--- title: "4 Forts Quotes By Henry David Thoreau" description: "4 Forts quotes by Henry David Thoreau. Plus more from Henry David Thoreau and more Forts sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b87/henry-david-thoreau-20_attitude_consider-the-islands-bearing-the-names-o_153851.jpg" --- > [Consider the islands bearing the names of all the saints, bristling with forts like chestnut-burs, or Echinidæ, yet the police will not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/consider-the-islands-bearing-the-names-of-all-the-saints-bristling/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b87/henry-david-thoreau-20_attitude_consider-the-islands-bearing-the-names-o_153851.jpg) > [The newspapers are the ruling power. Any other government is reduced to a few marines at Fort Independence. If a man neglects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-newspapers-are-the-ruling-power-any-other-government-is-reduced/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/henry-david-thoreau-20_forts_the-newspapers-are-the-ruling-power-any_1877231.jpg) > [But it is rather derogatory that your dwelling-place should be only a neighborhood to a great city,--to live on an inclined plane.I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/but-it-is-rather-derogatory-that-your-dwelling-place-should-be-only-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f43/henry-david-thoreau-20_beach_but-it-is-rather-derogatory-that-your-dw_2094292.jpg) > [While the very inhabitants of New England were thus fabling about the country a hundred miles inland, which was a terra incognitato…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/while-the-very-inhabitants-of-new-england-were-thus-fabling-about-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/136/henry-david-thoreau-20_already-gone_while-the-very-inhabitants-of-new-englan_2483260.jpg) ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forts/henry-david-thoreau/#itemlist", "name": "4 Forts Quotes By Henry David Thoreau", "numberOfItems": 4, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Consider the islands bearing the names of all the saints, bristling with forts like chestnut-burs, or Echinidæ, yet the police will not let a couple of Irishmen have a private sparring- match on one of them, as it is a government monopoly; all the great seaports are in a boxing attitude, and you must sail prudently between two tiers of stony knuckles before you come to feel the warmth of their breasts.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/consider-the-islands-bearing-the-names-of-all-the-saints-bristling/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b87/henry-david-thoreau-20_attitude_consider-the-islands-bearing-the-names-o_153851.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b87/henry-david-thoreau-20_attitude_consider-the-islands-bearing-the-names-o_153851.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b87/henry-david-thoreau-20_attitude_consider-the-islands-bearing-the-names-o_153851.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Consider the islands bearing the names of all the saints, bristling with forts like chestnut-burs, or…” — Henry David Thoreau", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The newspapers are the ruling power. Any other government is reduced to a few marines at Fort Independence. If a man neglects to read the Daily Times, government will go down on its knees to him, for this is the only treason these days.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-newspapers-are-the-ruling-power-any-other-government-is-reduced/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/henry-david-thoreau-20_forts_the-newspapers-are-the-ruling-power-any_1877231.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/henry-david-thoreau-20_forts_the-newspapers-are-the-ruling-power-any_1877231.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/henry-david-thoreau-20_forts_the-newspapers-are-the-ruling-power-any_1877231.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The newspapers are the ruling power. Any other government is reduced to a few marines at Fort Independence…” — Henry David Thoreau", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "But it is rather derogatory that your dwelling-place should be only a neighborhood to a great city,--to live on an inclined plane.I do not like their cities and forts, with their morning and evening guns, and sails flapping in one's eye. I want a whole continent to breathe in, and a good deal of solitude and silence, such as all Wall Street cannot buy,--nor Broadway with its wooden pavement. I must live along the beach, on the southern shore, which looks directly out to sea,--and see what that great parade of water means, that dashes and roars, and has not yet wet me, as long as I have lived.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/but-it-is-rather-derogatory-that-your-dwelling-place-should-be-only-a/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f43/henry-david-thoreau-20_beach_but-it-is-rather-derogatory-that-your-dw_2094292.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f43/henry-david-thoreau-20_beach_but-it-is-rather-derogatory-that-your-dw_2094292.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f43/henry-david-thoreau-20_beach_but-it-is-rather-derogatory-that-your-dw_2094292.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But it is rather derogatory that your dwelling-place should be only a neighborhood to a great city,--to live…” — Henry David Thoreau", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "While the very inhabitants of New England were thus fabling about the country a hundred miles inland, which was a terra incognitato them,... Champlain, the first Governor of Canada,... had already gone to war against the Iroquois in their forest forts, and penetrated to the Great Lakes and wintered there, before a Pilgrim had heard of New England.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/while-the-very-inhabitants-of-new-england-were-thus-fabling-about-the/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/136/henry-david-thoreau-20_already-gone_while-the-very-inhabitants-of-new-englan_2483260.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/136/henry-david-thoreau-20_already-gone_while-the-very-inhabitants-of-new-englan_2483260.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/136/henry-david-thoreau-20_already-gone_while-the-very-inhabitants-of-new-englan_2483260.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“While the very inhabitants of New England were thus fabling about the country a hundred miles inland, which…” — Henry David Thoreau", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forts/henry-david-thoreau/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forts/henry-david-thoreau/", "name": "Forts Quotes by Henry David Thoreau", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forts/henry-david-thoreau/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b87/henry-david-thoreau-20_attitude_consider-the-islands-bearing-the-names-o_153851.jpg" }, "description": "4 Forts quotes by Henry David Thoreau. Plus more from Henry David Thoreau and more Forts sayings from other authors.", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forts/henry-david-thoreau/#breadcrumb" } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forts/henry-david-thoreau/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Topics", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Forts", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forts/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "name": "Henry David Thoreau", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forts/henry-david-thoreau/" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```