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Quotes from The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman — Laurence Sterne

1713–1768 Ireland

← All quotes by Laurence Sterne

23 quotes

Trust that man in nothing who has not a conscience in everything.

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760)

The desire of knowledge, like the thirst of riches, increases ever with the acquisition of it.

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760)

Writing, when properly managed, (as you may be sure I think mine is) is but a different name for conversation.

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760)

'Tis known by the name of perseverance in a good cause — and of obstinacy in a bad one.

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760)

A man should know something of his own country too, before he goes abroad.

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760)

For every ten jokes, thou hast got a hundred enemies.

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760)

Digressions, incontestably, are the sunshine; —& they are the life, the soul of reading; — take them out of this book for instance, — you might as well take the book along with them.

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760)

The history of a soldier's wound beguiles the pain of it.

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760)

Of all the cants which are canted in this canting world, — though the cant of hypocrites may be the worst, — the cant of criticism is the most tormenting!

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760)

As we jogg on, either laugh with me, or at me, or in short do any thing—only keep your temper.

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760)

Our armies swore terribly in Flanders, cried my uncle Toby, — but nothing to this. — For my own part, I could not have a heart to curse my dog so.

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760)

Go poor Devil, get thee gone, why should I hurt thee? — This world surely is wide enough to hold both thee and me.

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760)

I believe in my conscience I intercept many a thought which heaven intended for another man.

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760)

He was within a few hours of giving his enemies the slip forever.

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760)

I have got him fast hung up, quoth Didius to himself, upon one of the two horns of my dilemma — let him get off as he can.

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760)

The Accusing Spirit which flew up to heaven's chancery with the oath, blush'd as he gave it in; and the Recording Angel as he wrote it down, dropp'd a tear upon the word, and blotted it out forever.

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760)

Persuasion hung upon his lips, and the elements of Logick and Rhetorick were so blended up in him, — and, withall, he had so shrewd guess at the weaknesses and passions of his respondent, — that NATURE might have stood up and said, — "This man is eloquent."

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760)

L—d! said my mother, what is all this story about? — A Cock and a Bull, said Yorick — And one of the best of its kind I ever heard.

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760)

I wish either my father or my mother, or indeed both of them, as they were in duty both equally bound to it, had minded what they were about when they begot me.

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760)

Now or never was the time.

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1760)

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: Laurence Sterne (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.