The true key to the declension of the Roman empire which is not to be found in all Gibbon ‘s immense work may be stated in two words: the imperial character overlaying, and finally destroying, the national character. Rome under Trajan was an empire without a nation.
SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGEI have often thought what a melancholy world this would be without children, and what an inhuman world without the aged.
More Samuel Taylor Coleridge Quotes
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He who is best prepared can best serve his moment of inspiration.
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The faults of great authors are generally excellences carried to an excess.
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And in today already walks tomorrow.
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Either we have an immortal soul, or we have not. If we have not, we are beasts,–the first and the wisest of beasts, it may be, but still true beasts.
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The history of man for the nine months preceding his birth would, probably, be far more interesting and contain events of greater moment than all the three score and ten years that follow it.
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Until you understand a writer’s ignorance, presume yourself ignorant of his understanding.
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There are errors which no wise man will treat with rudeness while there is a probability that they may be the refraction of some great truth still below the horizon.
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How like herrings and onions our vices are in the morning after we have committed them.
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If a man is not rising upward to be an angel, depend on it, he is sinking downward to be a devil.
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Even to admire otherwise than on the whole and where “I admire” is but a synonyme for “I remember, I liked it very much when I was reading it ,” is too much an effort, would be too disquieting an emotion!
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Blest hour! It was a luxury–to be!
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Man thereby becomes the creature of mere meditation, and loses his natural power of action.
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Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. For what is enthusiasm but the oblivion and swallowing-up of self in an object dearer than self?
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Be not merely a man of letters! Let literature be an honorable augmentations to your arms, not constitute the coat or fill the escutcheon!
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A bitter and perplexed “What shall I do?” Is worse to man than worse necessity.
SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE