Go, poor devil, get thee gone! Why should I hurt thee? This world surely is wide enough to hold both thee and me. Laurence Sterne More Quotes by Laurence Sterne More Quotes From Laurence Sterne The sad vicissitude of things. Laurence Sterne vicissitudes Nothing is so perfectly amusing as a total change of ideas. Laurence Sterne change literature ideas The desire of knowledge, like the thirst of riches, increases ever with the acquisition of it. Laurence Sterne business education motivational I begin with writing the first sentence—and trusting to Almighty God for the second. Laurence Sterne almighty writing firsts We are born to trouble; and we may depend upon it, whilst we live in this world, we shall have it, though with intermissions. Laurence Sterne trouble may world Writings may be compared to wine. Sense is the strength, but wit the flavor. Laurence Sterne flavor wine writing Simplicity is the great friend to nature, and if I would be proud of anything in this silly world, it should be of this honest alliance. Laurence Sterne simplicity would-be silly I hate set dissertations,--and above all things in the world, 'tis one of the silliest things in one of them, to darken your hypothesis by placing a number of tall, opake words, one before another, in a right line, betwixt your own and your readers conception. Laurence Sterne obscurity hate numbers My father, whose way was to force every event in nature into an hypothesis, by which means never man crucified TRUTH at the rate he did. Laurence Sterne truth mean father One may as well be asleep as to read for anything but to improve his mind and morals, and regulate his conduct. Laurence Sterne reading mind book Only the brave know how to forgive; it is the most refined and generous pitch of virtue human nature can arrive at. Laurence Sterne forgiveness brave motivational Of all duties, prayer certainly is the sweetest and most easy. Laurence Sterne duty prayer easy Digressions, incontestably, are the sunshine, the life, the soul of reading! Take them out and one cold eternal winter would reign in every page. Restore them to the writer - he steps forth like a bridegroom, bids them all-hail, brings in variety and forbids the appetite to fail. Laurence Sterne sunshine reading winter Always carry it in thy mind, and act upon it, as a sure maxim: "That women are timid:" And 'tis well they are--else there would beno dealing with them. Laurence Sterne courtship mind men Sight is by much the noblest of the senses. We receive our notices from the other four, through the organs of sensation only. We hear, we feel, we smell, we taste, by touch. But sight rises infinitely higher. It is refined above matter, and equals the faculty of spirit. Laurence Sterne smell four sight I have undertaken, you see, to write not only my life, but my opinions also; hoping and expecting that your knowledge of my character, and of what kind of a mortal I am, by the one, would give you a better relish for the other: As you proceed further with me, the slight acquaintance which is now beginning betwixt us, will grow into familiarity; and that, unless one of us is in fault, will terminate in friendship. Laurence Sterne writing giving character Conversation is a traffick; and if you enter into it, without some stock of knowledge, to ballance the account perpetually betwixtyou,--the trade drops at once: and this is the reasonwhy travellers have so little [good] conversation with natives,--owing to their [the natives'] suspicionthat there is nothing to be extracted from the conversationworth the trouble of their bad language. Laurence Sterne owing littles travel When a man gives himself up to the government of a ruling passion,--or, in other words, when his HOBBY-HORSE grows head- strong,--farewell cool reason and fair discretion. Laurence Sterne horse farewell strong The mind should be accustomed to make wise reflections, and draw curious conclusions as it goes along; the habitude of which made Pliny the Younger affirm that he never read book so bad but he drew some profit from it. Laurence Sterne reading wise book It is not in the power of every one to taste humor, however he may wish it; it is the gift of God! and a true feeler always brings half the entertainment along with him. Laurence Sterne humor half wish