A man who writes a book, thinks himself wiser or wittier than the rest of mankind; he supposes that he can instruct or amuse them, and the publick to whom he appeals, must, after all, be the judges of his pretensions.

A writer only begins a book. A reader finishes it.

I never desire to converse with a man who has written more than he has read.

The only end of writing is to enable readers better to enjoy life or better to endure it.

I would rather be attacked than unnoticed. For the worst thing you can do to an author is to be silent as to his works.

The greatest part of a writer's time is spent in reading, in order to write: a man will turn over half a library to make one book.

Read over your compositions, and wherever you meet with a passage which you think is particularly fine, strike it out.

It is advantageous to an author that his book should be attacked as well as praised. Fame is a shuttlecock. If it be struck at one end of the room, it will soon fall to the ground. To keep it up, it must be struck at both ends.

A Poet, Naturalist, and Historian, Who left scarcely any style of writing untouched, And touched nothing that he did not adorn.