244 Quotes by Thomas B. Macaulay

War is never lenient but where it is wanton; where men are compelled to fight in self-defence, they must hate and avenge. This may be bad, but it is human nature; it is the clay as it came from the hands of the Potter.

A dominant religion is never ascetic.

Turn where we may, within, around, the voice of great events is proclaiming to us, Reform, that you may preserve!

Scotland by no means escaped the fate ordained for every country which is connected, but not incorporated, with another country of greater resources.

Office of itself does much to equalize politicians. It by no means brings all characters to a level; but it does bring high characters down and low characters up towards a common standard.

We hold that the most wonderful and splendid proof of genius is a great poem produced in a civilized age.

A government cannot be wrong in punishing fraud or force, but it is almost certain to be wrong if, abandoning its legitimate function, it tells private individuals that it knows their business better than they know it themselves.

There is surely no contradiction in saying that a certain section of the community may be quite competent to protect the persons and property of the rest, yet quite unfit to direct our opinions, or to superintend our private habits.

The opinion of the great body of the reading public is very materially influenced even by the unsupported assertions of those who assume a right to criticize.