Samuel Johnson Quotes About Abuse

• Abuse is often of service. There is nothing so dangerous to an author as silence.

  Samuel Johnson

  Writing, Silence, Abuse

  Samuel Johnson (1840). “The Life and Writings of Samuel Johnson...”, p.51

• If the abuse be enormous, nature will rise up, and claiming her original rights, overturn a corrupt political system.

  Samuel Johnson

  Rights, Political, Abuse

  James Boswell, Samuel Johnson, Edmond Malone (1824). “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”, p.373

• You may abuse a tragedy, though you cannot write one. You may scold a carpenter who has made you a bad table, though you cannot make a table. It is not your trade to make tables.

  Samuel Johnson

  Writing, Abuse, Criticism

  On literary criticism, in James Boswell 'The Life of Samuel Johnson' (1791) vol. 1, p. 409 (25 June 1763)

• The difference between coarse and refined abuse is the difference between being bruised by a club and wounded by a poisoned arrow.

  Samuel Johnson

  Differences, Arrows, Abuse

  Samuel Johnson, James Boswell (1825). “The Table Talk of Dr. Johnson: Comprising Opinions and Anecdotes of Life and Literature, Men, Manners, and Morals”, p.160

• It is better a man should be abused than forgotten.

  Samuel Johnson

  Men, Abuse, Forgotten

  Samuel Johnson (1836). “Johnsoniana; or supplement to Boswell; being Anecdotes and sayings of Dr. Johnson, etc”, p.57

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