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
rain cat tumbling-down
Sweeping from butcher's stalls, dung, guts, and blood, Drown'd puppies, stinking sprats, all drench'd in mud, Dead cats, and turnip-tops, come tumbling down the flood.
rain cat giving
Careful observers may foretell the hour (By sure prognostics) when to dread a show'r. While rain depends, the pensive cat gives o'er Her frolics, and pursues her tail no more.
rain feuds politics
Triumphant Tories, and desponding Whigs, Forget their feuds, and join to save their wigs.
ate bold risk
It was a bold person that first ate an oyster.
knowledge pretend pretense
Pretense is the overrating of any kind of knowledge we pretend to.
places proper true words
Proper words in proper places make the true definiton of style.
definition places proper true words
Proper words in proper places make the true definition of style.
broken promises
Promises and Pye-Crusts - are made to be broken
ad bite flea fleas hath proceed smaller
So, naturalists observe, a flea - Hath smaller fleas that on him prey; And these have smaller still to bite 'em; And so proceed ad infinitum
art seeing vision
Vision is the art of seeing things invisible.
child daughter pride war
War is the child of Pride, and Pride the daughter of Riches.
blades country deserves ears essential grass grew grow race service together whoever
Whoever makes two ears of corn, or two blades of grass to grow where only one grew before, deserves better of mankind, and does more essential service to his country than the whole race of politicians put together
belly bones rest
When the belly is full, the bones would be at rest
abroad bred company returned traveler worst
Usually speaking, the worst bred person in company is a young traveler just returned from abroad