When people will not weed their own minds, they are apt to be overrun by nettles. Horace Walpole More Quotes by Horace Walpole More Quotes From Horace Walpole I never found even in my juvenile hours that it was necessary to go a thousand miles in search of themes for moralizing. Horace Walpole hours miles found The wisest prophets make sure of the event first. Horace Walpole events wise firsts Letters to absence can a voice impart, And lend a tongue when distance gags the heart. Horace Walpole distance voice heart I can forgive injuries, but never benefits. Horace Walpole injury benefits forgiving I firmly believe, notwithstanding all our complaints, that almost every person upon earth tastes upon the totality more happiness than misery. Horace Walpole earth happiness believe The best philosophy is to do one's duties, take the world as it comes, submit respectfully to one's lot; bless the goodness that has given us so much happiness with it. Horace Walpole respect philosophy world How posterity will laugh at us, one way or other! If half a dozen break their necks, and balloonism is exploded, we shall be called fools for having imagined it could be brought to use: if it should be turned to account, we shall be ridiculed for having doubted. Horace Walpole fool laughing way The passions seldom give good advice but to the interested and mercenary. Resentment generally suggests bad measures. Second thoughts and good nature will rarely, very rarely, approve the first hints of anger. Horace Walpole passion anger giving By deafness one gains in one respect more than one loses; one misses more nonsense than sense. Horace Walpole nonsense gains missing Poetry is a beautiful way of spoiling prose, and the laborious art of exchanging plain sense for harmony. Horace Walpole beautiful way art The next Augustan age will dawn on the other side of the Atlantic. There will, perhaps, be a Thucydides at Boston, a Xenophon at New York, and, in time, a Virgil at Mexico, and a Newton at Peru. At last, some curious traveler from Lima will visit England and give a description of the ruins of St Paul s, like the editions of Balbec and Palmyra. Horace Walpole boston new-york discovery A careless song, with a little nonsense in it now and then, does not mis-become a monarch. Horace Walpole doe littles song I sit with my toes in a brook, And if any one axes forwhy? I hits them a rap with my crook, For 'tis sentiment does it, says I. Horace Walpole axes rap doe Defaced ruins of architecture and statuary, like the wrinkles of decrepitude of a once beautiful woman, only make one regret that one did not see them when they were enchanting. Horace Walpole wrinkles regret beautiful Fashion is always silly, for, before it can spread far, it must be calculated for silly people; as examples of sense, wit, or ingenuity could be imitated only by a few. Horace Walpole fashion silly people What is called chance is the instrument of Providence and the secret agent that counteracts what men call wisdom, and preserves order and regularity, and continuation in the whole, for ... I firmly believe, notwithstanding all our complaints, that almost every person upon earth tastes upon the totality more happiness than misery; and therefore if we could correct the world to our fancies, and with the best intentions imaginable, probably we should only produce more misery and confusion. Horace Walpole men order believe Fashion is fortunately no law but to its devotees. Horace Walpole devotee fashion law Our supreme governors, the mob. Horace Walpole governors supreme government In science, mistakes always precede the truth Horace Walpole confidence mistake We often repent of our first thoughts, and scarce ever of our second. Horace Walpole repent scarce firsts
