Nothing is so great an example of bad manners as flattery. If you flatter all the company, you please none; If you flatter only one or two, you offend the rest. Jonathan Swift More Quotes by Jonathan Swift More Quotes From Jonathan Swift A fig for your bill of fare; show me your bill of company. Jonathan Swift figs show-me bills Men of great parts are often unfortunate in the management of public business, because they are apt to go out of the common road by the quickness of their imagination. Jonathan Swift business imagination men It is a maxim, that those, to whom everybody allows the second place, have an undoubted title to the first. Jonathan Swift titles class firsts A maxim in law has more weight in the world than an article of faith. Jonathan Swift faith law world Let a man be ne'er so wise, he may be caught with sober lies. Jonathan Swift wise men lying Nothing is so great an instance of ill-manners as flattery. Jonathan Swift flattery ill manners Every age might perhaps produce one or two geniuses, if they were not sunk under the censure and obloquy of plodding, servile, imitating pedants. Jonathan Swift pedants age two There never appear more than five or six men of genius in an age, but if they were united the world could not stand before them. Jonathan Swift six age men Conscience signifies that knowledge which a man hath of his own thoughts and actions; and because, if a man judgeth fairly of his actions by comparing them with the law of God, his mind will approve or condemn him; this knowledge or conscience may be both an accuser and a judge. Jonathan Swift judging law men No preacher is listened to but time, which gives us the same train and turn of thought that elder people have in vain tried to put into our heads before. Jonathan Swift time giving people Such a man, truly wise, creams off Nature leaving the sour and the dregs for philosophy and reason to lap up. Jonathan Swift wise men philosophy She watches him as a cat would watch a mouse. Jonathan Swift mice cat watches The preaching of divines helps to preserve well-inclined men in the course of virtue, but seldom or ever reclaims the vicious. Jonathan Swift vanity helping men If a man would register all his opinions upon love, politics, religion, learning etc., beginning from his youth, and so go to old age, what a bundle of inconsistencies and contradictions would appear at last. Jonathan Swift learning love men 111 company is like a dog, who dirts those most whom he loves best. Jonathan Swift dirt dog love-is I never knew any man cured of inattention. Jonathan Swift inattention attention men Would a writer know how to behave himself with relation td posterity? Let him consider in old books what he finds that he is glad to know, and what omissions he most laments. Jonathan Swift authorship omission book A poor spirit is poorer than a poor purse. A very few pounds a year would ease a man of the scandal of avarice. Jonathan Swift ease men years Nothing more unqualified the man to act with prudence than a misfortune that is attended with shame and guilt. Jonathan Swift unqualified guilt men In all assemblies, though you wedge them ever so close, we may observe this peculiar property, that over their heads there is room enough; but how to reach it is the difficult point. To this end the philosopher's way in all ages has been by erecting certain edifices in the air. Jonathan Swift age air may
