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Quotes from Lacon — Charles Caleb Colton

1777–1832 England

← All quotes by Charles Caleb Colton

46 quotes

Men will wrangle for religion, write for it, fight for it, die for it; anything but live for it.

Lacon (1820)

If you would be known, and not know, vegetate in a village; If you would know, and not be known, live in a city.

Lacon (1820)

Applause is the spur of noble minds, the end and aim of weak ones.

Lacon (1820)

That writer does the most, who gives his reader the most knowledge, and takes from him the least time.

Lacon (1820)

We often pretend to fear what we really despise, and more often to despise what we really fear.

Lacon (1820)

Friendship often ends in love; but love in friendship—never.

Lacon (1820)

He that sympathizes in all the happiness of others, perhaps himself enjoys the safest happiness.

Lacon (1820)

To sentence a man of true genius to the drudgery of a school, is to put a race horse in a mill.

Lacon (1820)

Examinations are formidable even to the best prepared, for the greatest fool may ask more than the wisest man can answer.

Lacon (1820)

A feast is more fatal to love than a fast, and a surfeit than a starvation.

Lacon (1820)

No man can purchase his virtue too dear, for it is the only thing whose value must ever increase with the price it has cost us.

Lacon (1820)

When you have nothing to say, say nothing; a weak defense strengthens your opponent, and silence is less injurious than a bad reply.

Lacon (1820)

Deliberate with caution, but act with decision; and yield with graciousness, or oppose with firmness.

Lacon (1820)

Pedantry prides herself on being wrong by rules; while common sense is contented to be right, without them.

Lacon (1820)

An elegant writer has observed, that wit may do very well for a mistress, but that he should prefer reason for a wife.

Lacon (1820)

With the offspring of genius, the law of parturition is reversed; the throes are in the conception, the pleasure in the birth.

Lacon (1820)

Many a man may thank his talent for his rank, but no man has ever been able to return the compliment by thanking his rank for his talent.

Lacon (1820)

From the preponderance of talent, we may always infer the soundness and vigour of the commonwealth; but from the preponderance of riches, its dotage and degeneration.

Lacon (1820)

"Defendit numerus," is the maxim of the foolish; "Deperdit numerus," of the wise. The fact is, that an honest man will continue to be so, though surrounded on all sides by rogues.

Lacon (1820)

It is always safe to learn, even from our enemies, seldom safe to venture to instruct, even our friends.

Lacon (1820)

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: Charles Caleb Colton (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.