Great Throughts Treasury

This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.

Related Quotes

Euripedes NULL

One man; two loves. No good ever comes of that.

Friend | Worth |

Euripedes NULL

The real hero stands steadfast in the front row, unperturbed not blinking an eye in the face of the launch of the winged spear.

Man | Worth |

Eustace Budgell

I have read somewhere that one of the popes refused to accept an edition of a saintÂ’s works, which were presented to him, because the saint, in his effigies before the book, was drawn without a beard.

Worth |

Eustace Budgell

Avoid disputes as much as possible. In order to appear easy and well-bred in conversation, you may assure yourself that it requires more wit, as well as more good humour, to improve than to contradict the notions of another: but if you are at any time obliged to enter on an argument, give your reasons with the utmost coolness and modesty, two things which scarce ever fail of making an impression on the hearers. Besides, if you are neither dogmatical, nor show either by your actions or words that you are full of yourself, all will the more heartily rejoice at your victory. Nay, should you be pinched in your argument, you may make your retreat with a very good grace. You were never positive, and are now glad to be better informed. This has made some approve the Socratic way of reasoning, where, while you scarce affirm anything, you can hardly be caught in an absurdity; and though possibly you are endeavouring to bring over another to your opinion, which is firmly fixed, you seem only to desire information from him.

Means | Thought | Thought |

Evelyn Waugh, fully Evelyn Arthur St. John Waugh

Her heart was broken perhaps, but it was a small inexpensive organ of local manufacture. In a wider and grander way she felt things had been simplified.

Age | Man | Thought | Thought |

Evelyn Waugh, fully Evelyn Arthur St. John Waugh

Downstairs Peter Beste-Chetwynde mixed himself another brandy and soda and turned a page in Havelock Ellis, which, next to The Wind in the Willows, was his favourite book.

Church | Faith | Father | Hunger | People | Religion | Right | Words | Worth | Think |

Evelyn Waugh, fully Evelyn Arthur St. John Waugh

She seemed to say "Look at me. I have done my share. I am beautiful. It is something quite out of the ordinary, this beauty of mine. I am made for delight. But what do I get out of it? Where is my reward?" That was the change in her from ten years ago; that, indeed, was her reward, this haunting, this magical sadness which spoke straight to the heart and struck silence; it was the completion of her beauty."

Purpose | Purpose | Sadness | Thought | Thought |

Evelyn Waugh, fully Evelyn Arthur St. John Waugh

You spend the first term at Oxford meeting interesting and exciting people and the rest of your time there avoiding them.

Men | Thought | Thought |

Evelyn Underhill

The spiritual life is a stern choice. It is not a consoling retreat from the difficulties of existence, but an invitation to enter fully into that difficult existence, and there apply the Charity of God, and bare the cost.

Contrast | God | Prayer | Worth | God |

Evan Esar

People who live in glass houses should take out insurance.

Example | Worth |

Evelyn Waugh, fully Evelyn Arthur St. John Waugh

ItÂ’s a rather pleasant change when all your life you've had people looking after you, to have someone to look after yourself. Only of course it has to be someone pretty hopeless to need looking after by me.

Thought | World | Thought |

Evelyn Waugh, fully Evelyn Arthur St. John Waugh

If it could only be like this always – always summer, always alone, the fruit always ripe and Aloysius in a good temper...

Worth |

Ezra Pound, fully Ezra Weston Loomis Pound

The intellect is a very nice whirligig toy, but how people take it seriously is more than I can understand.

Care | Individual | Order | Thought | Words | Think | Thought |

Felix Adler

A human being is not to be handled as a tool but is to be respected and revered.

History | Nothing | Thought | Tradition | World | Loss | Think | Thought | Understand |

Ezra Pound, fully Ezra Weston Loomis Pound

The worst mistake I made was that stupid, suburban prejudice of anti-Semitism.

Thought | Troubles | Thought |

Ezra Pound, fully Ezra Weston Loomis Pound

I have tried to write Paradise. Do not move. Let the wind speak. That is paradise. Let the Gods forgive what I have made. Let those I love try to forgive what I have made.

Worth |

Ezra Pound, fully Ezra Weston Loomis Pound

The act of bell ringing is symbolic of all proselytizing religions. It implies the pointless interference with the quiet of other people.

Worth |

Felix Adler

The frontier of the higher life is everywhere contiguous to the common life, and we can cross the border at any moment. The higher life is as real as the grosser things in which we put our trust. But our eyes must be anointed so that we may see it.

Diversity | Enough | Freedom of thought | Freedom | Individual | Nothing | Receive | Religion | Respect | Right | Sacred | Thought | Will | Respect | Thought |

Ezra Pound, fully Ezra Weston Loomis Pound

I have never known anyone worth a damn who wasn't irascible.

Suicide | Thought | Thought |