Oliver Goldsmith Quotes - Page 14

Quotes about:

• The folly of others is ever most ridiculous to those who are themselves most foolish.

  Oliver Goldsmith

  Ridiculous, Foolish, Folly

  Oliver Goldsmith, David Masson (1869). “The Miscellaneous Works of Oliver Goldsmith”, p.156

  4 Copy quote

• All that philosophy can teach is to be stubborn or sullen under misfortunes.

  Oliver Goldsmith

  Philosophy, Stubborn, Sullen

  Oliver Goldsmith (1835). “The Works of Oliver Goldsmith, M.B.: With a Life and Notes”, p.83

  6 Copy quote

• The world is like a vast sea: mankind like a vessel sailing on its tempestuous bosom. ... [T]he sciences serve us for oars.

  Oliver Goldsmith

  Science, Sea, Sailing

  Oliver Goldsmith (1824). “Letters from a Citizen of the World to His Friends in the East ...”, p.120

  8 Copy quote

• Novels teach the youthful mind to sigh after happiness that never existed.

  Oliver Goldsmith

  Mind, Teach, Novel

  4 Copy quote

• The polite of every country seem to have but one character. A gentleman of Sweden differs but little, except in trifles, from one of any other country. It is among the vulgar we are to find those distinctions which characterize a people.

  Oliver Goldsmith

  Country, Character, People

  Oliver Goldsmith (1834). “An inquiry into the present state of polite learning. The Bee. History of Cyrillo Padovano. Life of Dr. Parnell. Life of Lord Bolingbroke. Prefaces and introductions”, p.77

  10 Copy quote

• Near yonder thorn, that lifts its head on high,
  Where once the sign-post caught the passing eye,
  Low lies that house where nut-brown draughts inspired,
  Where graybeard mirth and smiling toil retired,
  Where village statesmen talk'd with looks profound,
  And news much older than their ale went round.

  Oliver Goldsmith

  Lying, Eye, Nuts

  Oliver Goldsmith (1834). “The Miscellaneous Works of Oliver Goldsmith, M.B.: With a Biographical Memoir of the Author, Written Expressly for this Edition”, p.100

  4 Copy quote

• There are but few talents requisite to become a popular preacher; for the people are easily pleased if they perceive any endeavors in the orator to please them. The meanest qualifications will work this effect if the preacher sincerely sets about it.

  Oliver Goldsmith

  People, Talent, Endeavor

  Oliver Goldsmith, Thomas Percy, Thomas Campbell (1812). “The Miscellaneous Works of Oliver Goldsmith, M.B.”, p.326

  7 Copy quote

• Nothing is so contemptible as that affectation of wisdom, which some display, by universal incredulity.

  Oliver Goldsmith

  Universal, Incredulity, Display

  Oliver Goldsmith (1859). “A History of the Earth and Animated Nature: Illus. with 85 Copperplates”, p.270

  4 Copy quote

• Blest be that spot, where cheerful guests retire
  To pause from toil, and trim their evening fire;
  Blest that abode, where want and pain repair,
  And every stranger finds a ready chair
  Blest be those feasts with simple plenty crown'd,
  Where all the ruddy family around
  Laugh at the jest or pranks, that never fail,
  Or sigh with pity at some mournful tale,
  Or press the bashful stranger to his food,
  And learn the luxury of doing good.

  Oliver Goldsmith

  Pain, Simple, Fire

  Oliver Goldsmith (1833). “Miscellaneous Works of Oliver Goldsmith: With a New Life of the Author”, p.81

  10 Copy quote

• We may affirm of Mr. Buffon, that which has been said of the chemists of old; though he may have failed in attaining his principal aim, of establishing a theory, yet he has brought together such a multitude of facts relative to the history of the earth, and the nature of its fossil productions, that curiosity finds ample compensation, even while it feels the want of conviction.

  Oliver Goldsmith

  Nature, Science, Curiosity

  Oliver Goldsmith (1847). “A history of the earth and animated nature, with an intr. view of the animal kingdom tr. from the Fr. of baron Cuvier, notes [and] a life of the author by W. Irving”, p.73

  52 Copy quote

• Religion does what philosophy could never do; it shows the equal dealings of Heaven to the happy and the unhappy, and levels all human enjoyments to nearly the same standard. It gives to both rich and poor the same happiness hereafter, and equal hopes to aspire after it.

  Oliver Goldsmith

  Philosophy, Giving, Heaven

  Oliver Goldsmith (1871). “The works of Oliver Goldsmith: Vicar of Wakefield, select poems and comedies, with intr., notes and a life by J.F. Waller”, p.159

  7 Copy quote

• Why was this heart of mine formed with so much sensibility! Or why not my fortune adapted to its impulses! Tenderness without a capacity of relieving only makes the man who feels it more wretched than the object which sues for assistance.

  Oliver Goldsmith

  Heart, Men, Compassion

  Oliver Goldsmith (1834). “The miscellaneous works of Oliver Goldsmith, M.B.: with a biographical memoir of the author, written expressly for this edition”, p.325

  4 Copy quote

• Surely the best way to meet the enemy is head on in the field and not wait till they plunder our very homes.

  Oliver Goldsmith

  Sports, Home, Waiting

  7 Copy quote

• Both wit and understanding are trifles without integrity.

  Oliver Goldsmith

  Integrity, Understanding, Ethics

  Oliver Goldsmith (1803). “The Beauties of Goldsmith, Or, The Complete Treasury of Genius: To which is Prefixed the Life of the Author”, p.106

  7 Copy quote

• Crime generally punishes itself.

  Oliver Goldsmith

  Crime

  7 Copy quote

• And his best riches, ignorance of wealth.

  Oliver Goldsmith

  Ignorance, Riches, Wealth

  'The Deserted Village' (1770) l. 51

  7 Copy quote

• All the sciences are, in some measure, linked with each other, and before the one is ended, the other begins.

  Oliver Goldsmith

  Science, Accounts, Linked

  Oliver Goldsmith (1824). “A History of the Earth, and Animated Nature”, p.4

  4 Copy quote

• Want of prudence is too frequently the want of virtue.

  Oliver Goldsmith

  Want, Virtue, Prudence

  Oliver Goldsmith (1801). “The Beauties of Goldsmith”, p.158

  4 Copy quote

• Wit generally succeeds more from being happily addressed than from its native poignancy. A jest, calculated to spread at a gaming-table, may be received with, perfect indifference should it happen to drop in a mackerel-boat.

  Oliver Goldsmith

  Perfect, May, Tables

  Oliver Goldsmith (1841). “Essays”, p.3

  7 Copy quote

• There is probably no country so barbarous that would not disclose all it knew, if it received equivalent information; and I am apt to think that a person who was ready to give more knowledge than he received would be welcome wherever he came.

  Oliver Goldsmith

  Country, Travel, Thinking

  Oliver Goldsmith (1824). “Essays, poems and plays”, p.86

  4 Copy quote

• As few subjects are more interesting to society, so few have been more frequently written upon than the education of youth.

  Oliver Goldsmith

  Education, Science, Interesting

  Oliver Goldsmith (1844). “Poems, Plays and Essays”, p.279

  4 Copy quote

Page 14 of 14

First

← Prev

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

Next →

• facebook
• twitter
• googleplus
• email
• linkedin