Laurence Sterne Quotes
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Tant pis and tant mieux, being two of the great hinges in French conversation, a stranger would do well to set himself right in the use of them before he gets to Paris.
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'Tis known by the name of perseverance in a good cause - and of obstinacy in a bad one.
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Shall we be destined to the days of eternity, on holy-days, as well as working-days, to be showing the relics of learning, as monks do the relics of their saints - without working one - one single miracle with them?
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Great wits jump.
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I believe in my conscience I intercept many a thought which heaven intended for another man.
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I wish either my father or my mother, or indeed both of them, as they were in duty both equally bound to it, had minded what they were about when they begot me.
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I have got him fast hung up, quoth Didius to himself, upon one of the two horns of my dilemma - let him get off as he can.
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So long as a man rides his hobbyhorse peaceably and quietly along the King's highway, and neither compels you or me to get up behind him - pray, Sir, what have either you or I to do with it?
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As we jogg on, either laugh with me, or at me, or in short do any thing—only keep your temper.
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Of all the cants which are canted in this canting world, - though the cant of hypocrites may be the worst, - the cant of criticism is the most tormenting!
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Trust that man in nothing who has not a conscience in everything.
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The history of a soldier's wound beguiles the pain of it.
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God tempers the wind, said Maria, to the shorn lamb.
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Ho! 'tis the time of salads.
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Go poor Devil, get thee gone, why should I hurt thee? - This world surely is wide enough to hold both thee and me.
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Writing, when properly managed, (as you may be sure I think mine is) is but a different name for conversation.
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Digressions, incontestably, are the sunshine; -& they are the life, the soul of reading; - take them out of this book for instance, - you might as well take the book along with them.
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The desire of knowledge, like the thirst of riches, increases ever with the acquisition of it.
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Only the brave know how to forgive...A coward never forgave; it is not in his nature.
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He was within a few hours of giving his enemies the slip forever.
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They order, said I, this matter better in France.
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The Accusing Spirit which flew up to heaven's chancery with the oath, blush'd as he gave it in; and the Recording Angel as he wrote it down, dropp'd a tear upon the word, and blotted it out forever.
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Whistled up to London, upon a Tom Fool's errand.
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For every ten jokes, thou hast got a hundred enemies.