Richard Francis Burton
Richard Francis Burton
Sir Richard Francis Burton KCMG FRGSwas a British explorer, geographer, translator, writer, soldier, orientalist, cartographer, ethnologist, spy, linguist, poet, fencer, and diplomat. He was famed for his travels and explorations in Asia, Africa and the Americas, as well as his extraordinary knowledge of languages and cultures. According to one count, he spoke 29 European, Asian and African languages...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionExplorer
Date of Birth19 March 1821
aroused morning
Between 2 and 3 in the morning of the 19th inst. I was aroused by the cry that the enemy was upon us.
surrounded
Wherever we halted we were surrounded by wandering troops of Bedouins.
clubs dozen energetic hoped pushes rattled rendered save strokes surrounded thus time uncertain whose
I was surrounded at the time by about a dozen of the enemy, whose clubs rattled upon me without mercy, and the strokes of my sabre were rendered uncertain by the energetic pushes of an attendant who thus hoped to save me.
death man
One death to a man is a serious thing: a dozen neutralize one another.
against former however support
Support a compatriot against a native, however the former may blunder or plunder.
lines infinite ends
The Now, that indivisible point which studs the length of infinite line Whose ends are nowhere, is thine all , the puny all thou callest thine.
fall passion son
Travellers, like poets, are mostly an angry race: by falling into a daily fit of passion, I proved to the governor and his son, who were profuse in their attentions, that I was in earnest.
men self years
Friends of my youth, a last adieu! Haply some day we meet again: Ye ne'er the self-same men shall meet; the years shall make us other men.
book son thinking
I'd like to be born the son of a duke with 90,000 pounds a year, on an enormous estate.... And I'd like to have the most enormous library, and I'd like to think that I could read those books forever and forever, and die unlamented, unknown, unsung, unhonored - and packed with information.
wise witty art
[Shahrazad] had perused the books, annals and legends of preceding Kings, and the stories, examples and instances of by gone men and things; indeed it was said that she had collected a thousand books of histories relating to antique races and departed rulers. She had perused the works of the poets and knew them by heart; she had studied philosophy and the sciences, arts and accomplishments; and she was pleasant and polite, wise and witty, well read and well bred.
life clue reason
Reason is Life's sole arbiter, themagic Laby'rinth's single clue...
book home
Home is where the books are
men fit he-man
The men were wild as ourang-outans, and the women fit only to flog cattle.
believe light lamps
For each believes his glimm'ering lamp to be the gorgeous light of day.