Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swiftwas an Anglo-Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer, poet and cleric who became Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin...
NationalityIrish
ProfessionWriter
Date of Birth30 November 1667
CountryIreland
censure eminent man pays public tax
Censure is the the tax a man pays to the public for being eminent
happiness perpetual possession
Happiness is a perpetual possession of being well deceived.
comfort keeps man proud time
If a proud man makes me keep my distance, the comfort is that he keeps his at the same time
bottle madness places sold
Taverns are places where madness is sold by the bottle
art fools power thou thy weak
So weak thou art that fools thy power despise; And yet so strong, thou triumph'st o'er the wise.
animals children diversion fighting imitation sorts
Most sorts of diversion in men, children and other animals, are an imitation of fighting
fool invented wonder
Lord! I wonder what fool it was that first invented kissing.
limping truth-and-lies lies-truth
Falsehood flies, and the truth comes limping after it.
sacrifice men leaving
When men grow virtuous in their old age, they only make a sacrifice to God of the devil's leavings.
running greed mind
When we desire or solicit anything, our minds run wholly on the good side or circumstances of it; when it is obtained, our minds run wholly on the bad ones.
favors half granted
A favor is half granted, when graciously refused.
cat watches mice
She watches him as a cat would watch a mouse.
dog rain cat
I know Sir John will go, though he was sure it would rain cats and dogs.
military war games
War: that mad game the world so loves to play.