Thomas B. Macaulay
Thomas B. Macaulay
Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay, PCwas a British historian and Whig politician. He wrote extensively as an essayist and reviewer; his books on British history have been hailed as literary masterpieces. He was a member of the Babington family by virtue of his aunt's marriage to Thomas Babington...
democracy aristocracy periods
Thus our democracy was from an early period the most aristocratic, and our aristocracy the most democratic.
envy sin despise
More sinners are cursed at not because we despise their sins but because we envy their success at sinning.
hands creation priests
Nobles by the right of an earlier creation, and priests by the imposition of a mightier hand.
wages tests england
But the time will come when New England will be as thickly peopled as old England. Wages will be as low, and will fluctuate as much with you as with us. You will have your Manchesters and Birminghams; and, in those Manchesters and Birminghams, hundreds of thousands of artisans will assuredly be sometimes out of work. Then your institutions will be fairly brought to the test.
passion men play
In the plays of Shakespeare man appears as he is, made up of a crowd of passions which contend for the mastery over him, and govern him in turn.
imagination rant ifs
If ever Shakespeare rants, it is not when his imagination is hurrying him along, but when he is hurrying his imagination along.
greatness men age
It is the age that forms the man, not the man that forms the age.
greatness mind pay
Great minds do indeed react on the society which has made them what they are; but they only pay with interest what they have received.
reading criticism body
The opinion of the great body of the reading public is very materially influenced even by the unsupported assertions of those who assume a right to criticize.
criticism may poet
In truth it may be laid down as an almost universal rule that good poets are bad critics.
pride men dust
It was before Deity embodied in a human form walking among men, partaking of their infirmities, leaning on their bosoms, weeping over their graves, slumbering in the manger, bleeding on the cross, that the prejudices of the synagogue, and the doubts of the academy, and the pride of the portico, and the fasces of the lictor, and the swords of thirty legions were humbled in the dust.
machines language poet
Language is the machine of the poet.
latin book years
In the modern languages there was not, six hundred years ago, a single volume which is now read. The library of our profound scholar must have consisted entirely of Latin books.
latin selfishness latin-proverb
I am always nearest to myself," says the Latin proverb.