Books are the depositary of everything that is most honourable to man. William Godwin More Quotes by William Godwin More Quotes From William Godwin He that revels in a well-chosen library, has innumerable dishes, and all of admirable flavour. William Godwin libraryflavordishes Books gratify and excite our curiosity in innumerable ways. William Godwin curiositybookway Of Belief Human mathematics, so to speak, like the length of life, are subject to the doctrine of chances. William Godwin length-of-lifedoctrinestatistics No maxim can be more pernicious than that which would teach us to consult the temper of the times, and to tell only so much as we imagine our contemporaries will be able to bear. William Godwin imagineablebears Study with desire is real activity; without desire it is but the semblance and mockery of activity. William Godwin studyrealdesire The subtleties of mathematics defecate the grossness of our apprehension, and supply the elements of a sounder and severer logic. William Godwin logicelementsstatistics Hereditary wealth is in reality a premium paid to idleness. William Godwin premiumwealthreality Literature, taken in all its bearings, forms the grand line of demarcation between the human and the animal kingdoms. William Godwin takenliteratureanimal He has no right to his life when his duty calls him to resign it. Other men are bound ... to deprive him of life or liberty, if that should appear in any case to be indispensably necessary to prevent a greater evil. William Godwin libertyevilmen Whenever truth stands in the mind unaccompanied by the evidence upon which it depends, it cannot properly be said to be apprehended at all. William Godwin mindsaidscience My thoughts will be taken up with the future or the past, with what is to come or what has been. Of the present there is necessarily no image. William Godwin my-thoughtstakenpast The real or supposed rights of man are of two kinds, active and passive; the right in certain cases to do as we list; and the right we possess to the forbearance or assistance of other men. The first of these a just philosophy will probably induce us universally to explode. William Godwin realmenphilosophy The execution of any thing considerable implies in the first place previous persevering meditation. William Godwin executionmeditationfirsts A celebrated north country apostle, who, after Calvin had damned ninety-nine in a hundred of mankind, had contrived a scheme for damning ninety-nine in a hundred of the followers of Calvin. William Godwin ninety-nineatheismcountry My mind was bursting with depression and anguish. I muttered imprecations and murmuring as I passed along. I was full of loathing and abhorrence of life, and all that life carries in its train. William Godwin loathingminddepression There is no sphere in which a human being can be supposed to act where one mode of reasoning will not, in every given instance, be more reasonable than any other mode. That mode the being is bound by every principle of justice to pursue. William Godwin spheresatheismjustice Above all we should not forget that government is an evil, a usurpation upon the private judgement and individual conscience of mankind. William Godwin consciencegovernmentevilforget Woe to the man who is always busy - hurried in a turmoil of engagements, from occupation to occupation, and with no seasons interposed of recollection, contemplation and repose! Such a man must inevitably be gross and vulgar, and hard and indelicate - the sort of man with whom no generous spirit would desire to hold intercourse. William Godwin manseasonsbusydesire What are gold and jewels and precious utensils? Mere dross and dirt. The human face and the human heart, reciprocations of kindness and love, and all the nameless sympathies of our nature - these are the only objects worth being attached to. William Godwin naturekindnessheartlove Religion is among the most beautiful and most natural of all things - that religion which 'sees God in clouds and hears Him in the wind,' which endows every object of sense with a living soul, which finds in the system of nature whatever is holy, mysterious and venerable, and inspires the bosom with sentiments of awe and veneration. William Godwin naturesoulgodbeautiful
