WIST Quotations

Johnson, Samuel -- Essay (1753-06-26), The Adventurer, No. 67

Dave — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 23:53:08 +0000

Happiness is enjoyed only in proportion as it is known; and such is the state or folly of man, that it is known only by experience of its contrary: we who have long lived amidst the conveniencies of a town immensely populous, have scarce an idea of a place where desire cannot be gratified by money. In order to have a just sense of this artificial plenty, it is necessary to have passed some time in a distant colony, or those parts of our island which are thinly inhabited: he that has once known how many trades every man in such situations is compelled to exercise, with how much labour the products of nature must be accommodated to human use, how long the loss or defect of any common utensil must be endured, or by what awkward expedients it must be supplied, how far men may wander with money in their hands before any can sell them what they wish to buy, will know how to rate at its proper value the plenty and ease of a great city.

Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) English writer, lexicographer, critic
Essay (1753-06-26), The Adventurer, No. 67
(Source)

McCracken, Elizabeth -- The Giant’s House [Peggy] (1997)

Dave — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 22:57:36 +0000

Library books were, I suddenly realized, promiscuous, ready to lie in the arms of anyone who asked. Not like bookstore books, which married their purchasers, or were brokered for marriages to others.

Elizabeth McCracken (b. 1966) American author
The Giant’s House [Peggy] (1997)
(Source)

Wiener, Norbert -- The Human Use of Human Beings, ch. 7 (1954)

Dave — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 19:22:22 +0000

A conscience which has been bought once will be bought twice.

Norbert Wiener (1894-1964) American mathematician and philosopher
The Human Use of Human Beings, ch. 7 (1954)
(Source)

Martial -- Epigrams [Epigrammata], Book 2, epigram 20 (2.20) (AD 86) [tr. Pott & Wright (1921)]

Dave — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 20:01:31 +0000

Paul reads as his own all the poems he buys.
Well, all that he pays for is his, I surmise.

[Carmina Paulus emit, recitat sua carmina Paulus.
Nam quod emas, possis iure vocare tuum.]

Martial (AD c.39-c.103) Spanish Roman poet, satirist, epigrammatist [Marcus Valerius Martialis]
Epigrams [Epigrammata], Book 2, epigram 20 (2.20) (AD 86) [tr. Pott & Wright (1921)]
(Source)

Martial returns to this theme (and Paulus) in epigram 6.12. Original Latin. Alternate translations:

Paulus buys verse, recites, and owns them all,
For what thou buy'st, thou may'st thine truly call.
[tr. Fletcher (1656)]

Bought verses for his own Paul doth recite,
For what you buy you may call yours by right.
[tr. Wright (1663)]

Paul verses buys; and what he buys, recites.
Alike his own are what he buys and writes.
[tr. Elphinson (1782)]

Sly Paul buys verse as he buys merchandise,
Then for his own he'll pompously recite it --
Paul scorns a lie -- the poetry is his --
By law his own, although he could not write it.
[tr. New Monthly Magazine (1825)]

Paulus buys verses; Paulus recites his own verses. And they are his own, for that which you buy, you have a right to call yours.
[tr. Amos (1858), 2.32]

Paullus buys poems, and aloud,
As his, recites them to the crowd.
For what you buy it is well known
You have a right to call your own.
[tr. Webb (1879)]

Paulus buys verses: Paulus recites his own verses; and what you buy you may legally call your own.
[tr. Bohn's Classical (1897)]

Paullus buys poems; his own poems he'll recite,
For what he buys is surely his by right.
[ed. Harbottle (1897)]

Paulus buys a book of verse
And reads us then his own.
One's right, of course, to what one buys
Can legally be shown.
[tr. Nixon (1911)]

Paul buys up poems, and to your surprise,
Paul then recites them as his own:
And Paul is right; for what a person buys
Is his, as can by law be shown!
[tr. Duff (1929)]

Paulus buys poems, Paulus recites
his own poems. What you can buy
you are entitled to call your own.
[tr. Bovie (1970)]

He buys up poems for recital
And then as "author" reads.
Why not? The purchase proves the title.
our words become his "deeds."
[tr. Michie (1972)]

Paulus buys poems, Paulus recites his poems. For what you buy, you may rightly call your own.
[tr. Shackleton Bailey (1993)]

Paulus buys poems; Paulus gives readings from his poems.
After all, what you buy you can rightfully call your own.
[tr. Williams (2004)]

A poet's name is what you sought.
The name, you found, is all you bought.
[tr. Wills (2007)]

Paulus buys verse, which he recites as his,
for if the things you buy aren't yours, what is?
[tr. McLean (2014)]

Paul is reciting poems he buys.
At least he doesn’t plagiarize.
[tr. Juster (2016)]

Billings, Josh -- Josh Billings’ Trump Kards, ch. 14 “A Ghost” (1874)

Dave — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 13:12:46 +0000

Munny will buy a pretty good dog, but it wont buy the wag ov hiz tale.

[Money will buy a pretty good dog, but it won’t buy the wag of his tail.]

Josh Billings (1818-1885) American humorist, aphorist [pseud. of Henry Wheeler Shaw]
Josh Billings’ Trump Kards, ch. 14 “A Ghost” (1874)
(Source)