A. Johnson
A. Johnson
jail use enlargement
...a common observation, that few are mended by imprisonment, and that he, whose crimes have made confinement necessary, seldom makes any other use of his enlargement, than to do, with greater cunning, what he did before with less.
weather two hot
It is commonly observed, that when two Englishmen meet, their first talk is of the weather; they are in haste to tell each other, what each must already know, that it is hot or cold, bright or cloudy, windy or calm.
sleep angel peaceful
Sleep undisturbed within the peaceful shrine till angels wake thee with a note like thine.
dog pieces meat
Dogs have not the power of comparing. A dog will take a small piece of meat as readily as a large, when both are before him.
practice watches association
They that have grown old in a single state are generally found to be morose, fretful and captious; tenacious of their own practices and maxims; soon offended by contradiction or negligence; and impatient of any association but with those that will watch their nod, and submit themselves to unlimited authority.
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.