By candle-light nobody would have taken you for above five-and-twenty. — Jonathan Swift Copy Share Image
Had Windham possessed discretion in debate, or Sheridan in conduct, they might have ruled their age. — Jonathan Swift Copy Share Image
We of this age have discovered a shorter, and more prudent method to become scholars and wits, without the fatigue of reading… — Jonathan Swift Copy Share Image
Religion seems to have grown an infant with age, and requires miracles to nurse it, as it had in its infancy. — Jonathan Swift Copy Share Image
When men grow virtuous in their old age, they only make a sacrifice to God of the devil's leavings. — Jonathan Swift Copy Share Image
Every age might perhaps produce one or two geniuses, if they were not sunk under the censure and obloquy of plodding, servile,… — Jonathan Swift Copy Share Image
No man was every so completely skilled in the conduct of life, as not to receive new information from age and experience. — Jonathan Swift Copy Share Image
Arbitrary power is the natural object of temptation to a prince, as wine and women to a young fellow, or a bribe… — Jonathan Swift Copy Share Image
Say, Britain, could you ever boast, Three poets in an age at most? Our chilling climate hardly bears A sprig of bays… — Jonathan Swift Copy Share Image
Dignity, high station, or great riches, are in some sort necessary to old men, in order to keep the younger at a… — Jonathan Swift Copy Share Image
In all assemblies, though you wedge them ever so close, we may observe this peculiar property, that over their heads there is… — Jonathan Swift Copy Share Image
What vexes me most is, that my female friends, who could bear me very well a dozen years ago, have now forsaken… — Jonathan Swift Copy Share Image
It is pleasant to observe how free the present age is in laying taxes on the next. "Future ages shall talk of… — Jonathan Swift Copy Share Image
If a man would register all his opinions upon love, politics, religion, learning etc., beginning from his youth, and so go to… — Jonathan Swift Copy Share Image
Old men and comets have been reverenced for the same reason: their long beards, and pretences to foretell events. — Jonathan Swift Copy Share Image
The example alone of a vicious prince will corrupt an age; but that of a good one will not reform it. — Jonathan Swift Copy Share Image
There never appear more than five or six men of genius in an age, but if they were united the world could… — Jonathan Swift Copy Share Image
When men grow virtuous in their old age, they are merely making a sacrifice to God of the Devil's leavings. — Jonathan Swift Copy Share Image
If the men of wit and genius would resolve never to complain in their works of critics and detractors, the next age… — Jonathan Swift Copy Share Image
Interest is the spur of the people, but glory that of great souls. Invention is the talent of youth, and judgment of… — Jonathan Swift Copy Share Image
Time is painted with a lock before, and bald behind, signifying thereby that we must take time by the forelock; for, when it is… — Jonathan Swift Copy Share
“He said, he knew no reason why those who entertain opinions prejudicial to the public should be obliged to change, or should not be… — Jonathan Swift Copy Share
I with borrow'd silver shine, What you see is none of mine. First I show you but a quarter, Like the bow that guards… — Jonathan Swift Copy Share
I never wonder to see men wicked, but I often wonder to see them not ashamed. — Jonathan Swift Copy Share
The best Maxim I know in this life is, to drink your Coffee when you can, and when you cannot, to be easy without… — Jonathan Swift Copy Share
A forward critic often dupes us With sham quotations peri hupsos, And if we have not read Longinus, Will magisterially outshine us. Then, lest… — Jonathan Swift Copy Share
Ale is meat, drink and cloth; it will make a cat speak and a wise man dumb. — Jonathan Swift Copy Share
All fits of pleasure are balanced by an equal degree of pain or languor; it is like spending this year part of the next… — Jonathan Swift Copy Share
Satire is a sort of glass wherein beholders do generally discover everybody’s face but their own; which is the chief reason for that kind… — Jonathan Swift Copy Share
“When a great genius appears in the world you may know him by this sign; that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."… — Jonathan Swift Copy Share
I have ever hated all nations, professions, and communities, and all my love is toward individuals: for instance, I hate the tribe of lawyers,… — Jonathan Swift Copy Share
So endless and exorbitant are the desires of men that they will grasp at all, and can form no scheme of perfect happiness with… — Jonathan Swift Copy Share
