Richard Whately

knowledge of our duties is the most useful part of philosophy.

— Richard Whately

A certain class of novels may with propriety be called fables.

— Richard Whately

To know your ruling passion, examine your castles in the air.

— Richard Whately

Better too much form than too little.

— Richard Whately

Party spirit enlists a man's virtues in the cause of his vices.

— Richard Whately

It is folly to shiver over last year's snow.

— Richard Whately

Misgive that you may not mistake.

— Richard Whately

A man will never change his mind if he have no mind to change.

— Richard Whately

Great affectation and great absence of it are at first sight very similar.

— Richard Whately

Honesty is the best policy; but he who is governed by that maxim is not an honest man.

— Richard Whately

Woman is like the reed which bends to every breeze, but breaks not in the tempest.

— Richard Whately

He who is not aware of his ignorance will be only misled by his knowledge.

— Richard Whately

Curiosity is as much the parent of attention, as attention is of memory.

— Richard Whately

Preach not because you have to say something, but because you have something to say.

— Richard Whately

Galileo probably would have escaped persecution if his discoveries could have been disproved.

— Richard Whately

A man who gives his children habits of industry provides for them better than by giving them fortune.

— Richard Whately

It is a remarkable circumstance in reference to cunning persons that they are often deficient not only in comprehensive, far-sighted wisdom, but…

— Richard Whately

It is generally true that all that is required to make men unmindful of what they owe God for any blessing is…

— Richard Whately

The love of admiration leads to fraud, much more than the love of commendation; but, on the other hand, the latter is…

— Richard Whately

Man is naturally more desirous of a quiet and approving, than of a vigilant and tender conscience--more desirous of security than of…

— Richard Whately

One way in which fools succeed where wise men fail is that through ignorance of the danger they sometimes go coolly about…

— Richard Whately

The censure of frequent and long parentheses has led writers into the preposterous expedient of leaving out the marks by which they…

— Richard Whately

Of metaphors, those generally conduce most to energy or vivacity of style which illustrate an intellectual by a sensible object.

— Richard Whately

It is quite possible, and not uncommon, to read most laboriously, even so as to get by heart the words of a…

— Richard Whately

The attendant on William Rufus, who discharged at a deer an arrow, which glanced against a tree and killed the king, was…

— Richard Whately

Concerning the utility of Rhetoric, it is to be observed that it divides itself into two; first, whether Oratorical skill be, on…

— Richard Whately

It is a good plan, with a young person of a character to be much affected by ludicrous and absurd representations, to…

— Richard Whately

Grace is in a great measure a natural gift; elegance implies cultivation; or something of more artificial character. A rustic, uneducated girl…

— Richard Whately

Some persons resemble certain trees, such as the nut, which flowers in February and ripens its fruit in September; or the juniper…

— Richard Whately

As a science, logic institutes an analysis of the process of the mind in reasoning, and investigating the principles on which argumentation…

— Richard Whately

When any person of really eminent virtue becomes the object of envy, the clamor and abuse by which he is assailed is…

— Richard Whately

Good manners are a part of good morals.

— Richard Whately

He only is exempt from failures who makes no efforts.

— Richard Whately

We may print, but not stereotype, our opinions.

— Richard Whately

Happiness is no laughing matter.

— Richard Whately

The word of knowledge, strictly employed, implies three things: truth, proof, and conviction.

— Richard Whately

Men are like sheep, of which a flock is more easily driven than a single one.

— Richard Whately

All men wish to have truth on their side; but few to be on the side of truth.

— Richard Whately

The depreciation of Christianity by indifference is a more insidious and less curable evil than infidelity itself.

— Richard Whately

It is folly to expect men to do all that they may reasonably be expected to do.

— Richard Whately