Quotes from Charles Caleb Colton

Those who visit foreign nations, but associate only with their own country-men, change their climate, but not their customs. They see new meridians, but the same men; and with heads as empty as their pockets, return home with traveled bodies, but untravelled minds.

It is better to meet danger than to wait for it. He that is on a lee shore, and foresees a hurricane, stands out to sea and encounters a storm to avoid a shipwreck.

Posthumous charities are the very essence of selfishness when bequeathed by those who, even alive, would part with nothing.

The good opinion of our fellow men is the strongest, though not the purest motive to virtue.

The French have a saying that whatever excellence a man may exhibit in a public station he is very apt to be ridiculous in a private one.

Great men, like comets, are eccentric in their courses, and formed to do extensive good by modes unintelligible to vulgar minds.

It is not every man that can afford to wear a shabby coat.

Temperate men drink the most, because they drink the longest.

The most consistent men are not more unlike to others, than they are at times to themselves.

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

It is not so difficult a task to plant new truths, as to root out old errors; for there is this paradox in men, they run after that which is new, but are prejudiced in favor of that which is old.

Vice has more martyrs than virtue; and it often happens that men suffer more to be lost than to be saved.

Most men know what they hate, few what they love.

An honest man will continue to be so though surrounded on all sides by rogues.

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.

Many a man may thank his talent for his rank, but no man has ever been able to return the compliment by thanking his rank for his talent.

None are so fond of secrets as those who do not mean to keep them; such persons covet secrets as a spendthrift covets money, for the purpose of circulation.

Money is the most envied, but the least enjoyed. Health is the most enjoyed, but the least envied.

Wealth after all is a relative thing since he that has little and wants less is richer than he that has much and wants more.

The poorest man would not part with health for money, but the richest would gladly part with all their money for health.

All adverse and depressing influences can be overcome, not by fighting, by by rising above them.

There are prating coxcombs in the world who would rather talk than listen, although Shakespeare himself were the orator, and human nature the theme!

We cannot think too highly of our nature, nor too humbly of ourselves.

True goodness is not without that germ of greatness that can bear with patience the mistakes of the ignorant.