James Boswell Quotes - Page 3

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Books Character Country Drinking Friendship Mankind Property

Writing a book I have found to be like building a house. A man forms a plan, and collects materials.

James Boswell

Book, Writing, Men

James Boswell (1768). “An Account of Corsica: The Journal of a Tour to that Island : and Memoirs of Pascal Paoli”, p.18

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Nay, Sir, it was not the WINE that made your head ache, but the SENSE that I put into it' 'What, Sir! will sense make the head ache?' 'Yes, Sir, (with a smile,) when it is not used to it.

James Boswell

Wine, Used, Made

James Boswell (1804). “The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.: Comprehending an Account of His Studies, and Numerous Works ... and Various Original Pieces ... Never Before Published ...”, p.410

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A Sceptick therefore, who because he finds that Truths are not universally received, doubts of their existence, is just as foolish as a man who should try large shoes upon little feet, and little shoes upon large feet, and finding that they did not fit.

James Boswell

Men, Shoes, Feet

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To abolish a status, which in all ages God has sanctioned, and man has continued, would not only be robbery to an innumerable class of our fellow-subjects; but it would be extreme cruelty to the African Savages, a portion of whom it saves from massacre, or intolerable bondage in their own country, and introduces into a much happier state of life; especially now when their passage to the West-Indies and their treatment there is humanely regulated.

James Boswell

Country, Men, West Indies

James Boswell (1874). “The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.: Together with A Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides”, p.239

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My curiosity to see the melancholy spectacle of the executions was so strong that I could not resist it, although I was sensible that I would suffer much from it.... I got upon a scaffold near the fatal tree so that I could clearly see all the dismal scene.... I was most terribly shocked, and thrown into a very deep melancholy.

James Boswell

Death, Strong, Tree

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When we know exactly all a man's views and how he comes to speak and act so and so, we lose any respect for him, though we may love and admire him.

James Boswell

Men, Views, May

James Boswell (1956). “London Journal, 1762-1763, as First Published in 1950 from the Original Manuscript”

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Dr Johnson said, the inscription should have been in Latin, as every thing intended to be universal and permanent, should be.

James Boswell

Latin, Should Have, Drs

James Boswell, John Wilson Croker (1831). “The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. Including a Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides: In Five Volumes”, p.384

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In every place, where there is any thing worthy of observation, there should be a short printed directory for strangers.

James Boswell

Stranger, Should, Worthy

James Boswell (1786). “The journal of a tour to the Hebrides: with Samuel Johnson, LL. D.”, p.49

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Influence must ever be in proportion to property; and it is right it should.

James Boswell

Influence, Should, Proportion

James Boswell (1874). “The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.: Together with A Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides”, p.233

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All censure of a man's self is oblique praise.

James Boswell

Men, Self, Praise

James Boswell (1820). “The life of Samuel Johnson”, p.656

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What an insignificant life is this which I am now leading!

James Boswell

Life Is, Insignificant

James Boswell (2008). “James Boswell: As His Contemporaries Saw Him”, p.188, Associated University Presse

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My father had declared a predilection for heirs general, that is, males and females indiscriminately.... I, on the other hand, had a zealous partiality for heirs male, however remote.

James Boswell

Father, Hands, Males

James Boswell (1851). “The life of Samuel Johnson. [Followed by] The journal of a tour to the Hebrides”, p.265

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Addison writes with the ease of a gentleman. His readers fancy that a wise and accomplished companion is talking to them; so thathe insinuates his sentiments and taste into their minds by an imperceptible influence. Johnson writes like a teacher. He dictates to his readers as if from an academical chair. They attend with awe and admiration; and his precepts are impressed upon them by his commanding eloquence. Addison's style, like a light wine, pleases everybody from the first. Johnson's, like a liquor of more body, seems too strong at first, but, by degrees, is highly relished.

James Boswell

Wise, Teacher, Strong

James Boswell (1827). “The life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.: comprehending an account of his studies and numerous works, in chronological order; a series of his epistolary correspondence; and conversations with many eminent persons ...”, p.58

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My definition of Man is, a Cooking Animal. The beasts have memory, judgement, and all the faculties and passions of our mind, in a certain degree; but no beast is a cook....Man alone can dress a good dish; and every man whatever is more or less a cook, in seasoning what he himself eats.

James Boswell

Memories, Passion, Animal

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Why should not the knowledge, the skill, the expertness, the assiduity, and the spirited hazards of trade and commerce, when crowned with success, be entitled to give those flattering distinctions by which mankind are so universally captivated? Such are the specious, but false arguments for a proposition which always will find numerous advocates, in a nation where men are every day starting up from obscurity to wealth. To refute them is needless. The general sense of mankind cries out, with irresistible force, "Un gentilhomme est toujours gentilhomme.

James Boswell

Men, Starting Up, Class

James Boswell (2008). “The Life of Samuel Johnson”, p.249, Wordsworth Editions

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We had some port, and drank damnation to the play and eternal remorse to the author.

James Boswell

Drinking, Play, Criticism

James Boswell (1956). “London Journal, 1762-1763, as First Published in 1950 from the Original Manuscript”

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Writing a book I have found to be like building a house. A man forms a plan, and collects materials. He thinks he has enough to raise a large and stately edifice; but after he has arranged, compacted and polished, his work turns out to be a very small performance. The authour however like the builder, knows how much labour his work has cost him; and therefore estimates it at a higher rate than other people think it deserves

James Boswell

Book, Writing, Men

James Boswell (2002). “The Journal of a Tour to Corsica and Memoirs of Pascal Paoli”

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But the question is, whether the animals who endure such sufferings of various kinds for the service and entertainment of man, would accept existence upon the terms on which they have it.

James Boswell

Animal, Men, Suffering

James Boswell (1791). “The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.: Comprehending an Account of His Studies and Numerous Works, in Chronological Order; a Series of His Epistolary Correspondence and Conversations with Many Eminent Persons; and Various Original Pieces of His Composition, Never Before Published. The Whole Exhibiting a View of Literature and Literary Men in Great-Britain, for Near Half a Century, During which He Flourished. In Two Volumes”, p.71

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[A]s a lady adjusts her dress before a mirror, a man adjusts his character by looking at his journal.

James Boswell

Character, Men, Mirrors

James Boswell, John Wilson Crocker (1853). “Boswell's Life of Johnson: Including Their Tour to the Hebrides”, p.572

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I am sensible that my keenness of temper, and a vanity to be distinguished for the day, make me too often splash in life.... I amresolved to restrain myself and attend more to decorum.

James Boswell

Ambition, Vanity, Manners

James Boswell (2001). “Boswell's Edinburgh Journals 1767-1786”, Mercat Press Books

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I make it a kind of pious rule to go to every funeral to which I am invited, both as I wish to pay a proper respect to the dead, unless their characters have been bad, and as I would wish to have the funeral of my own near relations or of myself well attended.

James Boswell

Death, Character, Funeral

James Boswell (2001). “Boswell's Edinburgh Journals 1767-1786”, Mercat Press Books

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After I went to bed I had a curious fancy as to dreams. In sleep the doors of the mind are shut, and thoughts come jumping in at the windows. They tumble headlong, and therefore are so disorderly and strange. Sometimes they are stout and light on their feet, and then they are rational dreams.

James Boswell

Dream, Sleep, Thoughtful

James Boswell (2001). “Boswell's Edinburgh Journals 1767-1786”, Mercat Press Books

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I argued that the chastity of women was of much more consequence than that of men, as the property and rights of families depend upon it.

James Boswell

Family, Men, Rights

James Boswell (1963). “Boswell: the ominous years, 1774-1776”

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After we came out of the church, we stood talking for some time together of Bishop Berkeley's ingenious sophistry to prove the non-existence of matter, and that every thing in the universe is merely ideal. I observed, that though we are satisfied his doctrine is not true, it is impossible to refute it. I never shall forget the alacrity with which Johnson answered, striking his foot with mighty force against a large stone, till he rebounded from it, "I refute it thus."

James Boswell

Philosophy, Science, Feet

James Boswell (1998). “Life of Johnson”, p.333, Oxford University Press, USA

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Boswell, when he speaks of his Life of Johnson, calls it my magnum opus, but it may more properly be called his opera, for it is truly a composition founded on a true story, in which there is a hero with a number of subordinate characters, and an alternate succession of recitative and airs of various tone and effect, all however in delightful animation.

James Boswell

Hero, Character, Air

James Boswell, Marlies K. Danziger (1989). “Boswell, the great biographer, 1789-1795”, McGraw-Hill Companies

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Born: October 29, 1740
Died: May 19, 1795
Occupation: Lawyer
Cite this Page: Citation

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