--- title: "4 Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury Quotes" description: "Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, was an English statesman. He held senior political office under both the Commonwealth of England and Cha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/215/anthony-ashley-cooper-1st-earl_ashley_how-comes-it-to-pass-then-that-we-appear_173936.jpg" --- # Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury **4** quotes in **30** categories Rate this collection: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, was an English statesman. He held senior political office under both the Commonwealth of England and Charles II, serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1661 to 1672 and Lord Chancellor from 1672 to 1673. During the Exclusion Crisis (1679–1681), Sh ## Quotes by Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury > [How comes it to pass, then, that we appear such cowards in reasoning, and are so afraid to stand the test of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-ashley-cooper-1st-earl-of-shaftesbury/how-comes-it-to-pass-then-that-we-appear-such-cowards-in-reasoning/) [Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-ashley-cooper-1st-earl-of-shaftesbury/) [Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ashley/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/215/anthony-ashley-cooper-1st-earl_ashley_how-comes-it-to-pass-then-that-we-appear_173936.jpg) > [There is a melancholy which accompanies all enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-ashley-cooper-1st-earl-of-shaftesbury/there-is-a-melancholy-which-accompanies-all-enthusiasm/) [Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-ashley-cooper-1st-earl-of-shaftesbury/) [Accompanies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accompanies-2892/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/975/anthony-ashley-cooper-1st-earl_accompanies_there-is-a-melancholy-which-accompanies_592032.jpg) > [Men's first thoughts in this matter are generally better than their second; their natural notions better than those refin'd by study, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-ashley-cooper-1st-earl-of-shaftesbury/men-s-first-thoughts-in-this-matter-are-generally-better-than-their/) [Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-ashley-cooper-1st-earl-of-shaftesbury/) [Consultation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consultation/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/119/anthony-ashley-cooper-1st-earl_consultation_men-s-first-thoughts-in-this-matter-are_1140700.jpg) > [Twas the saying of an ancient sage that humour was the only test of gravity, and gravity of humour. For a subject…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-ashley-cooper-1st-earl-of-shaftesbury/twas-the-saying-of-an-ancient-sage-that-humour-was-the-only-test-of/) [Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-ashley-cooper-1st-earl-of-shaftesbury/) [Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70a/anthony-ashley-cooper-1st-earl_ancient_twas-the-saying-of-an-ancient-sage-that_2511813.jpg) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-ashley-cooper-1st-earl-of-shaftesbury/#itemlist", "name": "Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury Quotes", "numberOfItems": 4, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "How comes it to pass, then, that we appear such cowards in reasoning, and are so afraid to stand the test of ridicule? - Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-ashley-cooper-1st-earl-of-shaftesbury/how-comes-it-to-pass-then-that-we-appear-such-cowards-in-reasoning/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/215/anthony-ashley-cooper-1st-earl_ashley_how-comes-it-to-pass-then-that-we-appear_173936.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/215/anthony-ashley-cooper-1st-earl_ashley_how-comes-it-to-pass-then-that-we-appear_173936.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/215/anthony-ashley-cooper-1st-earl_ashley_how-comes-it-to-pass-then-that-we-appear_173936.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“How comes it to pass, then, that we appear such cowards in reasoning, and are so afraid to stand the test of…” — Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is a melancholy which accompanies all enthusiasm.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-ashley-cooper-1st-earl-of-shaftesbury/there-is-a-melancholy-which-accompanies-all-enthusiasm/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/975/anthony-ashley-cooper-1st-earl_accompanies_there-is-a-melancholy-which-accompanies_592032.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/975/anthony-ashley-cooper-1st-earl_accompanies_there-is-a-melancholy-which-accompanies_592032.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/975/anthony-ashley-cooper-1st-earl_accompanies_there-is-a-melancholy-which-accompanies_592032.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is a melancholy which accompanies all enthusiasm.” — Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Men's first thoughts in this matter are generally better than their second; their natural notions better than those refin'd by study, or consultation with casuists.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-ashley-cooper-1st-earl-of-shaftesbury/men-s-first-thoughts-in-this-matter-are-generally-better-than-their/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/119/anthony-ashley-cooper-1st-earl_consultation_men-s-first-thoughts-in-this-matter-are_1140700.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/119/anthony-ashley-cooper-1st-earl_consultation_men-s-first-thoughts-in-this-matter-are_1140700.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/119/anthony-ashley-cooper-1st-earl_consultation_men-s-first-thoughts-in-this-matter-are_1140700.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Men's first thoughts in this matter are generally better than their second; their natural notions better…” — Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Twas the saying of an ancient sage that humour was the only test of gravity, and gravity of humour. 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