Oliver Goldsmith (1730–74) was an Anglo-Irish poet, novelist, essayist, and dramatist.
Details of Goldsmith’s birth are ambiguous. He was born the son of an Anglican clergyman, probably in Kilkenny West, County Westmeath, Ireland. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, before studying medicine at Edinburgh and Leyden. He practiced as a poor physician in Southwark, and was proofreader to novelist Samuel Richardson, before publishing a translation of the autobiography of the French Protestant Jean Marteilhe in 1758.
Goldsmith started and edited the weekly The Bee (1759,) and wrote essays for poet Tobias Smollett’s British Magazine. For John Newbery’s Public Ledger, he wrote the Chinese Letters (1760–71; republished as The Citizen of the World.) It was inspired by Montesquieu’s essay series Persian Letters (1721.)
The Vicar of Wakefield (1766) secured Goldsmith’s status as a novelist and The Deserted Village (1770) as a poet. Three years later, he achieved high regard as a playwright with She Stoops to Conquer (1773.)
The American writer and biographer Washington Irving wrote Life of Oliver Goldsmith (1840.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Oliver Goldsmith
The current of tenderness widens as it proceeds; and two men imperceptibly find their hearts filled with good nature for each other, when they were at first only in pursuit of mirth and relaxation.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Women famed for their valor, their skill in politics, or their learning, leave the duties of their own sex, in order to invade the privileges of ours. I can no more pardon a fair one for endeavoring to wield the club of Hercules, than I could a man for endeavoring to twirl her distaff.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Woman
Crime generally punishes itself.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Criminals, Crime
Conscience is a coward, and those faults it has not strength enough to prevent it seldom has justice enough to accuse.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Conscience
A boy will learn more true wisdom in a public school in a year than by a private education in five.—It is not from masters, but from their equals that youth learn a knowledge of the world.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Study
O luxury! Thou curst of heaven’s decree.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Luxury
The bounds of a man’s knowledge are easily concealed if he has but prudence.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Prudence
When I see a young profligate squandering his fortune in bagnios, or at the gaming table, I cannot help looking on him as hastening his own death, and in a manner digging his own grave.
—Oliver Goldsmith
I can’t say whether we had more wit among us now than usual, but I am certain we had more laughing, which answered the end as well.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Alcoholism, Alcohol
We take greater pains to persuade others that we are happy, than in endeavoring to be so ourselves.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Happiness
But in his duty prompt at every call, he watched and wept, he prayed and felt for all.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Duty
There are some faults so nearly allied to excellence that we can scarce weed out the vice without eradicating the virtue.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Faults, Mistakes
Tenderness is a virtue.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Strength
The unaffected of every country nearly resemble each other, and a page of Confucius and Tillotson have scarce any material difference, paltry affectation, strained allusions, and disgusting finery are easily attained by those who choose to wear them; they are but too frequently the badges of ignorance or of stupidity whenever it would endeavor to please.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Affectation, Style
When a person has no need to borrow they find multitudes willing to lend.
—Oliver Goldsmith
To embarrass justice by a multiplicity of laws, or hazard it by a confidence in our judges, are, I grant, the opposite rocks on which legislative wisdom has ever split; in one case the client resembles that emperor who is said to have been suffocated with the bedclothes, which were only designed to keep him warm; in the other, that town which let the enemy take possession of its walls, in order to show the world how little they depended upon aught but courage for safety.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Justice
The first time I read an excellent work, it is to me just as if I had gained a new friend; and when I read over a book I have perused before, it resembles the meeting with an old one.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Reading, Books
No one but a fool would measure their satisfaction by what the world thinks of it.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Foolishness, Fools, Satisfaction
I have visited many countries, and have been in cities without number, yet never did I enter a town which could not produce ten or twelve little great men; all fancying themselves known to the rest of the world, and complimenting each other upon their extensive reputation.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Reputation, Men
A map does not exhibit a more distinct view of the situation and boundaries of every country, than its news does a picture of the genius and morals of its inhabitants.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: News
The wisdom of the ignorant somewhat resembles the instinct of animals; it is diffused only in a very narrow sphere, but within the circle it acts with vigor, uniformity, and success.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Wisdom
Persecution is a tribute the great must always pay for preeminence.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Prejudice
There is nothing so absurd or ridiculous that has not at some time been said by some philosopher. Fontenelle says he would undertake to persuade the whole republic of readers to believe that the sun was neither the cause of light or heat, if he could only get six philosophers on his side.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Philosophy
Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey, where wealth accumulates, and men decay.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Wealth
Our pleasures are short, and can only charm at intervals; love is a method of protraction our greatest pleasure.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Pleasure
Those who place their affections at first on trifles for amusement, will find these become at last their most serious concerns.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Trifles
I find you want me to furnish you with argument and intellects too. No, sir, these, I protest you, are too hard for me.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Arguments
Some persons make their own epitaphs, and bespeak the reader’s good will. It were, indeed, to be wished, that every man would early learn in this manner to make his own, and that he would draw it up in terms as flattering as possible, and that he would make it the employment of his whole life to deserve it.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Epitaphs
The wise sometimes condescend to accept of titles; but none but a fool would imagine them of any real importance. We ought to depend upon intrinsic merit, and not on the slender helps of a title.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Society, Titles
What real good does an addition to a fortune, already sufficient, procure? Not any. Could the great man, by having his fortune increased, increase also his appetites, then precedence might be attended with real enjoyment.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Wealth
Those that think must govern those that toil.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Thought, Thoughts
Honor sinks where commerce long prevails.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Business
People seek within a short span of life to satisfy a thousand desires, each of which is insatiable.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Desires, Desire
Pity and friendship are two passions incompatible with each other.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Sympathy
The patriot’s boast, where’er we roam, his first, best country ever is at home
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Patriotism
Age that lessens the enjoyment of life, increases our desire of living.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Age, Aging
O Luxury! thou curst by Heaven’s decree.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Luxury
A traveler of taste will notice that the wise are polite all over the world, but the fool only at home.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Manners
Thus idly busy rolls their world away
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Idleness
The jests of the rich are ever successful.
—Oliver Goldsmith
Topics: Wealth, Riches
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