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
guarded requires scarcely sentinel virtue worth
The virtue which requires to be ever guarded is scarcely worth the sentinel
virtue guarded scarce
That virtue which requires to be ever guarded is scarce worth the sentinel.
want virtue prudence
Want of prudence is too frequently the want of virtue.
hands selfishness virtue
While selfishness joins hands with no one of the virtues, benevolence is allied to them all.
speak virtue
We seldom speak of the virtue which we have, but much oftener of that which we lack.
virtue tenderness
Tenderness is a virtue.
modesty virtue breasts
Modesty seldom resides in a breast that is not enriched with nobler virtues.
fond pursue
Too fond of the right to pursue the expedient.
subject winds
Is he like Burke, who winds into a subject like a serpent?
absurdity champion defend error talkative
Every absurdity has a champion to defend it, for error is always talkative
children endearing followed good share
Even children followed with endearing wile,/ And plucked his gown, to share the good man's smile.
aims far heart house known learned raise relieved skilled wretched
Far other aims his heart had learned to prize, / More skilled to raise the wretched than to rise. / His house was known to all the vagrant train, / He chid their wanderings, but relieved their pain.
defiance eye human lords pass pride
Pride in their port, defiance in their eye I see the Lords of human kind pass by.
copy improve model people seldom themselves
People seldom improve when they have no other model but themselves to copy after