WIST Quotations

Goldsmith, Oliver -- “A City Night-Piece,” The Bee, #4 (27 Oct 1759)

Dave — Fri, 03 Jun 2016 17:56:22 +0000

Villainy, when detected, never gives up, but boldly adds impudence to imposture.

Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774) Irish poet, playwright, novelist
“A City Night-Piece,” The Bee, #4 (27 Oct 1759)
(Source)

Goldsmith, Oliver -- “On Our Theaters,” The Bee, #11 (13 Oct 1759)

Dave — Thu, 14 Jul 2016 18:52:20 +0000

People seldom improve when they have no other model but themselves to copy.

Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774) Irish poet, playwright, novelist
“On Our Theaters,” The Bee, #11 (13 Oct 1759)

Goldsmith, Oliver -- (Attributed)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips.

Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774) Irish poet, playwright, novelist
(Attributed)

Goldsmith, Oliver -- (Attributed)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

As for disappointing them I should not so much mind; but I can’t abide to disappoint myself.

Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774) Irish poet, playwright, novelist
(Attributed)

Goldsmith, Oliver -- She Stoops to Conquer, Act 3, sc. 1 (1773)

Dave — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 13:22:11 +0000

MRS. HARDCASTLE: See me, how calm I am.

MISS NEVILLE: Ay, people are generally calm at the misfortunes of others.

Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774) Irish poet, playwright, novelist
She Stoops to Conquer, Act 3, sc. 1 (1773)

Goldsmith, Oliver -- She Stoops to Conquer, Act II (1773)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

The first blow is half the battle.

Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774) Irish poet, playwright, novelist
She Stoops to Conquer, Act II (1773)

Goldsmith, Oliver -- She Stoops to Conquer, ch. 2 (1773)

Dave — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 13:44:11 +0000

Ask me no questions, and I’ll tell you no fibs.

Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774) Irish poet, playwright, novelist
She Stoops to Conquer, ch. 2 (1773)

Goldsmith, Oliver -- The Captivity, Act 1 (1764)

Dave — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 00:40:24 +0000

Aromatic plants bestow
No spicy fragrance while they grow;
But crush’d or trodden to the ground,
Diffuse their balmy sweets around.

Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774) Irish poet, playwright, novelist
The Captivity, Act 1 (1764)

Goldsmith, Oliver -- The Citizen of the World: or, Letters from a Chinese Philosopher, Residing in London, to His Friends in the East, Letter 7 (1762)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

Our greatest glory is, not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774) Irish poet, playwright, novelist
The Citizen of the World: or, Letters from a Chinese Philosopher, Residing in London, to His Friends in the East, Letter 7 (1762)
(Source)

Ostensibly from a Chinese visitor to London, Lien Chi Altangi, the letters were written by Goldsmith and published in The Public Ledger in 1760-61. Letter 22 has the similar "True magnanimity consists not in NEVER falling, but in RISING every time we fall."

The saying is often attributed to Confucius (Letter 7's introduction implied that they were), but is not found in Confucius' work. The saying is also sometimes attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson. See here for more discussion.

Goldsmith, Oliver -- The Citizen of the World, Letter 44 (1762)

Dave — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 13:49:22 +0000

Whichever way we look the prospect is disagreeable. Behind, we have left pleasures we shall never more enjoy, and therefore regret; and before we see pleasures which we languish to possess, and are, consequently, uneasy till we possess them.

Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774) Irish poet, playwright, novelist
The Citizen of the World, Letter 44 (1762)

Goldsmith, Oliver -- The Good-Natur’d Man, ch. 1 (1768)

Dave — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:39:21 +0000

There are some faults so nearly allied to excellence that we can scarce weed out the vice without eradicating the virtue.

Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774) Irish poet, playwright, novelist
The Good-Natur’d Man, ch. 1 (1768)

Goldsmith, Oliver -- The Good-Natur’d Man, ch. 3 (1768)

Dave — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 12:59:48 +0000

The ingratitude of the world can never deprive us of the conscious happiness of having acted with humanity ourselves.

Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774) Irish poet, playwright, novelist
The Good-Natur’d Man, ch. 3 (1768)

Goldsmith, Oliver -- The Good-Natur’d Man, Epilogue (1768)

Dave — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 13:19:49 +0000

Blame where you must, be candid where you can,
And be each critic the Good-Natured Man.

Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774) Irish poet, playwright, novelist
The Good-Natur’d Man, Epilogue (1768)
(Source)

Goldsmith, Oliver -- The History of England; in a Series of Letters from a Nobleman to His Son, Letter 1 (1764)

Dave — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 04:15:16 +0000

Those masters who allege the incapacity of tender years, only tacitly reproach their own: those who are incapable of teaching young minds to reason, pretend that it is impossible. The truth is they are fonder of making their pupils talk well than think well; and much the greater number are better qualified to give praise to a ready memory than a sound judgment.

Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774) Irish poet, playwright, novelist
The History of England; in a Series of Letters from a Nobleman to His Son, Letter 1 (1764)
(Source)

Goldsmith, Oliver -- The Traveler; Or, A Prospect of Society (1764)

Dave — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 13:16:20 +0000

Like the tiger, that seldom desists from pursuing man after having once preyed upon human flesh, the reader, who has once gratified his appetite with calumny, makes ever after, the most agreeable feast upon murdered reputation.

Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774) Irish poet, playwright, novelist
The Traveler; Or, A Prospect of Society (1764)

Goldsmith, Oliver -- The Traveller: Or, A Prospect of Society (1764)

Dave — Thu, 07 Aug 2014 12:52:27 +0000

Every absurdity has now a champion to defend it: and as he is generally much in the wrong, so he has always much to say; for error is ever talkative.

Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774) Irish poet, playwright, novelist
The Traveller: Or, A Prospect of Society (1764)

Goldsmith, Oliver -- Comment (26 Oct 1769)

Dave — Fri, 06 Jun 2014 13:42:48 +0000

There is no arguing with Johnson; for when his pistol misses fire, he knocks you down with the butt end of it.

Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774) Irish poet, playwright, novelist
Comment (26 Oct 1769)

In James Boswell, Life of Johnson, "26 October 1769" (1791)

Goldsmith, Oliver -- Poem (1769) “The Deserted Village,” ll. 51-52

Dave — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 16:49:55 +0000

Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey
Where wealth accumulates, and men decay.

Oliver Goldsmith (1730-1774) Irish poet, playwright, novelist
Poem (1769) “The Deserted Village,” ll. 51-52
(Source)