A. Johnson
A. Johnson
degrees accuracy sentences
In all pointed sentences, some degree of accuracy must be sacrificed to conciseness.
success disappointment loss
Disappointment, when it involves neither shame nor loss, is as good as success; for it supplies as many images to the mind, and as many topics to the tongue.
daughter parent liberty
Frugality may be termed the daughter of Prudence, the sister of Temperance, and the parent of Liberty.
writing unexpected common
It is indeed certain, that whoever attempts any common topick, will find unexpected coincidences of his thoughts with those of other writers; nor can the nicest judgment always distinguish accidental similitude from artful imitation.
literature lexicographer dictionary
Lexicographer: a writer of dictionaries, a harmless drudge, that busies himself in tracing the original, and detailing the signification of words.
perfection humanity religion
Christianity is the highest perfection of humanity.
luxury people suffering
As to the rout that is made about people who are ruined by extravagance, it is no matter to the nation that some individuals suffer. When so much general productive exertion is the consequence of luxury, the nation does not care though there are debtors; nay, they would not care though their creditors were there too.
trust believe men
Except during the nine months before he draws his first breath, no man manages his affairs as well as a tree. We are inclined to believe those whom we do not know because they have never deceived us.
miscarriage littles sound
I have protracted my work till most of those whom I wished to please have sunk into the grave, and success and miscarriage are empty sounds: I therefore dismiss it with frigid tranquillity, having little to fear or hope from censure or from praise.
respect giving attention
Attention and respect give pleasure, however late, or however useless. But they are not useless, when they are late, it is reasonable to rejoice, as the day declines, to find that it has been spent with the approbation of mankind.
riches causes wealth
One cause, which is not always observed, of the insufficiency of riches, is that they very seldom make their owner rich.
envy want toil
There mark what ills the scholar's life assail, toil, envy, want, and patron.
virtue praise servant
The highest panegyric, therefore, that private virtue can receive, is the praise of servants.
virtue locals
Virtue is too often merely local.