Laurence Sterne Quotes

Respect for ourselves guides our morals, respect for others guides our manners.

A good simile,--as concise as a king's declaration of love.

I take a simple view of life. It is keep your eyes open and get on with it.

Men tire themselves in pursuit of rest.

Only the brave know how to forgive... a coward never forgave; it is not in his nature.

The desire of knowledge, like the thirst of riches, increases ever with the acquisition of it.

There is nothing so awkward as courting a woman whilst she is making sausages.

Freethinkers are generally those who never think at all.

Keyholes are the occasions of more sin and wickedness, than all other holes in this world put together.

So much of motion, is so much of life, and so much of joy, and to stand still, or get on but slowly, is death and the devil.

Only the brave know how to forgive; it is the most refined and generous pitch of virtue human nature can arrive at.

So long as a man rides his hobbyhorse peaceably and quietly along the King's highway, and neither compels you or me to get up behind him - pray, Sir, what have either you or I to do with it?

The best hearts are ever the bravest.

It is not in the power of every one to taste humor, however he may wish it; it is the gift of God! and a true feeler always brings half the entertainment along with him.

Pain and pleasure, like light and darkness, succeed each other.

In solitude the mind gains strength and learns to lean upon itself.

Simplicity is the great friend to nature, and if I would be proud of anything in this silly world, it should be of this honest alliance.

A large volume of adventures may be grasped within this little span of life, by him who interests his heart in everything.

Of all duties, prayer certainly is the sweetest and most easy.

Solitude is the best nurse of wisdom.

People who overly take care of their health are like misers. They hoard up a treasure which they never enjoy.

Writings may be compared to wine. Sense is the strength, but wit the flavor.

Religion which lays so many restraints upon us, is a troublesome companion to those who will lay no restraints upon themselves.

Nothing is so perfectly amusing as a total change of ideas.

Every thing in this world, said my father, is big with jest,--and has wit in it, and instruction too,--if we can but find it out.

Writing, when properly managed, (as you may be sure I think mine is) is but a different name for conversation.

The histories of the lives and fortunes of men are full of instances of this nature,--where favorable times and lucky accidents have done for them, what wisdom or skill could not.

Sciences may be learned by rote, but wisdom not.

Titles of honour are like the impressions on coin; — which add no value to gold and silver, but only render brass current.

Courtship consists in a number of quiet attentions, not so pointed as to alarm, nor so vague as not to be understood.

The loneliness is the mother of wisdom.

The brave only know how to forgive.

An inward sincerity will of course influence the outward deportment; but where the one is wanting, there is great reason to suspect the absence of the other.

What is the life of man! Is it not to shift from side to side? From sorrow to sorrow? To button up one cause of vexation! And unbutton another!

I begin with writing the first sentence—and trusting to Almighty God for the second.

It is a great pity but tis certain from every day's observation of man, that he may be set on fire like a candle, at either end provided there is a sufficient wick standing out.

There is no such thing as real happiness in life. The justest definition that was ever given of it was "a tranquil acquiescence under an agreeable delusion"--I forget where.

Keep away from the fire!

There have been no sects in the Christian world, however absurd, which have not endeavoured to support their opinions by arguments drawn from Scripture.

I am persuaded that every time a man smiles - but much more so when he laughs - it adds something to this fragment of life.

Patience cannot remove, but it can always dignify and alleviate, misfortune.

Alas! if the principles of contentment are not within us, the height of station and worldly grandeur will as soon add a cubit to a man's stature as to his happiness.

I wish either my father or my mother, or indeed both of them, as they were in duty both equally bound to it, had minded what they were about when they begot me.

A coward never forgives.

Chance is the providence of adventurers.

The most accomplished way of using books is to serve them as some people do lords; learn their titles and then brag of their acquaintance.

I had had an affair with the moon, in which there was neither sin nor shame.

Of all the cants which are canted in this canting world - though the cant of hypocrites may be the worst - the cant of criticism is the most tormenting!

In all unmerciful actions, the worst of men pay this compliment at least to humanity, as to endeavour to wear as much of the appearance of it, as the case will well let them.

The insolence of base minds in success is boundless; and would scarce admit of a comparison, did not they themselves furnish us with one in the degrees of their abjection when evil returns upon them.