Joseph Addison
Joseph Addison
Joseph Addisonwas an English essayist, poet, playwright, and politician. He was the eldest son of The Reverend Lancelot Addison. His name is usually remembered alongside that of his long-standing friend, Richard Steele, with whom he founded The Spectator magazine...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionWriter
Date of Birth1 May 1672
apt glory incurable men vices
No vices are so incurable as those which men are apt to glory in
angry consider far feeling less men
If men would consider not so much where they differ, as wherein they agree, there would be far less of uncharitableness and angry feeling in the world
attacking generally good human laugh men ridicule virtue
Ridicule is generally made use of to laugh men out of virtue and good sense, by attacking everything praiseworthy in human life.
gift gravity men-and-women vivacity
As vivacity is the gift of women, gravity is that of men.
dividing doubling friendship friends-or-friendship improves
Friendship improves happiness, and abates misery, by doubling our joys, and dividing our grief.
blessings cloudy great influence
A cloudy day, or a little sunshine, have as great an influence on many constitutions as the most real blessings or misfortunes
agreeable air amiable beauty certain conversation gives good nature
Good nature is more agreeable in conversation than wit, and gives a certain air to the countenance which is more amiable than beauty
above knowledge next raises truly virtue
Knowledge is that which, next to virtue, truly raises one person above another.
half
He thought he was a wit, and he was half right.
desire fond longing pleasing thou
It must be so - Plato, thou reason'st well! -/ Else whence this pleasing hope, this fond desire, / This longing after immortality?
consider figure man pray republic
Pray consider what a figure a man would make in the republic of letters.
criticize himself man ridiculous works
It is ridiculous for any man to criticize the works of another if he has not distinguished himself by his own performances
cheerfulness daylight filling keeps perpetual serenity steady
Cheerfulness keeps up a kind of daylight in the mind, filling it with a steady and perpetual serenity
grave living mirth nor pleasant thee thy whether wit
In all thy humors, whether grave or mellow, Thou'rt such a touchy, testy, pleasant fellow, hast so much wit and mirth and spleen about thee, there is no living with thee, nor without thee