But what can a man see of a library being one day in it? James Boswell More Quotes by James Boswell More Quotes From James Boswell My wife, who does not like journalizing, said it was leaving myself embowelled to posterity--a good strong figure. But I think itis rather leaving myself embalmed. It is certainly preserving myself. James Boswell wifestrongthinking Writing a book I have found to be like building a house. A man forms a plan, and collects materials. He thinks he has enough to raise a large and stately edifice; but after he has arranged, compacted and polished, his work turns out to be a very small performance. The authour however like the builder, knows how much labour his work has cost him; and therefore estimates it at a higher rate than other people think it deserves James Boswell writingmenbook My readers, who may at first be apt to consider Quotation as downright pedantry, will be surprised when I assure them, that next to the simple imitation of sounds and gestures, Quotation is the most natural and most frequent habitude of human nature. For, Quotation must not be confined to passages adduced out of authors. He who cites the opinion, or remark, or saying of another, whether it has been written or spoken, is certainly one who quotes; and this we shall find to be universally practiced. James Boswell nextsimplefirsts Writing a book I have found to be like building a house. A man forms a plan, and collects materials. James Boswell writingmenbook My father had declared a predilection for heirs general, that is, males and females indiscriminately.... I, on the other hand, had a zealous partiality for heirs male, however remote. James Boswell malesfatherhands The pleasure of gratifying whim is very great. It is known only by those who are whimsical. James Boswell whimsicalwhimpleasure He had no settled plan of life, nor looked forward at all, but merely lived from day to day. Yet he read a great deal in a desultory manner, without any scheme of study, as chance threw books in his way, and inclination directed him through them. James Boswell chancebookway Drinking is in reality an occupation which employs a considerable portion of the time of many people; and to conduct it in the most rational and agreeable manner is one of the great arts of living. James Boswell drinkingrealityart That favorite subject, Myself. James Boswell favorite-subjectsubjects If venereal delight and the power of propagating the species were permitted only to the virtuous, it would make the world very good. James Boswell very-gooddelightworld The connection between authors, printers, and booksellers must be kept up. James Boswell printerbooksellersconnections We had some port, and drank damnation to the play and eternal remorse to the author. James Boswell criticismdrinkingplay Why should not the knowledge, the skill, the expertness, the assiduity, and the spirited hazards of trade and commerce, when crowned with success, be entitled to give those flattering distinctions by which mankind are so universally captivated? Such are the specious, but false arguments for a proposition which always will find numerous advocates, in a nation where men are every day starting up from obscurity to wealth. To refute them is needless. The general sense of mankind cries out, with irresistible force, "Un gentilhomme est toujours gentilhomme. James Boswell starting-upclassmen In every place, where there is any thing worthy of observation, there should be a short printed directory for strangers. James Boswell worthystrangershould I find I journalize too tediously. Let me try to abbreviate. James Boswell let-mejournalismtrying My mind was, as it were, strongly impregnated with the Johnsonian ether. James Boswell mind When we know exactly all a man's views and how he comes to speak and act so and so, we lose any respect for him, though we may love and admire him. James Boswell viewsmaymen My curiosity to see the melancholy spectacle of the executions was so strong that I could not resist it, although I was sensible that I would suffer much from it.... I got upon a scaffold near the fatal tree so that I could clearly see all the dismal scene.... I was most terribly shocked, and thrown into a very deep melancholy. James Boswell strongtreedeath I make it a kind of pious rule to go to every funeral to which I am invited, both as I wish to pay a proper respect to the dead, unless their characters have been bad, and as I would wish to have the funeral of my own near relations or of myself well attended. James Boswell funeralcharacterdeath Many infidels have maintained that Ignorance is the mother of Devotion. James Boswell ignoranceworshipmother
