William Hazlitt
William Hazlitt
William Hazlittwas an English writer, drama and literary critic, painter, social commentator, and philosopher. He is now considered one of the greatest critics and essayists in the history of the English language, placed in the company of Samuel Johnson and George Orwell. He is also acknowledged as the finest art critic of his age. Despite his high standing among historians of literature and art, his work is currently little read and mostly out of print...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionCritic
Date of Birth10 April 1778
defined english-critic inward outward
Gracefulness has been defined to be the outward expression of the inward harmony of the soul.
evils great resent
To great evils we submit; we resent little provocations
affect faith folly laugh ourselves truth whether willing
We affect to laugh at the folly of those who put faith in nostrums, but are willing to try ourselves whether there is any truth in them.
art bright common compose conveyed fine gentle lesson letting lives mind neglect note rest side slip smiles sunny time turning watch
What a fine lesson is conveyed to the mind -- to take no note of time but by its benefits, to watch only for the smiles and neglect the frowns of fate, to compose our lives of bright and gentle moments, turning always to the sunny side of things, and letting the rest slip for our imaginations, unheeded or forgotten! How different from the common art of self-tormenting!
adopt grow hear others reconcile sell tired willing
We grow tired of ourselves, much more of other people. Use may in part reconcile us to our own tediousness, but we do not adopt that of others on the same paternal principle. We may be willing to sell a story twice, never to hear one more than once.
afraid animal greatest ungrateful
There is no more mean, stupid, dastardly, pitiful, selfish, spiteful, envious, ungrateful animal than the Public. It is the greatest of cowards, for it is afraid of itself.
forever last words
Words are the only things that last forever
actual alone ignorance monsters
Ignorance alone makes monsters or bug-bears; our actual acquaintances are all very common-place people.
generally sayings
His sayings are generally like women's letters; all the pith is in the postscript
worst
His worst is better than any other person's best.
almost edition human human-nature works
His works (taken together) are almost like a new edition of human nature.
alter flesh fortune itself mend opportunity original remains shall true
We may, with instruction and opportunity mend our manners, or else alter for the worse, -- as the flesh and fortune shall serve; but the character, the internal, original bias, remains always the same, true to itself to the very last.
hear twice willing
We may be willing to tell a story twice but we are never willing to hear it more than once
hypocrisy hypocrite practice wishes
He is a hypocrite who professes what he does not believe; not he who does not practice all he wishes or approves