Charles Caleb Colton Quotes - Page 18

• It is a mistake, that a lust for power is the mark of a great mind; for even the weakest have been captivated by it; and for minds of the highest order, it has no charms.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Mistake, Power, Order

  Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.88

  16 Copy quote

• It is a common observation that any fool can get money; but they are not wise that think so.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Wise, Money, Thinking

  Charles Caleb Colton (1836). “Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.422

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• From its very inaction, idleness ultimately becomes the most active cause of evil; as a palsy is more to be dreaded than a fever. The Turks have a proverb which says that the devil tempts all other men, but that idle men tempt the devil.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Men, Evil, Temptation

  Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.47

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• Great minds had rather deserve contemporaneous applause without obtaining it, than obtain without deserving it. If it follow them it is well, but they will not deviate to follow it.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Greatness, Deserving It, Mind

  Charles Caleb Colton (1832). “Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.15

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• Gold is worshipped in all climates, without a single temple, and by all classes, without a single hypocrite.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Hypocrite, Class, Gold

  Charles Caleb Colton (1849). “Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words: Address--to Those who Think”, p.124

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• We ought not to be over-anxious to encourage innovation in cases of doubtful improvement, for an old system must ever have two advantages over a new one; it is established, and it is understood.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Inspirational, Two, Innovation

  Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.218

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• In great cities men are more callous both to the happiness and the misery of others, than in the country; for they are constantly in the habit of seeing both extremes.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Country, Sadness, Men

  Charles Caleb Colton (1836). “Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.356

  4 Copy quote

• Of all the faculties of the mind, memory is the first that flourishes, and the first that dies.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Memories, Mind, Firsts

  Charles Caleb Colton (1832). “Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”

  4 Copy quote

• This world cannot explain its own difficulties without the assistance of another.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Heaven, World, Difficulty

  Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.228

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• Success seems to be that which forms the distinction between confidence and conceit.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Success, Achievement, Form

  Charles Caleb Colton (1832). “Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.51

  6 Copy quote

• Never join with your friend when he abuses his horse or his wife, unless the one is about to be sold, the other to be buried.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Horse, Funny Friend, Wife

  Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.171

  4 Copy quote

• Those graces which from their presumed facility encourage all to attempt an imitation of them, are usually the most inimitable.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Grace, Imitation, Facility

  Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.261

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• There can be no Christianity where there is no charity

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Charity, Christianity

  Charles Caleb Colton (1832). “Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”

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• Where we cannot invent, we may at least improve.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  May, Improvement, Invention

  Charles Caleb Colton (1836). “Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.14

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• In all countries where nature does the most, man does the least.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Country, Men, Climate

  Philip Dormer Stanhope (4th earl of Chesterfield.), Charles Caleb Colton (1861). “Lord Chesterfield's advice to his son on men and manners. To which are added, selections from Colton's 'Lacon'.”, p.180

  4 Copy quote

• Injuries accompanied with insults are never forgiven: all men, on these occasions, are good haters, and lay out their revenge at compound interest.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Revenge, Men, Insult

  Charles Caleb Colton (1836). “Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.215

  9 Copy quote

• Wealth is a relative thing since those who have little and want less are richer than those who have much but want more.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Want, Littles, Wealth

  4 Copy quote

• My lowest days as a Christian have been more fulfilling and rewarding than all the days of glory in the White House.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Christian, White, House

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• Mystery magnifies danger, as a fog the sun, the hand that warned Belshazzar derived its horrifying effect from the want of a body.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  War, Fog, Hands

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• Were we as eloquent as angels we still would please people much more by listening rather than talking.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Angel, Talking, People

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• There are three difficulties in authorship;-to write any thing worth the publishing-to find honest men to publish it -and to get sensible men to read it. Literature has now become a game; in which the Booksellers are the Kings; The Critics the Knaves; the Public, the Pack; and the poor Author, the mere table, or the Thing played upon.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Kings, Writing, Men

  7 Copy quote

• Expect not praise without envy until you are dead.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Humor, Envy, Praise

  Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.128

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• It is an easy and vulgar thing to please the mob, and not a very arduous task to astonish them; but essentially to benefit and to improve them is a work fraught with difficulty, and teeming with danger.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Benefits, Tasks, Easy

  Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.195

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• Criticism discloses that which it would fain conceal, but conceals that which it professes to disclose; it is therefore, read by the discerning, not to discover the merits of an author, but the motives of his critic.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Criticism, Merit, Motive

  Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.230

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• Revenge is a much more punctual paymaster than gratitude

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Gratitude, Revenge, Punctual

  Charles Caleb Colton (1832). “Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”

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