black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

An evil intention perverts the best actions, and makes them sins.

Joseph Addison

Certain is it that there is no kind of affection so purely angelic as of a father to a daughter. In love to our wives there is desire; to our sons, ambition, but to our daughters there is something which there are no words to express.
JOSEPH ADDISON

Affection Birthday Daughter Day Family Father Love Mother Son Wives
Men may change their climate, but they cannot change their nature. A man that goes out a fool cannot ride or sail himself into common sense.
JOSEPH ADDISON

Change Fool Funny Inspirational Men Nature Ride
According to this definition there is nothing so contradictory to his nature as error and falsehood.
JOSEPH ADDISON

According Contradictory Definition Error Falsehood Nature
When all thy mercies, O my God, My rising soul surveys, Transported with the view I’m lost, in wonder, love and praise.
JOSEPH ADDISON

God Lost Mercy Rise Soul Transported View Wonder
When men are easy in their circumstances, they are naturally enemies to innovations.
JOSEPH ADDISON

Circumstance Enemies Goal Innovation Men Naturally
If we hope for what we are not likely to possess, we act and think in vain, and make life a greater dream and shadow than it really is.
JOSEPH ADDISON

Act Create Dream Hope Life Possess Really Shadow
Reading is to the mind, what exercise is to the body. As by the one, health is preserved, strengthened, and invigorated: by the other, virtue (which is the health of the mind) is kept alive, cherished, and confirmed.
JOSEPH ADDISON

Book Exercise Mind Read Reading Strengthened
I never knew an early-rising, hard-working, prudent man, careful of his earnings and strictly honest, who complained of hard luck.
JOSEPH ADDISON

Character Complaints Hard Honesty Luck Man Men Prudent Strictly Work
I Have often thought if the minds of men were laid open, we should see but little difference between that of the wise man and that of the fool.
JOSEPH ADDISON

Difference Good Greatest Men Mind Music Open Vanity Wise
Words, when well chosen, have so great a force in them, that a description often gives us more lively ideas than the sight of things themselves.
JOSEPH ADDISON

Description Force Give Giving Idea Ideas Lively Sight Themselves
Man is subject to innumerable pains and sorrows by the very condition of humanity, and yet, as if nature had not sown evils enough in life, we are continually adding grief to grief and aggravating the common calamity by our cruel treatment of one another.
JOSEPH ADDISON

Honesty Humanity Innumerable Integrity Man Nature Pain Sorrow Subject
It is not the business of virtue to extirpate the affections of the mind, but to regulate them.
JOSEPH ADDISON

Affection Business Extirpate Mind Regulate Virtue
The hours of a wise man are lengthened by his ideas.
JOSEPH ADDISON

Hour Idea Lengthened Men Wise
To this end, nothing is to be more carefully consulted than plainness. In a lady’s attire this is the single excellence; for to be what some people call fine, is the same vice, in that case, as to be florid is in writing or speaking.
JOSEPH ADDISON

Attire Consult Excellence People Plainness Writing
Antidotes are what you take to prevent dotes.
JOSEPH ADDISON

Antidote Dotes People Stupid Take
Our delight in any particular study, art, or science rises and improves in proportion to the application which we bestow upon it. Thus, what was at first an exercise becomes at length an entertainment.
JOSEPH ADDISON

Application Art Bestow Delight Exercise Science Study Upon

An evil intention perverts the best actions, and makes them sins.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

An evil intention perverts the best actions, and makes them sins.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Joseph Addison Quotes