Quotes from Oliver Goldsmith

We are not to judge the feelings of others by what we might feel in their place.

The beast retires to its shelter, and the bird flies to its nest; but the helpless man can only find refuge in his fellow creature.

They may talk of a comet, or a burning mountain, or some such bagatelle; but to me, a modest woman, dressed out in all her finery, is the most tremendous object of the whole creation.

A modest woman dressed out in all her finery is the most tremendous object of the whole creation.

In a polite age almost every person becomes a reader, and receives more instruction from the Press than the Pulpit.

How blest is he who crowns in shades like these A youth of labour with an age of ease!

The company of fools may first make us smile, but in the end we always feel melancholy.

Like the bee, we should make our industry our amusement.

In arguing one should meet serious pleading with humor, and humor with serious pleading.

I find you want me to furnish you with argument and intellects too. No, sir, these, I protest you, are too hard for me.

It is not easy to recover an art when once lost.

And e'en while fashion's brightest arts decoy, The heart distrusting asks if this be joy.

And as a bird each fond endearment tries To tempt its new-fledg'd offspring to the skies, He tried each art, reprov'd each dull delay, Allur'd to brighter worlds, and led the way.

The work of eradicating crimes is not by making punishment familiar, but formidable.

The best way to make your audience laugh is to start laughing yourself.

He who seeks for applause only from without has all his happiness in another's keeping.

Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog And in that town a dog was found, As many dogs there be, Both mongrel, puppy, whelp, and hound, And curs of low degree.

An Englishman fears contempt more than death.

Death when unmasked shows us a friendly face and is a terror only at a distance.

Tenderness is a virtue.

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

Pity and friendship are two passions incompatible with each other.

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

As writers become more numerous, it is natural for readers to become more indolent; whence must necessarily arise a desire of attaining knowledge with the greatest possible ease.