Content thyself to be obscurely good. Joseph Addison More Quotes by Joseph Addison More Quotes From Joseph Addison It is folly to seek the approbation of any being besides the Supreme. Joseph Addison folly supreme god A source of cheerfulness to a good mind is the consideration of that Being on whom we have our dependence, and in whom, though we behold Him as yet but in the first faint discoveries of His perfections, we see everything that we can imagine as great glorious, or amiable. We find ourselves everywhere upheld by His goodness and surrounded by an immensity of love and mercy. Joseph Addison perfection god discovery Oh, Liberty! thou goddess heavenly bright! Joseph Addison delight liberty freedom No man writes a book without meaning something, though he may not have the faculty of writing consequentially and expressing his meaning. Joseph Addison writing men book Contentment produces, in some measure, all those effects which the alchemist usually ascribes to what he calls the philosopher's stone; and if it does not bring riches, it does the same thing by banishing the desire for them. Joseph Addison alchemist contentment desire True fortitude is seen in great exploits Joseph Addison fortitude courage justice It is folly for an eminent man to think of escaping censure, and a weakness to be affected with it. All the illustrious persons of antiquity, and indeed of every age in the world, have passed through this fiery persecution. Joseph Addison birthday men thinking T is liberty crowns Britannia's Isle, Joseph Addison mountain rocks liberty The intelligence of affection is carried on by the eye only; good-breeding has made the tongue falsify the heart, and act a part of continued restraint, while nature has preserved the eyes to herself, that she may not be disguised or misrepresented. Joseph Addison eye heart may Fame is a good so wholly foreign to our natures that we have no faculty in the soul adapted to it, nor any organ in the body to relish it; an object of desire placed out of the possibility of fruition. Joseph Addison fruition soul desire Many actions calculated to procure fame are not conducive to ultimate happiness. Joseph Addison ultimate-happiness action fame A soul exasperated in ills, falls out Joseph Addison soul fall The fear of death often proves mortal, and sets people on methods to save their Lives, which infallibly destroy them. Joseph Addison dying death people To look upon the soul as going on from strength to strength, to consider that she is to shine forever with new accessions of glory, and brighten to all eternity; that she will be still adding virtue to virtue, and knowledge to knowledge,--carries in it something wonderfully agreeable to that ambition which is natural to the mind of man. Joseph Addison ambition forever men With what astonishment and veneration may we look into our own souls, where there are such hidden stores of virtue and knowledge, such inexhaustible sources of perfection. We know not yet what we shall be, nor will it ever enter into the heart to conceive the glory that will be always in reserve for it. Joseph Addison soul perfection heart For my own part, I am apt to join in the opinion with those who believe that all the regions of Nature swarm with spirits, and that we have multitudes of spectators on all our actions when we think ourselves most alone. Joseph Addison our-actions believe thinking Whether dark presages of the night proceed from any latent power of the soul during her abstraction, or from any operation of subordinate spirits, has been a dispute. Joseph Addison soul dark night Sir Francis Bacon observed that a well-written book, compared with its rivals and antagonists, is like Moses' serpent, that immediately swallowed up and devoured those of the Egyptians. Joseph Addison rivals style book A brother's sufferings claim a brother's pity. Joseph Addison brother suffering sympathy A man with great talents, but void of discretion, is like Polyphemus in the fable, strong and blind, endued with an irresistible force, which for want of sight is of no use to him. Joseph Addison strong sight men
