Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swiftwas an Anglo-Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer, poet and cleric who became Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin...
NationalityIrish
ProfessionWriter
Date of Birth30 November 1667
CountryIreland
humility pride vanity
Vanity is a mark of humility rather than of pride.
literature poison beast
Human brutes, like other beasts, find snares and poison in the provision of life, and are allured by their appetites to their destruction.
birthday people soul
Interest is the spur of the people, but glory that of great souls. Invention is the talent of youth, and judgment of age.
mistake coffee voice
It is the folly of too many to mistake the echo of a London coffee-house for the voice of the kingdom.
understanding together world
Once kick the world, and the world and you will live together at a reasonably good understanding.
rogues literature fiddlers
He was a fiddler, and consequently a rogue.
success congratulations sadness
The power of fortune is confessed only by the miserable, for the happy impute all their success to prudence or merit.
happiness success heaven
If Heaven had looked upon riches to be a valuable thing, it would not have given them to such a scoundrel.
children fighting men
Most sorts of diversion in men, children and other animals, are in imitation of fighting.
believe men liberty
Liberty of conscience is nowadays only understood to be the liberty of believing what men please, but also of endeavoring to propagate that belief as much as they can.
reeds danger secrecy
When I am in danger of bursting, I will go and whisper among the reeds.
rose secrecy ends
Under the rose, since here are none but friends, To own the truth we have some private ends.
satire offence
Satire, being levelled at all, is never resented for an offence by any.
wise time age
The latter part of a wise person's life is occupied with curing the follies, prejudices and false opinions they contracted earlier.