Great is the power of eloquence; but never is it so great as when it pleads along with nature, and the culprit is a child strayed from his duty, and returned to it again with tears.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Eloquence
Pain and pleasure, like light and darkness, succeed each other; and he only who knows how to accommodate himself to their returns, and can wisely extract the good from the evil, knows how to live.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Pain
When ever a person talks loudly against religion, always suspect that it is not their reason, but their passions, which have got the better of their beliefs. A bad life and a good belief are disagreeable and troublesome neighbors; and when they separate, depend on it that it is for the sake of peace and quiet.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Atheism
This world surely is wide enough to hold both thee and me.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: World
The chaste mind, like a polished plane, may admit foul thoughts, without receiving their tincture.
—Laurence Sterne
‘Tis known by the name of perseverance in a good cause, and of obstinacy in a bad one.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Perseverance
Rest unto our souls!—’tis all we want—the end of all our wishes and pur suits: we seek for it in titles, in riches and pleasures—climb up after it by am bition,—come down again and stoop for it by avarice,—try all extremes; nor is it till after many miserable experiments, that we are convinced, at last, we have been seeking everywhere for it but where there is a prospect of finding it; and that is, within ourselves, in a meek and lowly disposition of heart.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Rest
Death opens the gate of fame, and shuts the gate of envy after it.—It unloosens the chain of the captive, and puts the bondsman’s task in another’s hands.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Death
Solitude is the best nurse of wisdom.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Solitude
There is no such thing as real happiness in life. The justest definition that was ever given of it was “a tranquil acquiescence under an agreeable delusion”—I forget where.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Illusion
How large a portion of chastity is sent out of the world by distant hints,—nodded away and cruelly winked into suspicion, by the envy of those who are past all temptation of it themselves. How often does the reputation of a helpless creature bleed by a report which the party propagating it beholds with pity, and is sorry for it, and hopes it may not be true, but in the meantime gives it her pass, that at least it may have fair play in the world,—to be be lieved or not, according to the charity of those into whose hands it shall happen to fall.
—Laurence Sterne
Precedents are the band and disgrace of legislation.—They are not wanted to justify right measures, and are absolutely insufficient to excuse wrong ones. They can only be useful to heralds, dancing-masters, and gentlemen ushers.
—Laurence Sterne
Learning is the dictionary, but sense the grammar of science.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Science
To judge rightly of our own worth we should retire from the world so as to see both its pleasures and pains in their proper light and dimensions—thus taking the heart from off this world and its allurements, which so dishonor the understanding as to turn the wisest of men into fools and children.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Retirement
If thou art rich, then show the greatness of thy fortune; or what is better, the greatness of thy soul, in the meekness of thy conversation; condescend to men of low estate, support the distressed, and patronize the neglected. Be great.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Greatness, Riches
A great deal of virtue, at least the outward appearance of it, is not so much from any fixed principle, as the terror of what the world will say, and the liberty it will take upon the occasions we shall give.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Virtue
Beauty hath so many charms one knows not how to speak against it; and when a graceful figure is the habitation of a virtuous soul—when the beauty of the face speaks out the modesty and humility of the mind, it raises our thoughts up to the great Creator; but after all, beauty, like truth, is never so glorious as when it goes the plainest.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Beauty
So long as a man rides his Hobby-Horse peaceably and quietly along the King’s highway, and neither compels you or me to get up behind him—pray, Sir, what have either you or I to do with it?
—Laurence Sterne
In solitude the mind gains strength and learns to lean upon itself; in the world it seeks or accepts of a few treacherous supports—the feigned compassions of one, the flattery of a second, the civilities of a third, the friendship of a fourth; they all deceive, and bring the mind back to retirement, reflection, and books.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Solitude
‘Tis sweet to feel by what fine-spun threads our affections are drawn together.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Love
All womankind, from the highest to the lowest love jokes; the difficulty is to know how they choose to have them cut; and there is no knowing that, but by trying, as we do with our artillery in the field, by raising or letting down their breeches, till we hit the mark.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Jokes
The most affluent may be stripped of all, and find his worldly comforts, like so many withered leaves, dropping from him.
—Laurence Sterne
Before an affliction is digested, consolation comes too soon; and after it is digested, it comes too late; but there is a mark between these two, as fine almost as a hair, for a comforter to take aim at.
—Laurence Sterne
Nothing is so perfectly amusing as a total change of ideas.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Pleasure
Of all the cants in this canting world, deliver me from the cant of criticism.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Criticism
The happiness of life may be greatly increased by small courtesies in which there is no parade, whose voice is too still to tease, and which manifest themselves by tender and affectionate looks, and little kind acts of attention.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Kindness
Digressions, incontestably, are the sunshine; they are the life, the soul of reading! Take them out of this book, for instance,—you might as well take the book along with them;—one cold external winter would reign in every page of it; restore them to the writer;—he steps forth like a bridegroom,—bids All-hail; brings in variety, and forbids the appetite to fail.
—Laurence Sterne
The desire of knowledge, like the thirst for riches, increases ever with the acquisition of it.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Virtues, Knowledge
As monarchs have a right to call in the specie of a state, and raise its value by their own impression; so are there certain prerogative geniuses, who are above plagiaries, who cannot be said to steal, but, from their improvement of a thought, rather to borrow it, and repay the commonwealth of letters with interest; and may more properly be said to adopt than to kidnap a sentiment, by leaving it heir to their own fame.
—Laurence Sterne
Topics: Plagiarism
Fishwomen cry noble oysters. They certainly are full as noble as any family blazoned out in Collin’s peerage. If not of as ancient an house, of as old a bed at least. And to show their richness too, pearls and they are congenial.
—Laurence Sterne
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
- Richard Chenevix Trench Irish Archbishop, Poet
- Jonathan Swift Irish Satirist
- Elizabeth Bowen Irish Novelist
- Sheridan Le Fanu Irish Novelist
- Joyce Cary English Novelist
- James Joyce Irish Novelist
- Samuel Lover Irish Writer, Artist, Songwriter
- Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) British Anglican Author
- Marguerite Gardiner, Countess of Blessington Irish Novelist
- Oliver Goldsmith Anglo-Irish Novelist, Poet
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