George Bancroft Quotes

• Where the people possess no authority, their rights obtain no respect.

  George Bancroft

  Patriotic, Rights, People

  12 Copy quote

• I find the name of Jesus Christ written on the top of every page of modern history.

  George Bancroft

  Jesus, Names, Pages

  6 Copy quote

• In nine times out of ten, the slanderous tongue belongs to a disappointed person.

  George Bancroft

  Nine, Tongue, Slander

  7 Copy quote

• The measure of progress of civilization is the progress of the people.

  George Bancroft

  Civilization, People, Progress

  10 Copy quote

• Beauty is but the sensible image of the infinite. Like truth and justice, it lives within us; like virtue and the moral law, it is a companion of the soul.

  George Bancroft

  Life, Law, Justice

  11 Copy quote

• The exact measure of the progress of civilization is the degree in which the intelligence of the common mind has prevailed over wealth and brute force.

  George Bancroft

  Government, Civilization, Mind

  "Literary and Historical Miscellanies". "The Office of the People in Art, Government and Religion", pp. 426-427. Book by George Bancroft, 1855.

  7 Copy quote

• The prejudices of ignorance are more easily removed than the prejudices of interest; the first are blindly adopted; the second wilfully preferred.

  George Bancroft

  Wise, Wisdom, Ignorance

  "Literary and Historical Miscellanies" by George Bancroft, New York: Harper, (p. 430), 1855.

  18 Copy quote

• The best government rests on the people, and not on the few, on persons and not on property, on the free development of public opinion and not on authority.

  George Bancroft

  Patriotic, Government, People

  George Bancroft (1855). “Literary and historical miscellanies”, p.421

  7 Copy quote

• It [Calvinism] established a religion without a prelate, a government without a king.

  George Bancroft

  Kings, Government, Calvinism

  'History of the United States' (1855 ed.) vol. 3, ch. 6

  13 Copy quote

• The fears of one class of men are not the measure of the rights of another.

  George Bancroft

  Men, Rights, Government

  George Bancroft (1851). “History of the United states”, p.340

  4 Copy quote

• Sedition is bred in the lap of luxury and its chosen emissaries are the beggared spendthrift and the impoverished libertine.

  George Bancroft

  Luxury, Lap, Libertine

  George Bancroft (1855). “Literary and historical miscellanies”, p.424

  13 Copy quote

• Truth is not exciting enough to those who depend on the characters and lives of their neighbors for all their amusement; and if a story is told of more than common interest, ennui is sure to have its joy in adding embellishments. If hours did not hang heavy, what would become of scandal?

  George Bancroft

  Character, Joy, Stories

  George Bancroft (1855). “Literary and historical miscellanies”, p.64

  12 Copy quote

• Not in vain has Lincoln lived, for he has helped to make this republic an example of justice, with no caste but the caste of humanity.

  George Bancroft

  Justice, Humanity, Example

  George Bancroft (1866). “Memorial Address on the Life and Character of Abraham Lincoln: Delivered, at the Request of Both Houses of the Congress of America, Before Them, in the House of Representatives at Washington, on the 12th of February, 1866”, p.42

  8 Copy quote

• By common consent, gray hairs are a crown of glory: the only object of respect that can never excite envy.

  George Bancroft

  Respect, Hair, Envy

  George Bancroft (1855). “Literary and historical miscellanies”, p.75

  13 Copy quote

• If hours did not hang heavy, what would become of scandal?

  George Bancroft

  Scandal, Hours, Heavy

  George Bancroft (1855). “Literary and historical miscellanies”, p.64

  11 Copy quote

• Avarice is the vice of declining years.

  George Bancroft

  Years, Greed, Vices

  George Bancroft (1845). “History of the United States: From the Discovery of the American Continent, to the End of the Late War”, p.130

  9 Copy quote

• Conscience is the mirror of our souls, which represents the errors of our lives in their full shape.

  George Bancroft

  Life, Errors, Mirrors

  4 Copy quote

• The public is wiser than the wisest critic.

  George Bancroft

  Public Speaking, Critics, Wiser

  George Bancroft (1855). “Literary and historical miscellanies”, p.417

  6 Copy quote

• Ennui is the desire of activity without the fit means of gratifying the desire.

  George Bancroft

  Mean, Desire, Fit

  George Bancroft (1855). “Literary and historical miscellanies”, p.48

  5 Copy quote

• Institutions may crumble and governments fall, but it is only that they may renew a better youth, and mount upwards like the eagle.

  George Bancroft

  Fall, Government, Eagles

  George Bancroft (1855). “History of the United States, from the discovery of the amarican continent”, p.8

  4 Copy quote

• The friendship between me and you I will not compare to a chain; for that the rains might rust, or the falling tree might break.

  George Bancroft

  Real, Rain, Fall

  George Bancroft (1841). “History of the Colonization of the United States”, p.49

  4 Copy quote

• Libraries collect the works of genius of every language and every age.

  George Bancroft

  Age, Library, Genius

  George Bancroft “History of the United States, from the discovery of the amarican continent”

  4 Copy quote

• In 1688 England contracted to the Netherlands the highest debt that one nation can owe to another. Herself not knowing how to recover her liberties, they were restored by men of the United Provinces.

  George Bancroft

  Men, Knowing, History

  George Bancroft (1875). “History of the United States: From the Discovery of the American Continent”, p.59

  11 Copy quote

• Style is the gossamer on which the seeds of truth float through the world.

  George Bancroft

  Style, World, Seeds

  George Bancroft (1837). “A history of the United States”, p.348

  4 Copy quote

• The charities of life are scattered everywhere, enameling the vales of human beings as the flowers paint the meadows. They are not the fruit of study, nor the privilege of refinement, but a natural instinct.

  George Bancroft

  Life, Flower, Natural Instinct

  4 Copy quote

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