2,116 Quotes by Samuel Johnson

Life of Ages, richly poured, Love of God unspent and free, Flowing in the Prophet's word And the People's liberty! Never was to chosen race That unstinted tide confined; Thine is every time and place, Fountain sweet of heart and mind!

Before dinner men meet with great inequality of understanding.

I remember very well, when I was at Oxford, an old gentleman said to me, "Young man, ply your book diligently now, and acquire a stock of knowledge; for when years come upon you, you will find that poring upon books will be but an irksome task.

Good breeding consists in having no particular mark of any profession, but a general elegance of manners.

Human experience, which is constantly contradicting theory, is the great test of truth. A system, built upon the discoveries of a great many minds, is always of more strength, than what is produced by the mere workings of any one mind, which, of itself, can do very little. There is not so poor a book in the world that would not be a prodigious effort were it wrought out entirely by a single mind, without the aid of prior investigators.

Bashfulness may sometimes exclude pleasure, but seldom opens any avenue to sorrow or remorse.

Just praise is only a debt, but flattery is a present.

Any of us would kill a cow rather than not have beef.

I will take no more physick, not even my opiates; for I have prayed that I may render up my soul to God unclouded.