Sydney Smith
Sydney Smith
Sydney Smithwas an English wit, writer and Anglican cleric...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionClergyman
Date of Birth3 June 1771
intended nature thousand worse
Be what nature intended you for, and you will succeed; be anything else and you will be ten thousand times worse than nothing
desert intended line nature thousand whatever worse
Whatever you are from nature, keep to it; never desert your own line of talent. Be what nature intended you for, and you will succeed; be anything else, and you will be ten thousand times worse than nothing.
army politeness good-nature
Politeness is good nature regulated by good sense.
confidence courage nature
A great deal of talent is lost to the world for want of a little courage. Every day sends to their graves obscure men whose timidity prevented them from making a first effort.
cannot joined pair punishing resembles
It resembles a pair of shears, so joined that they cannot be separated, often moving in opposite directions, yet always punishing anyone who comes between them.
best
Live always in the best company when you read.
base flexible gained good moderately safest
It is safest to be moderately base - to be flexible in shame, and to be always ready for what is generous, good, and just, when anything is to be gained by virtue.
berkeley bishop destroyed similar time volume
Bishop Berkeley destroyed this world in one volume octavo; and nothing remained, after his time, but mind; which experienced a similar fate from the hand of Mr. Hume in 1737.
great
What you don't know would make a great book.
business love
To business that we love we rise bedtime, and go to't with delight.
science
Science is his forte, and omniscience his foible.
Poverty us no disgrace to a man, but it is confoundedly inconvenient.
helps men
Heaven never helps the men who will not act.
eleven far lemon living miles yorkshire
My living in Yorkshire was so far out of the way, that it was eleven miles away from a lemon