Jonathan Swift Quotes - Page 4

Quotes about:

No wise man ever wished to be younger.

Jonathan Swift

Birthday, Wise, Time

Thoughts on Various Subjects, Moral and Diverting

23 Copy quote
One enemy can do more hurt than ten friends can do good.

Jonathan Swift

Hurt, Military, Enemy

Jonathan Swift, John Hawkesworth, Deane Swift (1768). “Letters Written By The Late Jonathan Swift, D. D. Dean of St. Patrick's, Dublin; And Several Of His Friends: From The Year 1703 To 1740”, p.174

14 Copy quote
I wonder what fool it was that first invented kissing.

Jonathan Swift

Funny, Inspiration, Being In Love

1738 Polite Conversation, dialogue 2.

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Promises and pie-crust are made to be broken.

Jonathan Swift

Broken Heart, Food, Pie

1738 Polite Conversation.

97 Copy quote
I have ever hated all nations, professions, and communities, and all my love is toward individuals.

Jonathan Swift

Love Is, Community, Individual

Letter to Alexander Pope, 29 Sept. 1725

5 Copy quote
You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

Jonathan Swift

Ears, Purses, Turnips

Jonathan Swift (1856). “The Works of Jonathan Swift ...: Containing Interesting and Valuable Papers, Not Hitherto Published ... With Memoir of the Author”, p.349

7 Copy quote
Coffee makes us severe, and grave and philosophical.

Jonathan Swift

Coffee, Philosophical, Espresso

Jonathan Swift, Thomas Roscoe (1843). “The Works of Jonathan Swift ...: Containing Interesting and Valuable Papers, Not Hitherto Published ... With Memoir of the Author”, p.55

50 Copy quote
They say fingers were made before forks, and hands before knives.

Jonathan Swift

Hands, Knives, Eating

Jonathan Swift (1857). “The works of Dean Swift: comprising A tale of a tub, The battle of the books, with thoughts and essays on various subjects, together with The Dean's advice to a young lady on her marriage”, p.373

14 Copy quote
Pride, ill nature, and want of sense, are the three great sources of ill manners.

Jonathan Swift

Pride, Three, Want

Jonathan Swift (1861). “The Works of Jonathan Swift ...: With Cop'ous Notes and Additions”, p.621

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The common fluency of speech in many men, and most women, is owing to a scarcity of matter and a scarcity of words; for whosoever is a master of language, and hath a mind full of ideas, will be apt, in speaking, to hesitate upon the choice of both.

Jonathan Swift

Men, Talking, Ideas

12 Copy quote
Tis nothing when you are used to it.

Jonathan Swift

Used

Jonathan Swift (1861). “The Works of Jonathan Swift ...: With Copious Notes and Additions, and a Memoir of the Author”, p.89

4 Copy quote
Physicians ought not to give their judgment of religion, for the same reason that butchers are not admitted to be jurors upon life and death.

Jonathan Swift

Life And Death, Giving, Physicians

Thoughts on Various Subjects, Moral and Diverting

4 Copy quote
In church your grandsire cut his throat; to do the job too long he tarried: he should have had my hearty vote to cut his throat before he married.

Jonathan Swift

Jobs, Cutting, Should Have

'Verses on the Upright Judge'

7 Copy quote
As love without esteem is capricious and volatile; esteem without love is languid and cold.

Jonathan Swift

Love, Cold, Capricious

15 Copy quote
The sight of you is good for sore eyes.

Jonathan Swift

Eye, Sight, Sore Eyes

Polite Conversation "First Conversation" (1738)

76 Copy quote
Fine words! I wonder where you stole them.

Jonathan Swift

Sarcastic, Fine Words, Wonder

'Whitshed's Motto on his Coach' (1724) (Libertas... Freedom and the land of my birth)

12 Copy quote
Punning is an art of harmonious jingling upon words, which, passing in at the ears, excites a titillary motion in those parts; and this, being conveyed by the animal spirits into the muscles of the face, raises the cockles of the heart.

Jonathan Swift

Art, Animal, Ears

Jonathan Swift (1803). “The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift ...”, p.125

7 Copy quote
An idle reason lessens the weight of the good ones you gave before.

Jonathan Swift

Weight, Reason, Idle

Jonathan Swift (1735). “The Works of J.S., D.D., D.S.P.D.”, p.303

8 Copy quote
It is remarkable with what Christian fortitude and resignation we can bear the suffering of other folks.

Jonathan Swift

Christian, Suffering Of Others, Bears

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Conversation is but carving! Give no more to every guest Than he's able to digest.

Jonathan Swift

Giving, Guests, Able

Jonathan Swift (1860). “The Works of Jonathan Swift ...: With Copious Notes and Additions, and a Memoir of the Author”, p.332

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Patience alleviates, as impatience augments, pain; thus persons of strong will suffer less than those who give way to irritation.

Jonathan Swift

Strong, Pain, Irritation

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Small causes are sufficient to make a man uneasy, when great ones are not in the way: for want of a block he will stumble at a straw.

Jonathan Swift

Block, Men, Want

Jonathan Swift, Thomas Roscoe (1859). “The works of Jonathan Swift, D.D.: with copious notes and additions and a memoir of the author”, p.614

31 Copy quote
My nose itched, and I knew I should drink wine or kiss a fool.

Jonathan Swift

Wine, Kissing, Noses

Jonathan Swift (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Jonathan Swift (Illustrated)”, p.766, Delphi Classics

14 Copy quote
Although men are accused of not knowing their own weakness, yet perhaps few know their own strength. It is in men as in soils, where sometimes there is a vein of gold which the owner knows not of.

Jonathan Swift

Strength, Men, Knowing

Jonathan Swift (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Jonathan Swift (Illustrated)”, p.896, Delphi Classics

15 Copy quote
Poor nations are hungry, and rich nations are proud; and pride and hunger will ever be at variance.

Jonathan Swift

Pride, Gulliver, Poor Nations

Jonathan Swift (1826). “Gulliver's Travels”

10 Copy quote

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Born: November 30, 1667
Died: October 19, 1745
Occupation: Pamphleteer
Cite this Page: Citation

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