Laurence Sterne Quotes - Page 8

Quotes about:

Tis no extravagant arithmetic to say, that for every ten jokes, thou hast got an hundred enemies; and till thou hast gone on, and raised a swarm of wasps about thine ears, and art half stung to death by them, thou wilt never be convinced it is so.

Laurence Sterne

Art, Humor, Enemy

Laurence Sterne (1847). “Works, Containing the Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gent: A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy, Sermons, Letters and C”, p.29

10 Copy quote
There are worse occupations in this world than feeling a woman's pulse.

Laurence Sterne

Funny, Humor, Doctors

'A Sentimental Journey' (1768) 'The Pulse. Paris'

7 Copy quote
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!

Laurence Sterne

Hypocrite, Hypocrisy, Criticism

'Tristram Shandy' (1759-67) bk. 3, ch. 12

8 Copy quote
Ten cooks' shops! ...and all within three minutes' driving! one would think that all the cooks in the world ...had said - Come, let us all go live at Paris: the French love good eating - they are all gourmands - we shall rank high.

Laurence Sterne

Food, Thinking, Paris

Laurence Sterne (1999). “Tristram Shandy and A Sentimental Journey: (A Modern Library E-Book)”, p.497, Modern Library

4 Copy quote
When, to gratify a private appetite, it is once resolved upon that an ignorant and helpless creature shall be sacrificed, it is an easy matter to pick up sticks enough from any thicket where it has strayed, to make a fire to offer it up with.

Laurence Sterne

Fire, Ignorant, Matter

7 Copy quote
The chaste mind, like a polished plane, may admit foul thoughts, without receiving their tincture.

Laurence Sterne

Mind, Receiving, May

Laurence Sterne (1805). “The Works of Laurence Sterne, A. M.: A sentimental journey through France and Italy. The Koran: or, The life, character and sentiments of Tria Juncta in Uno. A political romance”, p.333

7 Copy quote
First, whenever a man talks loudly against religion, always suspect that it is not his reason, but his passions, which have got the better of his creed. A bad life and a good belief are disagreeable and troublesome neighbors, and where they separate, depend upon it, 'Tis for no other cause but quietness sake.

Laurence Sterne

Passion, Men, Atheism

'Tristram Shandy' (1759-67) bk. 2, ch. 17

6 Copy quote
It is the nature of an hypothesis, when once a man has conceived it, that it assimilates every thing to itself, as proper nourishment; and, from the first moment of your begetting it, it generally grows the stronger by every thing you see, hear, read, or understand.

Laurence Sterne

Reading, Science, Men

'Tristram Shandy' (1759-67) bk. 2, ch. 19

7 Copy quote
If there is an evil in this world, it is sorrow and heaviness of heart. The loss of goods, of health, of coronets and mitres, is only evil as they occasion sorrow; take that out, the rest is fancy, and dwelleth only in the head of man.

Laurence Sterne

Heart, Loss, Men

Laurence Sterne (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Laurence Sterne (Illustrated)”, p.405, Delphi Classics

7 Copy quote
In solitude the mind gains strength, and learns to lean upon herself; in the world it seeks or accepts of a few treacherous supports--the feigned compassion of one, the flattery of a second, the civilities of a third, the friendship of a fourth--they all deceive, and bring the mind back to retirement, reflection, and books.

Laurence Sterne

Retirement, Book, Reflection

Laurence Sterne (1811). “The Beauties of Sterne: With Some Account of His Life”, p.139

19 Copy quote
To write a book is for all the world like humming a song.

Laurence Sterne

Song, Book, Writing

Laurence Sterne (1849). “The Works of Laurence Sterne: Containing The Life and Opinions of Tristan Shandy ... [etc.] ; with a Life of the Author Written by Himself”, p.137

4 Copy quote
There are many ways of inducing sleep--the thinking of purling rills, or waving woods; reckoning of numbers; droppings from a wet sponge fixed over a brass pan, etc. But temperance and exercise answer much better than any of these succedaneums.

Laurence Sterne

Sleep, Exercise, Thinking

11 Copy quote
Before an affliction is digested, consolation ever comes too soon; and after it is digested, it comes too late.

Laurence Sterne

Sympathy, Too Late, Affliction

Laurence Sterne (1849). “The Works of Laurence Sterne: Containing The Life and Opinions of Tristan Shandy ... [etc.] ; with a Life of the Author Written by Himself”, p.98

7 Copy quote
Precedents are the disgrace of legislation. They are not wanted to justify right measures, are absolutely insufficient to excuse wrong ones. They can only be useful to heralds, dancing masters, and gentlemen ushers.

Laurence Sterne

Dancing, Gentleman, Excuse

Richard Griffith, Laurence Sterne (1794). “The Posthumous Works of Laurence Sterne: ...”

8 Copy quote
As monarchs have a right to call in the specie of a state, and raise its value, by their own impression; so are there certain prerogative geniuses, who are above plagiaries, who cannot be said to steal, but, from their improvement of a thought, rather to borrow it, and repay the commonwealth of letters with interest again; and may wore properly be said to adopt, than to kidnap a sentiment, by leaving it heir to their own fame.

Laurence Sterne

Leaving, Genius, Letters

Laurence Sterne (1783). “The Works of Laurence Sterne”, p.101

4 Copy quote
I would go fifty miles on foot to kiss the hand of that man whose generous heart will give up the reins of his imagination into his Author's hands; be pleased, he knows not why, and cares not wherefore.

Laurence Sterne

Sympathy, Giving Up, Heart

Laurence Sterne (1849). “The Works of Laurence Sterne: Containing The Life and Opinions of Tristan Shandy ... [etc.] ; with a Life of the Author Written by Himself”, p.82

4 Copy quote
Plutarch has a fine expression, with regard to some woman of learning, humility, and virtue;--that her ornaments were such as might be purchased without money, and would render any woman's life both glorious and happy.

Laurence Sterne

Humility, Expression, Ornaments

Laurence Sterne (1814). “The Works of Laurence Sterne: With a Life of the Author”, p.394

4 Copy quote
I have so great a contempt and detestation for meanness, that I could sooner make a friend of one who had committed murder, than of a person who could be capable, in any instance, of the former vice. Under meanness, I comprehend dishonesty; under dishonesty, ingratitude; under ingratitude, irreligion; and under this latter, every species of vice and immorality in human nature.

Laurence Sterne

Vices, Dishonesty, Murder

Laurence Sterne (1805). “The Works of Laurence Sterne, A. M.: A sentimental journey through France and Italy. The Koran: or, The life, character and sentiments of Tria Juncta in Uno. A political romance”, p.331

19 Copy quote
There is no small degree of malicious craft in fixing upon a season to give a mark of enmity and ill-will: a word--a look, which at one time would make no impression, at another time wounds the heart, and, like a shaft flying with the wind, pierces deep, which, with its own natural force, would scarce have reached the object aimed at.

Laurence Sterne

Heart, Wind, Ill Will

Laurence Sterne (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Laurence Sterne (Illustrated)”, p.532, Delphi Classics

7 Copy quote
Pain and pleasure, like light and darkness, succeed each other; and he that knows how to accommodate himself to their periodical returns, and can wisely extract the good from the evil, knows only how to live: this is true contentment, at least all that is to be had of it in this world; and for this every man must be indebted not to his fortune, but to himself.

Laurence Sterne

Gratitude, Pain, Light

"The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy: Gentleman & A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy".

4 Copy quote
Look into the world--how often do you behold a sordid wretch, whose straight heart is open to no man's affliction, taking shelterbehind an appearance of piety, and putting on the garb of religion, which none but the merciful and compassionate have a title to wear.

Laurence Sterne

Heart, Men, Hypocrisy

Laurence Sterne, Melvyn New, Geoffrey Day (2006). “A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy: And, Continuation of the Bramine's Journal : with Related Texts”, p.234, Hackett Publishing

4 Copy quote
But this is neither here nor there why do I mention it? Ask my pen, it governs me, I govern not it.

Laurence Sterne

Literature, Pens, Asks

Laurence Sterne (1817). “The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman”, p.386

4 Copy quote
Alas! if the principles of contentment are not within us, the height of station and worldly grandeur will as soon add a cubit to a man's stature as to his happiness.

Laurence Sterne

Men, Principles, Add

Laurence Sterne (1811). “The Beauties of Sterne: With Some Account of His Life”, p.240

8 Copy quote
We often think ourselves inconsistent creatures, when we are the furthest from it, and all the variety of shapes and contradictory appearances we put on, are in truth but so many different attempts to gratify the same governing appetite.

Laurence Sterne

Thinking, Different, Shapes

Laurence Sterne (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Laurence Sterne (Illustrated)”, Delphi Classics

4 Copy quote
The truth and regularity of a character is not, in justice, to be looked upon as broken, from any one single act or omission which may seem a contradiction to it:Mthe best of men appear sometimes to be strange compounds of contradictory qualities.

Laurence Sterne

Character, Men, Omission

4 Copy quote

You May Also Like:

Samuel Richardson

Tobias Smollett

Miguel de Cervantes

Charles Dickens

Laurence Sterne

Follow

Born: November 24, 1713
Died: March 18, 1768
Occupation: Novelist
Cite this Page: Citation

Popular Topics