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
friend
It is well that there is no one without a fault; for he would not have a friend in the world
carriage existence graceful heard indebted nose scarcely whose
A person may be indebted for a nose or an eye, for a graceful carriage or a voluble discourse, to a great-aunt or uncle, whose existence he has scarcely heard of.
body imagination life outset
At the outset of life . . . our imagination has a body to it.
clock constantly man mind requires running wound
The mind of man is like a clock that is always running down, and requires constantly to be wound up
ability depends judge life men ourselves success
The world judge of men by their ability in their professions, and we judge of ourselves by the same test; for it is on that on which our success in life depends
fields nature
The fields his study, nature was his book.
admit concern himself knows last man neither nor proud truly
The truly proud man knows neither superiors nor inferiors. The first he does not admit of; the last he does not concern himself about.
converts good man proud satisfied seek truly
The truly proud man is satisfied with his own good opinion, and does not seek to make converts to it.
inn striking
The incognito of an inn is one of its striking privileges.
advantage best blockhead grave lively
A grave blockhead should always go about with a lively one -- they show one another off to the best advantage.
amsterdam answer venice
Amsterdam did not answer our expectations; it is a kind of paltry, rubbishy Venice
life poetry worth
All that is worth remembering of life is the poetry of it
contented estimated generality instead mankind possess
The generality of mankind are contented to be estimated by what they possess instead of what they are.
creature gentleman great known moment opinion public shake title
It is great to shake off the trammels of the world and of public opinion . . . and become the creature of the moment . . . known by no other title than The Gentleman in the Parlour!