Joseph Addison Quotes - Page 6

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When all thy mercies, O my God, My rising soul surveys, Transported with the view I'm lost, in wonder, love and praise.

Joseph Addison

Mercy Of God, Wonder Love, Views

Joseph Addison (1868). “The Works of Joseph Addison: Including the Whole Contents of Bp. Hurd's Edition, with Letters and Other Pieces Not Found in Any Previous Collection; and Macaulay's Essay on His Life and Works”, p.200

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Animals, in their generation, are wiser than the sons of men; but their wisdom is confined to a few particulars, and lies in a very narrow compass.

Joseph Addison

Wisdom, Lying, Son

Joseph Addison, Richard Steele (1853). “The Spectator”, p.383

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To be exempt from the passions with which others are tormented, is the only pleasing solitude.

Joseph Addison

Single, Passion, Pleasing Others

Joseph Addison, Sir Richard Steele (1853). “The Spectator”, p.100

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The lives of great men cannot be writ with any tolerable degree of elegance or exactness within a short time after their decease.

Joseph Addison

Men, Degrees, Elegance

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Those who were skillful in Anatomy among the Ancients, concluded from the outward and inward Make of an Human Body, that it was the Work of a Being transcendently Wise and Powerful. As the World grew more enlightened in this Art, their Discoveries gave them fresh Opportunities of admiring the Conduct of Providence in the Formation of an Human Body.

Joseph Addison

God, Wise, Art

Joseph Addison, Sir Richard Steele (1832). “The British Essayists: Containing the Spectator, with Notes and General Index, and the Tatler and Guardian, with Notes and General Index”

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Most of the trades, professions, and ways of living among mankind, take their original either from the love of the pleasure, or the fear of want. The former, when it becomes too violent, degenerates into luxury, and the latter into avarice.

Joseph Addison

Work, Luxury, Way

Joseph Addison, Sir Richard Steele (1852). “The Spectator”, p.65

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When love's well-timed 'tis not a fault to love;
The strong, the brave, the virtuous, and the wise,
Sink in the soft captivity together.

Joseph Addison

Life, Wise, Strong

Joseph Addison (1860). “The works of Joseph Addison: including the whole contents of Bp. Hurd's edition, with letters and other pieces not found in any previous collection; and Macaulay's essay on his life and works”, p.427

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When I read the epitaphs of the beautiful, every inordinate desire goes out; when I meet with the grief of parents upon a tombstone, my heart melts with compassion; when I see the tomb of the parents themselves, I consider the vanity of grieving for those whom we must quickly follow: when I see kings lying by those who deposed them, when I consider rival wits placed side by side, or the holy men that divided the world with their contests and disputes, I reflect with sorrow and astonishment on the little competitions, factions, and debates of mankind.

Joseph Addison

Beautiful, Kings, Tombstone

Joseph Addison, Sir Richard Steele (1853). “The Spectator: With a Biographical and Critical Preface, and Explanatory Notes ...”, p.83

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To this end, nothing is to be more carefully consulted than plainness. In a lady's attire this is the single excellence; for to be what some people call fine, is the same vice, in that case, as to be florid is in writing or speaking.

Joseph Addison

Writing, People, Excellence

Sir Richard Steele, Joseph Addison (1829). “The Tatler and the Guardian: Complete in One Volume, with Notes, and a General Index”, p.388

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Is there not some chosen curse, some hidden thunder in the stores of heaven, red with uncommon wrath, to blast the man who owes his greatness to his country's ruin!

Joseph Addison

Country, Integrity, Patriotic

Joseph Addison (1721). “The preface. Poems on several occasions. Rosamond. An opera. Notes on some of the foregoing stories in Ovid's Metamorphoses. An essay of Virgil's Georgics. Cato. A tragedy. Poemata. Dialogues upon the usefulness of ancient medals, especially in relation to the Latin and Greek poets. Three setts of medals illustrated by the ancient poets, in the foregoing dialogues”, p.278

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A man who has any relish for fine writing either discovers new beauties or receives stronger impressions from the masterly strokes of a great author every time he peruses him; besides that he naturally wears himself into the same manner of speaking and thinking.

Joseph Addison

Reading, Writing, Men

Joseph Addison, Sir Richard Steele (1832). “The British Essayists: Containing the Spectator, with Notes and General Index, and the Tatler and Guardian, with Notes and General Index”

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Education is a companion which no misfortune can depress, no crime can destroy, no enemy can alienate, no despotism can enslave. At home, a friend, abroad, an introduction, in solitude a solace and in society an ornament. It chastens vice, it guides virtue, it gives at once grace and government to genius. Without it, what is man? A splendid slave, a reasoning savage.

Joseph Addison

Graduation, Education, Depressing

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One would think that the larger the company is in which we are engaged, the greater variety of thoughts and subjects would be started into discourse; but, instead of this we find that conversation is never so much straightened and confined, as in numerous assemblies.

Joseph Addison

Thinking, Would Be, Assembly

Joseph Addison (2017). “Delphi Complete Works of Joseph Addison (Illustrated)”, p.2472, Delphi Classics

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Were not this desire of fame very strong, the difficulty of obtaining it, and the danger of losing it when obtained, would be sufficient to deter a man from so vain a pursuit.

Joseph Addison

Strong, Men, Desire

Joseph Addison, Sir Richard Steel (1858). “The Spectator”, p.317

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Rides in the whirlwind and directs the storm.

Joseph Addison

Editing, Editors, Storm

'The Campaign' (1705) l. 291

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It happened very providentially, to the honor of the Christian religion, that it did not take its rise in the dark illiterate ages of the world, but at a time when arts and sciences were at their height.

Joseph Addison

Christian, Art, Dark

Joseph Addison (1812). “The evidences of the Christian religion: with additional discourses on the following subjects, viz: Of God, and his attributes. The power and wisdom of God in the creation. The providence of God. The worship of God. Advantages of revelation above natural reason. Excellency of the Christian institution. Dignity of the Scripture language. Against atheism and infidelity. Against the modern free-thinkers. Immortality of the soul, and a future state. Death and judgment”, p.46

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This not in mortals to command success, but we'll do more, Sempronius, we'll deserve it.

Joseph Addison

Success, Merit, Command

'Cato' (1713) act 1, sc. 2, l. 43

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Men who cherish for women the highest respect are seldom popular with them.

Joseph Addison

Respect, Men, Cherish

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We find that Good and Evil happen alike to all Men on this Side of the Grave; and as the principle Design of Tragedy is to raise Commiseration and Terror in the Minds of the Audience, we shall defeat this great End, if we always make Virtue and Innocence happy and successful.

Joseph Addison

Successful, Men, Evil

Joseph Addison (2017). “Delphi Complete Works of Joseph Addison (Illustrated)”, p.5878, Delphi Classics

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Nothing that isn't a real crime makes a man appear so contemptible and little in the eyes of the world as inconsistency.

Joseph Addison

Real, Eye, Men

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It is easier for an artful Man, who is not in Love, to persuade his Mistress he has a Passion for her, and to succeed in his Pursuits, than for one who loves with the greatest Violence. True Love hath ten thousand Griefs, Impatiencies and Resentments, that render a Man unamiable in the Eyes of the Person whose Affection he sollicits.

Joseph Addison

Love, Grief, Passion

Joseph Addison (1712). “The Spectator”, p.53

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Man is subject to innumerable pains and sorrows by the very condition of humanity, and yet, as if nature had not sown evils enough in life, we are continually adding grief to grief and aggravating the common calamity by our cruel treatment of one another.

Joseph Addison

Honesty, Pain, Integrity

Joseph Addison (1837). “The Spectator, no. 1-314”, p.251

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The English Writers of Tragedy are possessed with a Notion, that when they represent a virtuous or innocent Person in Distress, they ought not to leave him till they have delivered him out of his Troubles, or made him triumph over his Enemies.

Joseph Addison

Innocent Person, Enemy, Criticism

Joseph Addison, Sir Richard Steel (1858). “The Spectator”, p.80

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The unassuming youth seeking instruction with humility gains good fortune.

Joseph Addison

Humble, Humility, Literature

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E'en the rough rocks with tender myrtle bloom, and trodden weeds send out a rich perfume.

Joseph Addison

Weed, Rocks, Myrtle

Joseph Addison (1795). “Interesting Anecdotes, Memoirs, Allegories, Essays, and Poetical Fragments; Tending to Amuse the Fancy, and Inculcate Morality”, p.179

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Born: May 1, 1672
Died: June 17, 1719
Occupation: Essayist
Cite this Page: Citation

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