Quotes from Laurence Sterne

Writing, when properly managed, (as you may be sure I think mine is) is but a different name for conversation. As no one, who knows what he is about in good company, would venture to talk all, so no author, who understands the just boundaries of decorum and good breeding, would presume to think all. The truest respect which you can pay to the reader's understanding, is to halve this matter amicably, and leave him something to imagine, in his turn, as well as yourself.

So much motion, continues he, (for he was very corpulent)—is so much unquietness; and so much of rest, by the same analogy, is so much of heaven. Now, I (being very thin) think differently; and that so much of motion, is so much of life, and so much of joy—and that to stand still, or get on but slowly, is death and the devil—

Button-holes! there is something lively in the very idea of 'em - and trust me, when I get amongst 'em - you gentry with great beards - look as grave as you will - I'll make merry work with my button-holes - I shall have 'em all to myself - 'tis a maiden subject - I shall run foul of no man's wisdom or fine sayings in it.

So that whether the pain of a wound in the groin (cæteris paribus) is greater than the pain of a wound in the knee—or Whether the pain of a wound in the knee is not greater than the pain of a wound in the groin—are points which to this day remain unsettled.

What were his views in this, and in every other action of his life,—or rather what were the opinions which floated in the brains of other people concerning it, was a thought which too much floated in his own, and too often broke in upon his rest, when he should have been sound asleep.

all I can say of the matter, is—That he has either a pumkin for his head—or a pippin for his heart,—and whenever he is dissected 'twill be found so.

ever woman, since the creation of the world, interrupt a man with such a silly question? Pray, what was your father saying?—Nothing.

In solitude the mind gains strength and learns to lean upon itself.

Great wits jump

Did not Dr. Kunastrokius, that great man, at his leisure hours, take the greatest delight imaginable in combing of asses tails, and plucking the dead hairs out with his teeth, though he had tweezers always in his pocket?

Melek de deÄŸiliz; keÅŸke olsak, ama insanlara birer beden giydirilmiÅŸtir, ve bizleri hayal güçlerimiz yönetir - ne ÅŸenlikli bir ÅŸölen. ... Gözler daha zarif bir okÅŸama saÄŸlar ve düÅŸ gücümüz üzerinde sözler kadar kolay ifadelendirilemeyen bir ÅŸeyler b?rak?r,-ya da,-bazen,var olan? da yok ederler.

Do you understand the theory of that affair? replied my father.   Not I, quoth my uncle.   ââ'¬â€But you have some ideas, said my father, of what you talk about.—   No more than my horse, replied my uncle Toby.

was all uniformity;—he was systematical, and, like all systematic reasoners, he would move both heaven and earth, and twist and torture every thing in nature to support his hypothesis.

Honours, like impressions upon coin, may give an ideal and local value to a bit of base metal; but Gold and Silver will pass all the world over without any other recommendation than their own weight.

And what of this new book the whole world makes such a rout about?--Oh ! 'tis out of all plumb, my lord,--quite an irregular thing!

In a word, my work is digressive, and it is progressive too,—and at the same time.

I like subordination, quoth my uncle Toby...

I know there are readers in the world, as well as many other good people in it, who are no readers at all, who find themselves ill at ease, unless they are let into the whole secret from first to last, of everything which concerns you.

To such, however, as do not choose to go so far back into these things, I can give no better advice, than that they skip over the remaining parts of this chapter; for I declare before-hand, 'tis wrote only for the curious and inquisitive.

Cada uno hablará de la feria según le haya ido a su mercancía.

Y en tanto un hombre cabalgue sobre su CABALLO DE JUGUETE tranquila y apaciblemente por el camino real sin obligarnos ni a usted ni a mí a montar tras él,—dígame, señor, ¿qué nos importa tal cosa a ninguno de los dos?

I wish either my father or my mother, or indeed both of them, as they were in duty both equally bound to it, had minded what they were about when they begot me; had they duly consider'd how much depended upon what they were then doing;

de lo que se conoce con el nombre de perseverancia cuando la causa es buena,—y con el de obstinación cuando es mala.

soy un mortal de tan poca consecuencia para el mundo que lo que yo haga no tiene mucha importancia;