Daniel Defoe
Daniel Defoe
Daniel Defoe, born Daniel Foe, was an English trader, writer, journalist, pamphleteer, and spy, most famous for his novel Robinson Crusoe. Defoe is noted for being one of the earliest proponents of the novel, as he helped to popularise the form in Britain with others such as Samuel Richardson, and is among the founders of the English novel. He was a prolific and versatile writer, producing more than five hundred books, pamphlets, and journals on various topics, including politics, crime,...
among calamities disasters fewest life lower middle observe shared station
He bade me observe it, and I should always find, that the calamities of life were shared among the upper and lower part of mankind; but that the middle station had the fewest disasters
builds chapel devil god house largest latter wherever
Wherever God erects a house of prayer, The Devil always builds a chapel there; And 'twill be found, upon examination, The latter has the largest congregation
leadership army sheep
It is better to have a lion at the head of an army of sheep, than a sheep at the head of an army of lions.
integrity men borders
A rich man is an honest man--no thanks to him; for he would be a double knave, to cheat mankind when he had no need of it: he has no occasion to press upon his integrity, nor so much as to touch upon the borders of dishonesty.
honesty men knaves
Necessity makes an honest man a knave.
spring dark people
I learned to look more upon the bright side of my condition, and less upon the dark side, and to consider what I enjoyed, rather than what I wanted : and this gave me sometimes such secret comforts, that I cannot express them ; and which I take notice of here, to put those discontented people in mind of it, who cannot enjoy comfortably what God has given them, because they see and covet something that he has not given them. All our discontents about what we want appeared to me to spring from the want of thankfulness for what we have.
soul-and-body lust literature
The soul is placed in the body like a rough diamond, and must be polished, or the luster of it will never appear.
cheating devil sin
'Tis no sin to cheat the devil.
friday giving laughing
No shoots, says Friday, no yet, me shoot now, me no kill; me stay, give you one more laugh.
village england ifs
Manchester, one of the greatest, if not really the greatest mere village in England.
spring people thankfulness
Those people cannot enjoy comfortably what God has given them because they see and covet what He has not given them. All of our discontents for what we want appear to me to spring from want of thankfulness for what we have.
coward fool sides
He that hath truth on his side is a fool as well as a coward if he is afraid to own it because fo other mens's opinions.
reflection people hardship
These reflections made me very sensible of the goodness of Providence to me, and very thankful for my present condition, with all its hardships and misfortunes ; and this part also I cannot but recommend to the reflection of those who are apt, in their misery, to say, Is any affliction like mine? Let them consider how much worse the cases of some people are, and their case might have been, if Providence had thought fit.
stay-calm trouble
In trouble to be troubled, Is to have your trouble doubled.