Walter Scott Quotes
Breathes there the man with soul so dead, Who never to himself hath said, This is my own, my native land.
Do not Christians and Heathens, and Jews and Gentiles, and poets and philosophers, unite in allowing the starry influences?
The chain of friendship, however bright, does not stand the attrition of constant close contact.
There is a vulgar incredulity, which in historical matters, as well as in those of religion, finds it easier to doubt than to examine.
What is a diary as a rule? A document useful to the person who keeps it. Dull to the contemporary who reads it and invaluable to the student, centuries afterwards, who treasures it.
Then hush thee, my darling, take rest while you may, For strife comes with manhood, and waking with day.
Like the dew on the mountain, like the foam on the river, like the bubble on the fountain, thou art gone, and for ever!
A glass of good wine is a gracious creature, and reconciles poor mortality to itself and that is what few things can do.
I have heard men talk about the blessings of freedom," he said to himself, "but I wish any wise man would teach me what use to make of it now that I have it.
He is the best sailor who can steer within fewest points of the wind, and exact a motive power out of the greatest obstacles.
I will tear this folly from my heart, though every fibre bleed as I rend it away!
What a strange scene if the surge of conversation could suddenly ebb like the tide, and show us the real state of people's minds.
From my experience, not one in twenty marries the first love; we build statues of snow and weep to see them melt.
He that climbs the tall tree has won right to the fruit, He that leaps the wide gulf should prevail in his suit.
Sordid selfishness doth contract and narrow our benevolence, and cause us, like serpents, to infold ourselves within ourselves, and to turn out our stings to the entire world besides.
There never will exist anything permanently noble and excellent in the character which is a stranger to resolute self-denial.
Blessed be his name, who hath appointed the quiet night to follow the busy day, and the calm sleep to refresh the wearied limbs and to compose the troubled spirit.
So faithful in love, and so dauntless in war, There never was knight like young Lochinvar.
To be ambitious of true honor, of the true glory and perfection of our natures, is the very principle and incentive of virtue.
Affection can withstand very severe storms of vigor, but not a long polar frost of indifference.
O! many a shaft, at random sent, Finds mark the archer little meant! And many a word, at random spoken, May soothe or wound a heart that's broken!
Women are but the toys which amuse our lighter hours---ambition is the serious business of life.
What skilful limner e'er would choose To paint the rainbow's varying hues, Unless to mortal it were given To dip his brush in dyes of heaven?
Call it not vain: they do not err Who say that when the poet dies Mute Nature mourns her worshipper, And celebrates his obsequies.
A lawyer without history or literature is a mechanic, a mere working mason; if he possesses some knowledge of these, he may venture to call himself an architect.
Good wine needs neither bush nor preface to make it welcome. And they drank the red wine through the helmet barr'd.