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Charles Caleb Colton Quotes

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"The two most precious things this side of the grave are our reputation and our life. But it is to be lamented that the most contemptible whisper may deprive us of the one, and the weakest weapon of the other."

"There are two way of establishing a reputation, one to be praised by honest people and the other to be accused by rogues. It is best, however, to secure the first one, because it will always be accompanied by the latter."

"The consequences of things are not always proportionate to the apparent magnitude of those events that have produced them. Thus the American Revolution, from which little was expected, produced much; but the French Revolution, from which much was expected, produced little."

"Silence is foolish if we are wise, but wise if we are foolish."

"Wealth after all is a relative thing since he that has little and wants less is richer than he that has much and wants more."

"The mistakes of the fool are known to the world, but not to himself. The mistakes of the wise man are known to himself, but not to the world."

"Justice to my readers compels me to admit that I write because I have nothing to do; justice to myself induces me to add that I will cease to write the moment I have nothing to say."

"The society of dead authors has this advantage over that of the living: they never flatter us to our faces, nor slander us behind our backs, nor intrude upon our privacy, nor quit their shelves until we take them down."

"To write what is worth publishing, to find honest people to publish it, and get sensible people to read it, are the three great difficulties in being an author."

"Friendship often ends in love; but love in friendship - never."
Love

"The present time has one advantage over every other - it is our own."

"In life we shall find many men that are great, and some that are good, but very few men that are both great and good."

"Of present fame think little, and of future less; the praises that we receive after we are buried, like the flowers that are strewed over our grave, may be gratifying to the living, but they are nothing to the dead."

"Death is the liberator of him whom freedom cannot release, the physician of him whom medicine cannot cure, and the comforter of him whom time cannot console."

"Love is an alliance of friendship and animalism; if the former predominates it is passion exalted and refined; if the latter, gross and sensual."

"It is always safe to learn, even from our enemies; seldom safe to venture to instruct, even our friends."

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