H

ONE THOUSAND FAMOUS THINGS

He Who Taught Himself

i who was taught only by himself had a fool for a master.

Ben Jonson

At the End of the War
AMONG the calamities of war may be justly numbered the dimi-
nution of the love of truth by the falsehoods which interest
dictates and credulity encourages.
A peace will equally leave the warrior and the relater of wars
destitute of employment; and I know not whether more is to be
dreaded from streets filled with soldiers accustomed to plunder, or
from garrets filled with scribblers accustomed to lie. Dr Johnson
The Thing That is Worth All We Ham
TJOSWELL: People go through the world very well and carry on
JD the business of life to good advantage without learning.
Johnson : Why, sir, that may be true in cases where learning
cannot possibly be of any use ; for instance, this boy rows us as well
without learning as if he could sing the song of Orpheus to the
Argonauts who were the first sailors.
Johnson then called to the boy ; What would you give, my lad,
to know about the Argonauts who were the first sailors ?
Sir, said the boy, I would give what I have.
Johnson was much pleased with his answer, and we gave him a
double fare. My friend then turning to me ; ** Sir,** he said, ** a
desire of knowledge is the natural feeling of mankind, and every
human being whose mind is not debauched will be willing to give all
that he has to get knowledge." From Bo$wdl*$ Life of Johnson
The Englishman and the Frenchman
A FBENCHMAN must always be talking, whether he knows anything
/\ of the matter or not; an Englishman is content to say nothing
when he has nothing to say* Dr Johnson
A Recipe for Good Talk
THEBS must, in the first place, be knowledge, there must be
materials. In the second place there must be a command of
words* ^ In the third place there must be imagination, to place
things in such views as they are not commonly seen in. In the
fourth place there must be presence of mind, and a resolution that is
not to be overcome by failure. This last is an essential requisite;
for want of it many people do not excel in conversation* Now I
„ want it; I throw up the game upon losing a trick.
, , , • Dr Johmonp the great