Charles Caleb Colton (1777-1832)

Quotes

• True friendship is like sound health, the value is seldom appreciated until it is lost.

• If universal charity prevailed, Earth would be a heaven, and hell a fable.

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

• We may lay in a stock of pleasures, as we would lay in a stock of wine; but if we defer tasting them too long, we shall find that both are soured by age.

• There are two modes of establishing our reputation: to be praised by honest men, and to be abused by rogues. It is best, however, to secure the former, because it will invariably be accompanied by the latter.

• Riches may enable us to confer favours, but to confer them with propriety and grace requires a something that riches cannot give.

• True friendship is like sound health, the value of it is seldom known until it be lost.

• True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it be lost.

• To know a man, observe how he wins his object, rather than how he loses it; for when we fail our pride supports us; when we succeed, it betrays us.

• Times of general calamity and confusion create great minds. The purest ore is produced from the hottest furnace, and the brightest thunderbolt is elicited from the darkest storms.

• If you cannot inspire a woman with love of you, fill her above the brim with love of herself; all that runs over will be yours.

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

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

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

• Men are born with two eyes, but only one tongue, in order that they should see twice as much as they say.

• The greatest friend of Truth is time, her greatest enemy is Prejudice, and her constant companion Humility.

• We hate some persons because we do not know them; and we will not know them because we hate them.

• Imitation is the sincerest of flattery.

• To know the pains of power, we must go to those who have it; to know its pleasures, we must go to those who are seeking it.

• Many books require no thought from those who read them, and for a very simple reason; they made no such demand upon those who wrote them.