Charles Caleb Colton Quotes - Page 28

• Philosophers have widely differed as to the seat of the soul, and St. Paul has told us that out of the heart proceed murmurings; but there can be no doubt that the seat of perfect contentment is in the head, for every individual is thoroughly satisfied with his own proportion of brains.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Heart, Perfect, Soul

  Charles Caleb Colton (1823). “Remarks on the Talents of Lord Byron and the Tendencies of Don Juan”, p.91

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• Perhaps that is nearly the perfection of good writing which is original, but whose truth alone prevents the reader from suspecting that it is so; and which effects that for knowledge which the lens effects for the sunbeam, when it condenses its brightness in order to increase its force.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Writing, Order, Perfection

  Charles Caleb Colton (1836). “Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.9

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• Some authors write nonsense in a clear style, and others sense in an obscure one; some can reason without being able to persuade, others can persuade without being able to reason; some dive so deep that they descend into darkness, and others soar so high that they give us no light; and some, in a vain attempt to be cutting and dry, give us only that which is cut and dried. We should labor, therefore, to treat with ease of things that are difficult; with familiarity, of things that are novel; and with perspicuity, of things that are profound.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Writing, Cutting, Light

  Charles Caleb Colton (1836). “Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.307

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• Wit in women is a jewel, which, unlike all others, borrows lustre from its setting, rather than bestows it; since nothing is so easy as to fancy a very beautiful woman extremely witty.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Beautiful, Witty, Jewels

  Charles Caleb Colton (1836). “Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.86

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• Power will intoxicate the best hearts, as wine the strongest heads. No man is wise enough, nor good enough to be trusted with unlimited power.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Wise, Heart, Wine

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

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• Friendship, of itself a holy tie, is made more sacred by adversity.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Friendship, Adversity, Ties

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• Marriage is a feast where the grace is sometimes better than the dinner.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Funny, Marriage, Wedding

  Charles Caleb Colton (1836). “Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.311

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• We own almost all our knowledge not to those who have agreed but to those who have differed.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Wisdom, Knowledge, Literature

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

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• He that knows himself, knows others; and he that is ignorant of himself, could not write a very profound lecture on other men's heads.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Writing, Men, Profound

  Charles Caleb Colton (1832). “Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.235

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• Did universal charity prevail, earth would be a heaven, and hell a fable.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Inspiring, Kindness, Inspiration

  Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.90

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• The excess of our youth are checks written against our age and they are payable with interest thirty years later.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Cute, Time, Years

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• To be obliged to beg our daily happiness from others bespeaks a more lamentable poverty than that of him who begs his daily bread.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Happiness, Poverty, Bread

  Charles Caleb Colton (1832). “Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.207

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• Bigotry murders religion to frighten fools with her ghost.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Religious Bigotry, Literature, Fool

  Charles Caleb Colton (1832). “Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.63

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• Mystery is not profoundness.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Wisdom, Intelligence, Literature

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

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• When millions applaud you seriously ask yourself what harm you have done; and when they disapprove you, what good.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Done, Literature, Harm

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• Those who visit foreign nations, but who associate only with their own countrymen, change their climate, but not their customs 'caelum non animum mutant': they see new meridians, but the same men, and with heads as empty as their pockets.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Country, Travel, Home

  "Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think".

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• When we feel a strong desire to thrust our advice upon others, it is usually because we suspect their weakness; but we ought rather to suspect our own.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Strong, Advice, Desire

  Charles Caleb Colton (1823). “Remarks on the Talents of Lord Byron and the Tendencies of Don Juan”

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• If rich, it is easy enough to conceal our wealth; but, if poor, it is not quite so easy to conceal our poverty. We shall find that it is less difficult to hide a thousand guineas, than one hole in our coat.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Coats, Poverty, Wealth

  Charles Caleb Colton (1832). “Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.134

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• Tomorrow! It is a period nowhere to be found in all the registers of time, unless, perchance, in the fool's calendar.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Time, Calendars, Fool

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• Envy, if surrounded on all sides by the brightness of another's prosperity, like the scorpion confined within a circle of fire, will sting itself to death.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Gratitude, Fire, Circles

  Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.151

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• Nothing more completely baffles one who is full of trick and duplicity than straigthforward and simple integrity in another. A knave would rather quarrel with a brother knave than with a fool, but he would rather avoid a quarrel with one honest man than with both. He can combat a fool by management and address, and he can conquer a knave by temptations. But the honest man is neither to be bamboozled nor bribed.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Brother, Integrity, Simple

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• It is an easy and vulgar thing to please the mob, and no very arduous task to astonish them.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Tasks, Advertising, Easy

  Charles Caleb Colton (1832). “Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.210

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• Those that will not permit their wealth to do any good for others. . . cut themselves off from the truest pleasure here and the highest happiness later.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Cutting, Giving, Wealth

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• Repartee is perfect when it effects its purpose with a double edge. It is the highest order of wit, as it indicates the coolest yet quickest exercise of genius, at a moment when the passions are roused.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Passion, Exercise, Order

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• Secrecy is the soul of all great designs.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Design, Soul, Secrecy

  Charles Caleb Colton (1812). “Hypocrisy: A Satire”, p.167

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