Charles Caleb Colton Quotes - Page 20

• With the offspring of genius, the law of parturition is reversed; the throes are in the conception, the pleasure in the birth.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Law, Genius, Talent

  Charles Caleb Colton (1836). “Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.300

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• We must be careful how we flatter fools too little, or wise men too much, for the flatterer must act the very reverse of the physician, and administer the strongest dose only to the weakest patient.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Wise, Men, Physicians

  Philip Dormer Stanhope (4th earl of Chesterfield.), Charles Caleb Colton (1861). “Lord Chesterfield's advice to his son on men and manners. To which are added, selections from Colton's 'Lacon'.”, p.154

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• Flattery is often a traffic of mutual meanness, where although both parties intend deception, neither are deceived.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Party, Deception, Flattery

  Charles Caleb Colton (1836). “Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.439

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• The avarice of the miser may be termed the grand sepulchral of all his other passions, as they successively decay.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Passion, Greed, Decay

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• This world cannot explain its own difficulties without the assistance of another.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Heaven, World, Difficulty

  Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.228

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• Whenever we find ourselves more inclined to persecute than to persuade, we may then be certain that our zeal has more of pride in it than of charity.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Pride, May, Charity

  Charles Caleb Colton (1836). “Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.25

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• The science of legislation is like that of medicine in one respect: that it is far more easy to point out what will do harm than what will do good.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Medicine, Easy, Legislation

  Charles Caleb Colton (1823). “Remarks on the Talents of Lord Byron and the Tendencies of Don Juan”, p.219

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• He [the miser] falls down and worships the god of this world, but will have neither its pomps, its vanities nor its pleasures for his trouble.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Fall, Vanity, World

  Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.26

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

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Money, Giving, Grace

  Charles Caleb COLTON (1849). “L.P.”, p.214

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• When in reading we meet with any maxim that may be of use, we should take it for our own, and make an immediate application of it, as we would of the advice of a friend whom we have purposely consulted.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Book, Reading, Advice

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• Nothing more completely baffles one who is full of trick and duplicity than straigthforward and simple integrity in another. A knave would rather quarrel with a brother knave than with a fool, but he would rather avoid a quarrel with one honest man than with both. He can combat a fool by management and address, and he can conquer a knave by temptations. But the honest man is neither to be bamboozled nor bribed.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Brother, Integrity, Simple

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• Pedantry prides herself on being wrong by rules; while common sense is contented to be right without them.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Pride, Common Sense, Prudence

  Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.35

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• What is earthly happiness? that phantom of which we hear so much, and see so little; whose promises are constantly given and constantly broken, but as constantly believed; that cheats us with the sound instead of the substance, and with the blossom instead of the fruit. Like Juno, she is a goddess in pursuit, but a cloud in possession.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Happiness, Clouds, Broken

  Charles Caleb Colton (1832). “Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”

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• Of all the passions, jealousy is that which exacts the hardest service, and pays the bitterest wages. Its service is to watch the success of one's enemy; its wages to be sure of it.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Jealousy, Passion, Envy

  Charles Caleb Colton (1849). “Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words: Address--to Those who Think”, p.39

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• The only things in which we can be said to have any property are our actions. Our thoughts may be bad, yet produce no poison; they may be good, yet produce no fruit. Our riches may be taken away by misfortune, our reputation by malice, our spirits by calamity, our health by disease, our friends by death. But our actions must follow us beyond the grave; with respect to them alone, we cannot say that we shall carry nothing with us when we die, neither that we shall go naked out of the world.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Respect, Taken, Healthy

  Charles Caleb Colton (1832). “Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.38

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• In cases of doubtful morality, it is usual to say is there any harm in doing this? This question may sometimes be best answered by asking ourselves another; is there any harm in letting it alone?

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Asking, May, Usual

  Charles Caleb COLTON (1849). “L.P.”, p.238

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• In all societies, it is advisable to associate if possible with the highest; not that the highest are always the best, but because, if disgusted there, we can descend at any time; but if we begin with the lowest, to ascend is impossible.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Association, Impossible, Disgusted

  Charles Caleb Colton (1832). “Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.22

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• Never join with your friend when he abuses his horse or his wife, unless the one is about to be sold, the other to be buried.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Horse, Funny Friend, Wife

  Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.171

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• Love is an alliance of friendship and animalism; if the former predominates it is passion exalted and refined; if the latter, gross and sensual.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Love, Passion, Lost Friendship

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• Ambition makes the same mistake concerning power that avarice makes concerning wealth. She begins by accumulating power as a means to happiness, and she finishes by continuing to accumulate it as an end.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Happiness, Mistake, Ambition

  Charles Caleb Colton (1823). “Remarks on the Talents of Lord Byron and the Tendencies of Don Juan”, p.84

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• Expect not praise without envy until you are dead.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Humor, Envy, Praise

  Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.128

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• Were we as eloquent as angels we still would please people much more by listening rather than talking.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Angel, Talking, People

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• With books, as with companions, it is of more consequence to know which to avoid, than which to choose; for good books are as scarce as good companions...

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Book, Writing, Companion

  "Lacon, Or, Many Things in Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think". Book by Charles Caleb Colton, 1820.

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• I will not be revenged, and this I owe to my enemy; but I will remember, and this I owe to myself.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Revenge, Enemy, Remember

  Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.30

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• No disorders have employed so many quacks, as those that have no cure; and no sciences have exercised so many quills, as those that have no certainty.

  Charles Caleb Colton

  Science, Disorder, Cures

  Charles Caleb Colton (1836). “Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.377

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