Sydney Smith
Sydney Smith
Sydney Smithwas an English wit, writer and Anglican cleric...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionClergyman
Date of Birth3 June 1771
happiness happy hence mankind memory twenty
Mankind are always happy for having been happy; so that, if you make them happy now, you make them happy twenty years hence by the memory of it
burning charm days direct food given god laughter life man marble plain steps support ways
Man could direct his ways by plain reason, and support his life by tasteless food, but God has given us wit, and flavor, and brightness, and laughter to enliven the days of man's pilgrimage, and to charm his pained steps over the burning marble
faith man reason render within
It is always right that a man should be able to render a reason for the faith that is within him.
bishop convinced heard judas succession
Having heard the bishop I am now convinced of the apostolic succession from Judas Iscariot
bones dreadful flesh found left sit
Heat, ma'am!" I said; "it was so dreadful here, that I found there was nothing left for it but to take off my flesh and sit in my bones
fool fools-and-foolishness law man talks
The man who talks of an unalterable law is probably an unalterable fool
courage deal great lost talent
A great deal of talent is lost in the world for want of courage.
bread class common inspires pleasures prefer rich sight
All this class of pleasures inspires me with the same nausea as I feel at the sight of rich plum-cake or sweetmeats; I prefer the driest bread of common life.
blaze born child chuckle drawn free grown house limbs might nation revolutions-and-revolutionaries single sword vigor
A nation grown free in a single day is a child born with the limbs and the vigor of a man, who would take a drawn sword for his rattle, and set the house in a blaze that he might chuckle over the splendor.
army views trust-in-god
Take short views, hope for the best and trust in God.