Charles Caleb Colton Quotes
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Friendship, of itself a holy tie, is made more sacred by adversity.
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Marriage is a feast where the grace is sometimes better than the dinner.
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From the preponderance of talent, we may always infer the soundness and vigour of the commonwealth; but from the preponderance of riches, its dotage and degeneration.
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In religion as in politics it so happens that we have less charity for those who believe half our creed, than for those who deny the whole of it.
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If you cannot inspire a woman with love of you, fill her above the brim with love of herself; all that runs over will be yours.
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Silence is foolish if we are wise, but wise if we are foolish.
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To know a man, observe how he wins his object, rather than how he loses it; for when we fail, our pride supports us - when we succeed, it betrays us.
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It is always safe to learn, even from our enemies; seldom safe to venture to instruct, even our friends.
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Drunkenness is the vice of a good constitution or of a bad memory-of a constitution so treacherously good that it never bends till it breaks; or of a memory that recollects the pleasures of getting intoxicated, but forgets the pains of getting sober.
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Wealth after all is a relative thing since he that has little and wants less is richer than he that has much and wants more.
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He who studies books alone will know how things ought to be, and he who studies men will know how they are.
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The two most precious things this side of the grave are our reputation and our life. But it is to be lamented that the most contemptible whisper may deprive us of the one, and the weakest weapon of the other.
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To be obliged to beg our daily happiness from others bespeaks a more lamentable poverty than that of him who begs his daily bread.
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To know the pains of power, we must go to those who have it; to know its pleasures, we must go to those who are seeking it; the pains of power are real, its pleasures imaginary.
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Instead of exhibiting talent in the hope that the world would forgive their eccentricities, they have exhibited only their eccentricities, in the hope that the world would give them credit for talent.
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Contemporaries appreciate the person rather than their merit, posterity will regard the merit rather than the person.
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The drafts which true genius draws upon posterity, although they may not always be honored so soon as they are due, are sure to be paid with compound interest in the end.
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Much may be done in those little shreds and patches of time which every day produces, and which most men throw away.
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Corruption is like a ball of snow, once it's set a rolling it must increase.
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The firmest of friendships have been formed in mutual adversity, as iron is most strongly united by the fiercest flame.
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Times of great calamity and confusion have been productive for the greatest minds. The purest ore is produced from the hottest furnace. The brightest thunder-bolt is elicited from the darkest storm.
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Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
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There is nothing more imprudent than excessive prudence.
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Patience is the support of weakness; impatience the ruin of strength.