Quotes from Oliver Goldsmith

I love everything that is old; old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines.

He who fights and runs away May live to fight another day; But he who is battle slain Can never rise to fight again.

You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips.

I armed her against the censures of the world, shewed her that books were sweet unreproaching companions to the miserable, and that if they could not bring us to enjoy life, they would at least teach us to endure it.

The first time I read an excellent book, it is to me just as if I had gained a new friend. When I read a book over I have perused before, it resembles the meeting with an old one.

People seldom improve when they have no model but themselves to copy after.

All is not gold that glitters, pleasure seems sweet, but proves a glass of bitters.

Don't let us make imaginary evils, when you know we have so many real ones to encounter.

Modesty seldom resides in a breast that is not enriched with nobler virtues.

Conscience is a coward, and those faults it has not strength enough to prevent it seldom has justice enough to accuse.

Every absurdity has a champion to defend it.

law grinds the poor, rich men rule the law

A great source of calamity lies in regret and anticipation; therefore a person is wise who thinks of the present alone, regardless of the past or future.

Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey/Where wealth accumulates and men decay

As the reputation of books is raised not by their freedom from defect, but the greatness of their beauties, so should that of men be prized not for their exemption from fault, but the size of those virtues they are possessed of.

Politeness is the result of good sense and good nature.

A reserved lover, it is said, always makes a suspicious husband.

The more enormous our wealth, the more extensive our fears, all our possessions are paled up with new edicts every day, and hung round with gibbets to scare every invader.

What we place most hopes upon, generally proves most fatal.

He who fights and runs away May live to fight another day...

Where commerce and capitalism are invloved, often times, morality and honor sink to the bottom-Oliver Goldsmith paraphrased

The nakedness of the indignant world may be cloathed from the trimmings of the vain.

I have known many of those pretended champions for liberty in my time, yet do I not remember one that was not in his heart and in his family a tyrant.

Friendship is a disinterested commerce between equals; love an abject intercourse between tyrants and slaves.