If ever Shakespeare rants, it is not when his imagination is hurrying him along, but when he is hurrying his imagination along. Thomas B. Macaulay More Quotes by Thomas B. Macaulay More Quotes From Thomas B. Macaulay The merit of poetry, in its wildest forms, still consists in its truth-truth conveyed to the understanding, not directly by the words, but circuitously by means of imaginative associations, which serve as its conductors. Thomas B. Macaulay understandingpoetrymean As civilization advances, poetry almost necessarily declines. Thomas B. Macaulay declinepoetrycivilization Many politicians are in the habit of laying it down as a self-evident proposition that no people ought to be free till they are fit to use their freedom. The maxim is worthy of the fool in the old story who resolved not to go into the water till he had learned to swim. Thomas B. Macaulay 4th-of-julylearningfreedom Turn where we may, within, around, the voice of great events is proclaiming to us, Reform, that you may preserve! Thomas B. Macaulay reformeventsvoice As freedom is the only safeguard of governments, so are order and moderation generally necessary to preserve freedom. Thomas B. Macaulay freedomgovernmentorder The sweeter sound of woman's praise. Thomas B. Macaulay praisesound The highest intellects, like the tops of mountains, are the first to catch and to reflect the dawn. Thomas B. Macaulay mountaindawnfirsts The temple of silence and reconciliation. Thomas B. Macaulay templesgravessilence Ye diners out from whom we guard our spoons. Thomas B. Macaulay dinersspoonseating Men of great conversational powers almost universally practise a sort of lively sophistry and exaggeration which deceives for the moment both themselves and their auditors. Thomas B. Macaulay auditorssophistrymen A beggarly people, A church and no steeple. Thomas B. Macaulay steepleschurchpeople Re: Robert Montgomery's Poems His writing bears the same relation to poetry which a Turkey carpet bears to a picture. There are colours in the Turkey carpet out of which a picture might be made. There are words in Mr. Montgomery's writing which, when disposed in certain orders and combinations,have made, and will make again, good poetry. But, as they now stand, they seem to be put together on principle in such a manner as to give no image of anything in the heavens above, or in the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth. Thomas B. Macaulay turkeyswritingorder The history of nations, in the sense in which I use the word, is often best studied in works not professedly historical. Thomas B. Macaulay nationshistoricaluse How well Horatius kept the bridge In the brave days of old. Thomas B. Macaulay bridgesbravebravery That is the best government which desires to make the people happy, and knows how to make them happy. Thomas B. Macaulay governmentdesirepeople It is certain that satirical poems were common at Rome from a very early period. The rustics, who lived at a distance from the seat of government, and took little part in the strife of factions, gave vent to their petty local animosities in coarse Fescennine verse. Thomas B. Macaulay romedistancegovernment Satire is, indeed, the only sort of composition in which the Latin poets whose works have come down to us were not mere imitators of foreign models; and it is therefore the sort of composition in which they have never been excelled. Thomas B. Macaulay satirepoetlatin Queen Mary had a way of interrupting tattle about elopements, duels, and play debts, by asking the tattlers, very quietly yet significantly, whether they had ever read her favorite sermon--Dr. Tillotson on Evil Speaking. Thomas B. Macaulay queensevilplay Politeness has been well defined as benevolence in small things. Thomas B. Macaulay benevolencepolitenesswells No man who is correctly informed as to the past will be disposed to take a morose or desponding view of the present. Thomas B. Macaulay viewsmenpast
