While an author is yet living we estimate his powers by his worst performance, and when he is dead we rate them by his best.
SJ
Author
Samuel Johnson
/samuel-johnson-quotes-and-sayings
315
Quotes
19
Works
Author Summary
About Samuel Johnson on QuoteMust
Samuel Johnson currently has 315 indexed quotes and 19 linked works on QuoteMust. This page is the canonical destination for that author archive.
Works
Books and titles linked to this author
A Dictionary of the English Language: an Anthology
A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland and The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides
Johnsonian Miscellanies - Vol II
Life and Conversations of Dr. Samuel Johnson: Founded Chiefly Upon Boswell.
Life of Johnson, Vol 4
Life of Richard Savage
Lives of the poets: Milton
Preface to a Dictionary of the English Language
Samuel Johnson on Shakespeare
Taxation No Tyranny
The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia
The Idler; Poems
The Life of Samuel Johnson Including a Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, Vol 2
The Life of Samuel Johnson LL.D. Vol 2
The Life of Samuel Johnson LL.D. Vol 3
The Life of Samuel Johnson, Vol 2
The Rambler
The Rambler, Vol. 4
Works of Samuel Johnson
Quotes
All quote cards for Samuel Johnson
Truth will not afford sufficient food to their vanity; so they have betaken, themselves to errour. Truth, Sir, is a cow which will yield such people no more milk, and so they are gone to milk the bull.
The vanity of being known to be trusted with a secret is generally one of the chief motives to disclose it; for, however absurd it may be thought to boast an honour by an act which shows that it was conferred without merit, yet most men seem rather inclined to confess the want of virtue than of importance.
Men more frequently require to be reminded than informed.
Your manuscript is both good and original but the parts that are good are not original and the parts that are original are not good.
The man who is asked by an author what he thinks of his work is put to the torture and is not obliged to speak the truth.
What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure.
When an author is yet living we estimate his powers by his worst performance and when he is dead we rate them by his best.
Much may be made of a Scotchman if he be caught young.
Read over your compositions and when you meet a passage which you think is particularly fine strike it out.
Every other author may aspire to praise the lexicographer can only hope to escape reproach.
The best part of every author is in general to be found in his book I assure you.
When speculation has done its worst two and two still make four.
Languages are the pedigree of nations.
I am not yet so lost in lexicography as to forget that words are the daughters of earth and that things are the sons of heaven.
Men know that women are an overmatch for them and therefore they choose the weakest or the most ignorant. If they did not think so they never could be afraid of women knowing as much as themselves.
Claret is the liquor for boys port for men but he who aspires to be a hero must drink brandy.
When two Englishmen meet their first talk is of the weather.