William Hazlitt
William Hazlitt
William Hazlittwas an English writer, drama and literary critic, painter, social commentator, and philosopher. He is now considered one of the greatest critics and essayists in the history of the English language, placed in the company of Samuel Johnson and George Orwell. He is also acknowledged as the finest art critic of his age. Despite his high standing among historians of literature and art, his work is currently little read and mostly out of print...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionCritic
Date of Birth10 April 1778
kings character imagination
Kings ought never to be seen upon the stage. In the abstract, they are very disagreeable characters: it is only while living that they are 'the best of kings'. It is their power, their splendour, it is the apprehension of the personal consequences of their favour or their hatred that dazzles the imagination and suspends the judgement of their favourites or their vassals; but death cancels the bond of allegiance and of interest; and seen AS THEY WERE, their power and their pretensions look monstrous and ridiculous.
hurt men humanity
That humanity and sincerity which dispose men to resist injustice and tyranny render them unfit to cope with the cunning and power of those who are opposed to them. The friends of liberty trust to the professions of others because they are themselves sincere, and endeavour to secure the public good with the least possible hurt to its enemies, who have no regard to anything but their own unprincipled ends, and stick at nothing to accomplish them.
friendship meat cold
Old friendships are like meats served up repeatedly, cold, comfortless, and distasteful. The stomach turns against them.
art
The art of pleasing consists in being pleased.
men reflection coward
Reflection makes men cowards.
strong diversity prejudice
There is no prejudice so strong as that which arises from a fancied exemption from all prejudice.
wise men idiot
There is no one thoroughly despicable. We cannot descend much lower than an idiot; and an idiot has some advantages over a wise man.
men proud lasts
The truly proud man knows neither superiors or inferiors. The first he does not admit of - the last he does not concern himself about.
temper features
Good temper is one of the greatest preservers of the features.
book language scholar
A scholar is like a book written in a dead language. It is not every one that can read in it.
spiritual alive speak
Those who speak ill of the spiritual life, although they come and go by day, are like the smith's bellows: they take breath but are not alive.
essence world prejudice
Almost every sect of Christianity is a perversion of its essence, to accommodate it to the prejudices of the world.
self excellence mistress
We often choose a friend as we do a mistress - for no particular excellence in themselves, but merely from some circumstance that flatters our self-love.
wisdom heart judging
The seat of knowledge is in the head; of wisdom, in the heart. We are sure to judge wrong, if we do not feel right.