The perfect disinterestedness and self-devotion of which men seem incapable, but which is sometimes found in women. Thomas B. Macaulay More Quotes by Thomas B. Macaulay More Quotes From Thomas B. Macaulay [I can] scarcely write upon mathematics or mathematicians. Oh for words to express my abomination of the science. Thomas B. Macaulay abominationmathematicswriting There is surely no contradiction in saying that a certain section of the community may be quite competent to protect the persons and property of the rest, yet quite unfit to direct our opinions, or to superintend our private habits. Thomas B. Macaulay libertycommunitygovernment Men are never so likely to settle a question rightly as when they discuss it freely. Thomas B. Macaulay politicalconfusionmen We must judge a government by its general tendencies and not by its happy accidents. Thomas B. Macaulay happy-accidentsgovernmentjudging Knowledge advances by steps, and not by leaps. Thomas B. Macaulay leapstepsscience Your Constitution is all sail and no anchor. Thomas B. Macaulay anchorsinspirationalfunny The highest eulogy which can be pronounced on the Revolution of 1688 is this that this was our last Revolution. Thomas B. Macaulay eulogylastshistory He had done that which could never be forgiven; he was in the grasp of one who never forgave. Thomas B. Macaulay british-historydonehistory We must judge of a form of government by it's general tendency, not by happy accidents Thomas B. Macaulay judgementgovernmentjudging I wish I was as sure of anything as he is of everything. Thomas B. Macaulay beliefwish Man is so inconsistent a creature that it is impossible to reason from his beliefs to his conduct, or from one part of his belief to another. Thomas B. Macaulay beliefimpossiblemen Temple was a man of the world amongst men of letters, a man of letters amongst men of the world. Thomas B. Macaulay lettersmenworld Mere negation, mere Epicurean infidelity, as Lord Bacon most justly observes, has never disturbed the peace of the world. It furnishes no motive for action; it inspires no enthusiasm; it has no missionaries, no crusades, no martyrs. Thomas B. Macaulay infidelityinspireworld The knowledge of the theory of logic has no tendency whatever to make men good reasoners. Thomas B. Macaulay tendencieslogicmen Few of the many wise apothegms which have been uttered have prevented a single foolish action. Thomas B. Macaulay wisdomstupidwise The English Bible - a book which, if everything else in our language should perish, would alone suffice to show the whole extent of its beauty and power. Thomas B. Macaulay languagebeautybook The maxim, that governments ought to train the people in the way in which they should go, sounds well. But is there any reason for believing that a government is more likely to lead the people in the right way than the people to fall into the right way of themselves? Thomas B. Macaulay governmentbelievefall None of the modes by which a magistrate is appointed, popular election, the accident of the lot, or the accident of birth, affords, as far as we can perceive, much security for his being wiser than any of his neighbours. The chance of his being wiser than all his neighbours together is still smaller. Thomas B. Macaulay civil-rightslibertytogether In that temple of silence and reconciliation where the enmities of twenty generations lie buried, in the great Abbey which has during many ages afforded a quiet resting-place to those whose minds and bodies have been shattered by the contentions of the Great Hall. Thomas B. Macaulay silencemindlying I have long been convinced that institutions purely democratic must, sooner or later, destroy liberty or civilization, or both. Thomas B. Macaulay democracies-havefreedomcivilization
