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A ridiculous passion which hath no being but in play-books and romances.

Jonathan Swift

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Jonathan Swift
Age: 77 †
Born: 1667
Born: November 30
Died: 1745
Died: October 19
Essayist
Human Rights Activist
Novelist
Opinion Journalist
Pamphleteer
Philosopher
Poet
Priest
Prosaist
Public Figure
Dublin city
Isaac Bickerstaff
M. B. Drapier
Lemuel Gulliver
Simon Wagstaff
Ridiculous
Books
Passion
Book
Play
Love
Romances
Hath
Romance

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And he gave it for his opinion, that whoever could make two ears of corn, or two blades of grass, to grow upon a spot of ground where only one grew before, would deserve better of mankind, and do more essential service to his country, than the whole race of politicians put together.
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For, if we take an examination of what is generally understood by happiness, as it has respect either to the understanding or the senses, we shall find all its properties and adjuncts will herd under this short definition: that it is a perpetual possession of being well deceived.
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We are so fond on one another because our ailments are the same.
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That the universe was formed by a fortuitous concourse of atoms, I will no more believe than that the accidental jumbling of the alphabet would fall into a most ingenious treatise of philosophy.
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Modesty may make a fool seem a man of sense.
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All Pretences of foretelling by Astrology, are Deceits for this manifest Reason, because the Wise and Learned, who can only judge whether there be any Truth in this Science, do all unanimously agree to laugh at and despise it and none but the poor ignorant Vulgar give it any Credit.
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Rebukes are easy from our betters, From men of quality and letters But when low dunces will affront, What man alive can stand the brunt?
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My horses understand me tolerably well I converse with them at least four hours every day. They are strangers to bridle or saddle they live in great amity with me, and friendship of each other.
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By candle-light nobody would have taken you for above five-and-twenty.
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A nice man is a man of nasty ideas.
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An intelligent person should put money in the beginning, but not in heart
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Possession, they say, is eleven points of the law.
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Reason is a very light rider, and easily shook off.
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It may pass for a maxim in State, that the administration cannot be placed in too few hands, nor the legislature in too many.
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An atheist has got one point beyond the devil.
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War: that mad game the world so loves to play.
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A tavern is a place where madness is sold by the bottle.
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Principally I hate and detest that animal called man although I heartily love John, Peter, Thomas, and so forth.
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There is no vice or folly that requires so much nicety and skill to manage as vanity nor any which by ill management makes so contemptible a figure.
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This made me reflect, how vain an attempt it is for a man to endeavor to do himself honor among those who are out of all degree of equality or comparison with him.
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