Oliver Goldsmith
Oliver Goldsmith
Oliver Goldsmithwas an Irish novelist, playwright and poet, who is best known for his novel The Vicar of Wakefield, his pastoral poem The Deserted Village, and his plays The Good-Natur'd Manand She Stoops to Conquer. He is thought to have written the classic children's tale The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes...
NationalityIrish
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth10 November 1730
CountryIreland
desire age increase
Age, that lessens the enjoyment of life, increases our desire of living
pay prejudice tribute
Persecution is a tribute the great must always pay for preeminence.
horse character house
When any one of our relations was found to be a person of a very bad character, a troublesome guest, or one we desired to get rid of, upon his leaving my house I ever took care to lend him a riding-coat, or a pair of boots, or sometimes a horse of small value, and I always had the satisfaction of finding he never came back to return them.
display universal incredulity
Nothing is so contemptible as that affectation of wisdom, which some display, by universal incredulity.
lying archer heart
The heart of every man lies open to the shafts of correction if the archer can take proper aim.
country men years
A man he was to all the country dear, And passing rich with forty pounds a year.
real men might
What real good does an addition to a fortune already sufficient procure? Not any. Could the great man, by having his fortune increased, increase also his appetites, then precedence might be attended with real amusement.
men flesh reputation
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 reputations!
school boys years
A boy will learn more true wisdom in a public school in a year than by a private education in five. It is not from masters, but from their equals, that youth learn a knowledge of the world.
greatness style way
The way to acquire lasting esteem is not by the fewness of a writer's faults, but the greatness of his beauties, and our noblest works are generally most replete with both.
thinking toil
Those who think must govern those that toil.
successful riches wealth
The jests of the rich are ever successful.
amusement lasts firsts
Those who place their affections at first on trifles for amusement, will find these trifles become at last their most serious concerns.
puff peppers flattery
Of praise a mere glutton, he swallow'd what came, And the puff a dunce, he mistook it for fame; Till his relish grown callous, almost to displease, Who pepper'd the highest was surest to please.