Quotes by Charles Caleb Colton

"The rich are more envied by those who have a little, than by those who have nothing."

"None are so fond of secrets as those who do not mean to keep them; such persons covet secrets as a spendthrift covets money, for the purpose of circulation."

"If rich, it is easy enough to conceal our wealth but, if poor, it is not quite so easy to conceal our poverty. We shall find it is less difficult to hide a thousand guineas, than one hole in our coat."

"Men will wrangle for religion, write for it, fight for it, die for it; anything but live for it."

"There is a paradox in pride: it makes some men ridiculous, but prevents others from becoming so."

"To know the pains of power, we must go to those who have it; to know its pleasures, we must go to those who are seeking it: the pains of power are real, its pleasures imaginary."

"Imitation is the sincerest flattery."

"Habit will reconcile us to everything but change."

"If you would be known, and not know, vegetate in a village; if you would know, and not be known, live in a city."

"We ask advice, but we mean approbation."

"Most of our misfortunes are more supportable than the comments of our friends upon them."

"Doubt is the vestibule through which all must pass before they can enter into the temple of wisdom."

"Moderation is the inseparable companion of wisdom, but with it genius has not even a nodding acquaintance."

"War kills men, and men deplore the loss but war also crushes bad principles and tyrants, and so saves societies."

"Many speak the truth when they say that they despise riches, but they mean the riches possessed by others."

"The greatest friend of truth is Time, her greatest enemy is Prejudice, and her constant companion is Humility."

"Constant success shows us but one side of the world adversity brings out the reverse of the picture."

"The first requisite for success is the ability to apply your physical and mental energies to one problem incessantly without growing weary."

"The society of dead authors has this advantage over that of the living: they never flatter us to our faces, nor slander us behind our backs, nor intrude upon our privacy, nor quit their shelves until we take them down."

"Bigotry murders religion to frighten fools with her ghost."