But to the particular species of excellence men are directed, not by an ascendant planet or predominating humour, but by the first book which they read, some early conversation which they heard, or some accident which excited ardour and emulation. β¨ Samuel Johnson (2009). The Lives of the Poets: A Selection, p.396, OUP Oxford
More Author Quotes
- No man can taste the fruits of autumn while he is delighting his scent with the flowers of spring. β¨ Samuel Johnson (1977). Selected Poetry and Prose, p.119, Univ of California Press
- Whoever thinks of going to bed before twelve o'clock is a scoundrel. β¨ Samuel Johnson (1787). The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.: Together with His Life, and Notes on His Lives of the Poets, by Sir J β¦ βΆ
- The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth. β¨ Johnsoniana, Or, Supplement to Boswell: Being Anecdotes and Sayings of Dr. Johnson.
- The world will never be long without some good reason to hate the unhappy; their real faults are immediately detected; and if those are not sufficient to sink them into infamy, an individual weight o β¦ βΆ
- When the original is well chosen and judiciously copied, the imitator often arrives at excellence which he could never have attained without direction; for few are formed with abilities to discover n β¦ βΆ
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