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Samuel Johnson
363 quotes
“By Numbers here from Shame or Censure free, All Crimes are safe, but hated Poverty. This, only this, the rigid Law persues, This, only this, provokes the snarling Muse.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) first seen 1738 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: London: A Poem (1738), lines 158–161
“Of all the Griefs that harrass the Distrest, Sure the most bitter is a scornful Jest”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) first seen 1738 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: London: A Poem (1738), lines 166–167
“This mournful truth is ev'rywhere confessed — Slow rises worth, by poverty depressed.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) first seen 1738 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: London: A Poem (1738), lines 176–177
“Unmoved though Witlings sneer and Rivals rail, Studious to please, yet not ashamed to fail. He scorns the meek address, the suppliant strain. With merit needless, and without it vain. In Reason, Nature, Truth, he dares to trust: Ye Fops, be silent: and ye Wits, be just.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) first seen 1749 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Tragedy of Irene (1749), Prologue
“A thousand horrid Prodigies foretold it. A feeble government, eluded Laws, A factious Populace, luxurious Nobles, And all the maladies of stinking states.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) first seen 1749 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Tragedy of Irene (1749), Act I, Sc. 1
“There Poetry shall tune her sacred voice, And wake from ignorance the Western World.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) first seen 1749 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Tragedy of Irene (1749), Act IV, Sc. 1
“To neglect at any time preparation for death, is to sleep on our post at a siege, but to omit it in old age, is to sleep at an attack.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) first seen 1750 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Rambler, No. 78 (Sat 15 December 1750). See also The Yale Book of Quotations, Samuel Johnson 2 (2006)
“[S]uch is the delight of mental superiority, that none on whom nature or study have conferred it, would purchase the gifts of fortune by its loss.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) first seen 1751 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Rambler, No. 150 (Sat 24 August 1751). See also The Yale Book of Quotations, Samuel Johnson 3 (2006)
“It is always observable that silence propagates itself, and that the longer talk has been suspended, the more difficult it is to find any thing to say.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) first seen 1753 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Adventurer, # 84 (25 August 1753)
“The reciprocal civility of authors is one of the most risible scenes in the farce of life.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) first seen 1756 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Life of Sir Thomas Browne (1756)
“Liberty is, to the lowest rank of every nation, little more than the choice of working or starving.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) first seen 1760 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Bravery of the English Common Soldiers", in The British Magazine (January 1760)
“[T]hey who complain, in peace, of the insolence of the populace, must remember, that their insolence in peace is bravery in war.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) first seen 1760 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Bravery of the English Common Soldiers (1760)
“Nature has given women so much power that the law has very wisely given them little.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) first seen 1763 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Letter from Johnson to John Taylor, 18 August 1763. The Yale Book of Quotations edited by Fred R. Shapiro, p. 400.
“Resolve to spend a certain number of hours every day amongst your books.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) first seen 1763 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Letter to James Boswell (8 Dec 1763)
“I have always suspected that the reading is right, which requires many words to prove it wrong; and the emendation wrong, that cannot without so much labour appear to be right.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) first seen 1765 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Plays of William Shakespeare, Vol. I (1765), Preface
“The only end of writing is to enable the readers better to enjoy life, or better to endure it.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) first seen 1774 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: A Review of Soame Jenyns' A Free Enquiry into the Nature and Origin of Evil, published in the first volume of Miscellaneous and Fugitive Pieces (London, 1774), p. 23
“Whatever withdraws us from the power of our senses; whatever makes the past, the distant, or the future predominate over the present, advances us in the dignity of thinking beings.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) first seen 1775 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland (1775), Inch Kenneth
“That man is little to be envied whose patriotism would not gain force upon the plain of Marathon, or whose piety would not grow warmer among the ruins of Iona.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) first seen 1775 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland (1775), Inch Kenneth
“There will always be a part, and always a very large part of every community, that have no care but for themselves, and whose care for themselves reaches little further than impatience of immediate pain, and eagerness for the nearest good.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) first seen 1775 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Taxation No Tyranny (1775)
“There is no wisdom in useless and hopeless sorrow; but there is something in it so like virtue, that he who is wholly without it cannot be loved.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) first seen 1781 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Letter to Hester Thrale (12 April 1781)
“I am inclined to believe that few attacks either of ridicule or invective make much noise, but by the help of those they provoke.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) first seen 1783 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Letter to Hester Thrale (5 July 1783)
“Every man naturally persuades himself that he can keep his resolutions, nor is he convinced of his imbecility but by length of time and frequency of experiment.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) first seen 1770 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Prayers and Meditations, No. 1770 (1785)
“Here closed in death th' attentive eyes That saw the manners in the face.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) said by 1784 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Epitaph on Hogarth (1786)
“Catch then, O! catch the transient hour, Improve each moment as it flies; Life's a short Summer — man a flower, He dies — alas! how soon he dies!”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) said by 1784 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Winter, An Ode. The works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. (1787), p. 355
“He who praises everybody praises nobody.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) said by 1784 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Johnson's Works (1787), vol. XI, p. 216; This set included the Life of Samuel Johnson by Sir John Hawkins
“Books that you may carry to the fire, and hold readily in your hand, are the most useful after all.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) said by 1784 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: From Sir John Hawkins's Life of Johnson, Apothegms (1787)
“Fly fishing may be a very pleasant amusement; but angling or float fishing I can only compare to a stick and a string, with a worm at one end and a fool at the other.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) said by 1784 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Attributed in Instructions to Young Sportsmen (1824) by Colonel Peter Hawker
“Round numbers are always false.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) said by 1784 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Quoted in the "Apophthegms, Sentiments, Opinions and Occasional Reflections" of Sir John Hawkins (1787-1789) in Johnsonian Miscellanies (1897), vol. II, p. 2, edited by George Birkbeck Hill
“I never desire to converse with a man who has written more than he has read.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) said by 1784 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Quoted in the "Apophthegms, Sentiments, Opinions and Occasional Reflections" of Sir John Hawkins (1787-1789) in Johnsonian Miscellanies (1897), vol. II, p. 6, edited by George Birkbeck Hill
“A man is in general better pleased when he has a good dinner upon his table, than when his wife talks Greek.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) said by 1784 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Quoted in the "Apophthegms, Sentiments, Opinions and Occasional Reflections" of Sir John Hawkins (1787-1789) in Johnsonian Miscellanies (1897), vol. II, p. 11, edited by George Birkbeck Hill
“Abstinence is as easy to me as temperance would be difficult.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) first seen 1782 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Quoted in Anecdotes of Johnson by Hannah More in Johnsonian Miscellanies (1897), vol. II, p. 197, edited by George Birkbeck Hill. More had quoted this remark in a letter to her sister (April 1782)
“Ignorance in other men may be censured as idleness, in an academick it must be abhorred as treachery.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) said by 1784 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On the Character and Duty of an Academick", pub. 1793.
“He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) said by 1784 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Quoted in "Anecdotes of the Revd. Percival Stockdale" (1809) in Johnsonian Miscellanies (1897), vol. II, p. 333, edited by George Birkbeck Hill; also quoted in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson, in th…
“From Thee, great God: we spring, to Thee we tend, Path, motive, guide, original, and end.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) said by 1784 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Reported in Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert, Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895), p. 257
“Let me rejoice in the light which Thou hast imparted; let me serve Thee with active zeal, humbled confidence, and wait with patient expectation for the time in which the soul which Thou receivest shall be satisfied with knowledge.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) said by 1784 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Reported in Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert, Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895), p. 613
“A desire for knowledge is the natural feeling of mankind; and every human being, whose mind is not debauched, will be willing to give all he has to get knowledge.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) said by 1784 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Dr. Johnson's Table Talk (London: 1807), p. 64
“It is more from carelessness about truth than from intentional lying, that there is so much falsehood in the world.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) first seen 1778 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: (31 March 1778) p. 372
“The richest author that ever grazed the common of literature.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) said by 1784 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Of John Campbell, as quoted by Joseph Wharton; reported in "John Campbell", Encyclopedia Britannica (1911)
“There can be no friendship without confidence, and no confidence without integrity.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) said by 1784 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The fountain of content must spring up in the mind, and he who hath so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing anything but his own disposition, will waste his life in fruitless efforts and multiply the grief he proposes to remove.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) said by 1784 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When learning's triumph o'er her barb'rous foes First reared the stage, immortal Shakespeare rose; Each change of many-colored life he drew, Exhausted worlds, and then imagined new: Existence saw him spurn her bounded reign, And panting Time toiled after him in vain.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) said by 1784 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Cold approbation gave the ling'ring bays, For those who durst not censure, scarce could praise.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) said by 1784 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Declamation roared, while Passion slept.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) said by 1784 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Ah! let not Censure term our fate our choice, The stage but echoes back the public's voice; The drama's laws the drama's patrons give, For we that live to please must please to live.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) said by 1784 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Let observation with extensive view Survey mankind, from China to Peru.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) said by 1784 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“But, scarce observ'd, the knowing and the bold Fall in the gen'ral massacre of gold.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) said by 1784 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Deign on the passing world to turn thine eyes, And pause a while from learning to be wise. There mark what ills the scholar's life assail — Toil, envy, want, the patron, and the jail.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) said by 1784 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A frame of adamant, a soul of fire, No dangers fright him, and no labors tire.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) said by 1784 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“He left the name at which the world grew pale, To point a moral, or adorn a tale.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) said by 1784 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Enlarge my life with multitude of days!" In health, in sickness, thus the suppliant prays: Hides from himself his state, and shuns to know That life protracted is protracted woe.”
Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) said by 1784 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source