Man acts from adequate motives relative to his interest, and not on metaphysical speculations. Edmund Burke More Quotes by Edmund Burke More Quotes From Edmund Burke Of this stamp is the cant of, Not men, but measures. Edmund Burke cant stamps men To tax and to please, no more than to love and to be wise, is not given to men. Edmund Burke business wise love Fraud is the ready minister of injustice. Edmund Burke ministers fraud injustice Fiction lags after truth, invention is unfruitful, and imagination cold and barren. Edmund Burke imagination truth fiction Whenever our neighbour's house is on fire, it cannot be amiss for the engines to play a little on our own. Edmund Burke fire house play My hold of the colonies is in the close affection which grows from common names, from kindred blood, from similar privileges, and equal protection. These are ties which, though light as air, are as strong as links of iron. Edmund Burke iron strong names I would rather sleep in the southern corner of a little country churchyard than in the tomb of the Capulets. Edmund Burke southern sleep country In effect, to follow, not to force the public inclination; to give a direction, a form, a technical dress, and a specific sanction, to the general sense of the community, is the true end of legislature. Edmund Burke community law giving The person who grieves suffers his passion to grow upon him; he indulges it, he loves it; but this never happens in the case of actual pain, which no man ever willingly endured for any considerable time. Edmund Burke passion pain men A nation without means of reform is without means of survival. Edmund Burke reform survival mean Circumstances give in reality to every political principle its distinguishing color and discriminating effect. The circumstances are what render every civil and political scheme beneficial or noxious to mankind. Edmund Burke color giving reality The effect of liberty to individuals is that they may do what they please: we ought to see what it will please them to do, before we risk congratulations. Edmund Burke congratulations risk liberty England and Ireland may flourish together. The world is large enough for both of us. Let it be our care not to make ourselves too little for it. Edmund Burke together littles history When slavery is established in any part of the world, those who are free are by far the most proud and jealous of their freedom. Edmund Burke jealous proud history Adversity is a severe instructor, set over us by one who knows us better than we do ourselves. Edmund Burke instructors adversity knows The great Error of our Nature is, not to know where to stop, not to be satisfied with any reasonable Acquirement; not to compound with our Condition; but to lose all we have gained by an insatiable Pursuit after more. Edmund Burke pursuit conservative errors There never was a bad man that had ability for good service. Edmund Burke good-service ability men Delusion and weakness produce not one mischief the less, because they are universal. Edmund Burke delusion produce weakness That cardinal virtue, temperance. Edmund Burke temperance cardinals virtue Politics and the pulpit are terms that have little agreement. No sound ought to be heard in the church but the healing voice of Christian charity. The cause of civil liberty and civil government gains as little as that of religion by this confusion of duties. Those who quit their proper character to assume what does not belong to them are, for the greater part, ignorant both of the character they leave and of the character they assume. Edmund Burke healing christian character
