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
men honor degrees
This made me reflect, how vain an attempt it is for a man to endeavor to do himself honor among those who are out of all degree of equality or comparison with him.
men opinion ill
Reasoning will never make a man correct an ill opinion, which by reasoning he never acquired
best company conversation left reasonably rules unsaid wish
One of the best rules in conversation is, never to say a thing which any of the company can reasonably wish had been left unsaid
love sweet pain
Love why do we one passion call, When 'tis a compound of them all? Where hot and cold, where sharp and sweet, In all their equipages meet; Where pleasures mix'd with pains appear, Sorrow with joy, and hope with fear.
wise men rogues
A wise man will find us to be rogues by our faces.
wise lying men
Let a man be ne'er so wise, he may be caught with sober lies.
wise people solitude
Wise people are never less alone than when they are alone.
running book greek
A forward critic often dupes us With sham quotations peri hupsos, And if we have not read Longinus, Will magisterially outshine us. Then, lest with Greek he over-run ye, Procure the book for love or money, Translated from Boileau's translation, And quote quotation on quotation.
real genius world
When a real genius appeares in this world, you'll know him by the fact that all the fools have allied against him.
running talent human-nature
It is the talent of human nature to run from one extreme to another.
believe overcoming belief
The lack of belief is a defect that ought to be concealed when it cannot be overcome.
men hands abuse
When any one person or body of men seize into their hands the power in the last resort, there is properly no longer a government, but what Aristotle and his followers call the abuse and corruption of one.
animal air tongue
The chameleon, who is said to feed upon nothing but air, has of all animals the nimblest tongue.
best company conversation left rules wish
One of the very best rules of conversation is to never, say anything which any of the company wish had been left unsaid.