoyment, Enjoyment not Sufficient that we are always impatient of the present.— Rambler, No. 207. Analyzing Very few carry their philosophy to places Enjoyments of diversion, or are very careful to analyze their enjoyments.—Idler, No. 18. That I want nothing, or that I know not Ennui what I want, is the cause of my complaint.Rasselas, ch. iii. Numerical Cultivate in yourself a disposition to Enquiries numerical enquiries: they will give you entertainment in solitude by the practise, and reputation in public by the effect.-Letter to Mrs. Thrale, No. 314. Envy Envy may always be produced by idleness and pride, and in what place will they not be found ?-Rambler, No. 183. Let fictions at least cease with life, and let Epitaphs us be serious over the grave.—Lives of the Poets. Pope, Epitaph He touched nothing which he did not Goldsmith adorn. on Writer of an true. The writer of an epitaph should not be considered as saying nothing but what is strictly Allowance must be made for some degree of exaggerated praise. In lapidary inscriptions a man is not upon oath.—Sayings Collected by Dr. Burney, 1775. Self There is no being so poor and so contempEstimation tible, who does not think there is somebody still poorer, and still more contemptible.—Life, Vicarious Estimation The rich and the powerful live in a perpetual masquerade, in which all about them wear borrowed characters: and we only discover in what estimation we are held, when we can no longer give hopes or fears. Rambler, No. 75. The Eucharist Evils I look upon the Sacrament as the palladium of our religion.-Anecdotes by Mrs. Seward. Of real evils the number is great. Of possible evils there is no end.-Letter to Mrs. Thrale, No. 172. Evils Inevitable On necessary and inevitable evils, which overwhelm kingdoms at once, all disputation is vain when they happen they must be endured.Rasselas, ch. xxviii. : Origin of Moral evil is occasioned by free will, which Evil implies choice between good and evil. With all the evil that there is, there is no man but would rather be a free agent than a mere machine without the evil; and what is best for each individual must be best for the whole. If a man would rather be the machine, I cannot argue with him. He is a different being from me.-Journal. August 27. Example greater than 66. Example is always more efficacious than Precept precept.-Rasselas, ch. xxx. The desire of excellence is laudable, but Excellence is very frequently ill directed.-Rambler, No. Exercise Exercise is labour, used only while it produces pleasure.-Letter No. 207, published by Mrs. Piozzi. Existence Mere existence is so much better than nothing, that one would rather exist even in pain than not exist.-Life. Expense Splendour from A man's voluntary expense should not exceed his revenue.-Rambler, No. 57. If a man has splendour from his expense, Expense if he spends his money in pride or in pleasure, he has value; but if he lets others spend it for him, which is most commonly the case, he has no advantage from it.-Life. Human Human experience, which is constantly Experience contradicting theory, is the great test of truth. A system built upon the discoveries of a great many minds, is always of more strength than what is produced by the mere workings of any one mind, which of itself can do little.-Life. July 28, 1763. The Eloquence of Phrases of cursory compliment and estabExpression lished salutation may, by a different modulation of the voice or cast of the countenance, convey contrary meanings, and be changed from indications of respect to expressions of scorn.-Rambler, No. 149. Exemption from External Without affecting Stoicism, it may be said Things that it is our business to exempt ourselves as much as we can from the power of external things.— Life. Meeting of The man of learning is often resigned, Extremes almost by his own consent, to languor and pain; and while in the prosecution of his studies he suffers the weariness of labour, is subject by his course of life to the maladies of idleness.-Rambler, No. 85. Faith What I cannot for a moment believe, I cannot for a moment behold with interest or Smith. anxiety.-Lives of the Poets. Accumulation of Nobody can live long without knowing that Falsehood falsehoods of convenience or vanity are very lightly uttered, and once uttered, are suddenly supported. -Lives of the Poets. Congreve, Fame Fame The love of fame is a passion natural and universal. Rambler, No. 49. Fame is a shuttlecock. If it be struck only at one end of the room, it will soon fall to the ground. To keep it up, it must be struck at both ends. Journal, Collectanea by Boswell. November 11. Fame Fame A very few names may be considered as perpetual lamps that shine unconsumed. Men have a solicitude about fame; and the greater share they have of it, the more afraid they are of losing it.-Life. July 21, 1763. The Danger of Fame Short-livedness It frequently happens that applause abates diligence.-Rambler, No. 3. The utmost which we can reasonably hope of Fame. or fear, is to fill a vacant hour with prattle, and be forgotten.-Rambler, No. 159. Searching for Faults By those who look close to the ground dirt will be seen: I hope I see things from a greater distance.-Piozzi's Anecdotes, p. 168. Favour Favours Favour is seldom gained but by conformity in vice.-Rambler, No. 172. Favours of every kind are doubted, when they are speedily conferred.-Rambler, No. |