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Whoe'er amidst the sons
Of reason, valor, liberty, and virtue
Displays distinguished merit, is a noble
Of Nature's own creating.

— James Thomson

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More quotes by James Thomson

They who are pleased themselves must always please.

The Castle of Indolence (1748)

He ceased; but still their trembling ears retained
The deep vibrations of his witching song.

The Castle of Indolence (1748)

O fair undress, best dress! it checks no vein,
But every flowing limb in pleasure drowns,
And heightens ease with grace.

The Castle of Indolence (1748)

Why should we kill the best of passions, love?
It aids the hero, bids ambition rise
To nobler heights, inspires immortal deeds,
Even softens brutes, and adds a grace to virtue.

More firm and sure the hand of courage strikes, when it obeys the watchful eye of caution.

All James Thomson quotes →

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Men accept servility in order to acquire wealth; as if they could acquire anything of their own when they cannot even assert that they belong to themselves.

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The confusion of marriage with morality has done more to destroy the conscience of the human race than any other single error.

George Bernard Shaw Man and Superman (1903)

Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive.

C. S. Lewis God in the Dock (1970)

Affectation hides three times as many virtues as charity does sins.

Horace Mann Thoughts Selected from the Writings of Horace Mann (1867)

Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: James Thomson (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.