A. Johnson
A. Johnson
prejudice weak has-beens
To be prejudiced is always to be weak; yet there are prejudices so near to laudable that they have been often praised and are always pardoned.
states humans human-beings
The present is never a happy state to any human being.
writing men good-man
Of riches it is not necessary to write the praise. Let it, however, be remembered that he who has money to spare has it always in his power to benefit others, and of such power a good man must always be desirous.
riches poverty inconvenience
Riches exclude only one inconvenience,--that is, poverty.
riches crime produce
Riches, perhaps, do not so often produce crimes as incite accusers.
visionaries care purpose
In proportion as our cares are employed upon the future, they are abstracted from the present, from the only time which we can call our own, and of which, if we neglect the apparent duties to make provision against visionary attacks, we shall certainly counteract our own purpose.
anticipation certain payment
Whatever advantage we snatch beyond a certain portion allotted us by at nature, is like money spent before it is due, which, at the time of regular payment, will be missed and regretted.
authorship touched left
Who left nothing of authorship untouched, and touched nothing which he did not adorn. [Lat., Qui nullum fere scribendi genus non tetigit; nullum quod tetigit non ornavit.]
daughter son ideas
Words are daughters of earth but ideas are sons of heaven.
elegance manners breeding
Good breeding consists in having no particular mark of any profession, but a general elegance of manners.
punishment silence
The power of punishment is to silence, not to confute.
luxury rudeness spite
Spite and ill-nature are among the most expensive luxuries in life.
yield may littles
It may be no less dangerous to claim, on certain occasions, too little than too much. There is something captivating in spirit and intrepidity, to which we often yield as to a resistless power; nor can we often yield as to a resistless power; nor can he reasonably expect the confidence of others who too apparently distrusts himself.
forests
Corneille is to Shakespeare as a clipped hedge is to a forest.