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I never knew a critic who made it his business to lash the faults of other writers that was not guilty of greater himself--as the hangman is generally a worse malefactor than the criminal that suffers by his hand.

Joseph Addison

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Joseph Addison
Age: 47 †
Born: 1672
Born: May 1
Died: 1719
Died: June 17
Editor
Essayist
Journalist
Librettist
Playwright
Poet
Politician
Writer
Milston
Wiltshire
Joseph Addisson
Right Hon. Joseph Addison
Suffering
Generally
Hangman
Business
Faults
Lash
Hands
Critics
Lashes
Made
Worse
Suffers
Never
Writers
Critic
Knew
Criminal
Hand
Criminals
Greater
Guilty

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There is no passion that is not finely expressed in those parts of the inspired writings which are proper for divine songs and anthems.
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Music, the greatest good that mortals know and all of heaven we have hear below.
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A perfect tragedy is the noblest production of human nature.
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Men naturally warm and heady are transported with the greatest flush of good-nature.
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There is not a more pleasing exercise of the mind than gratitude. It is accompanied with such an inward satisfaction that the duty is sufficiently rewarded by the performance
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Our sight is the most perfect and most delightful of all our senses.
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The first race of mankind used to dispute, as our ordinary people do now-a-days, in a kind of wild logic, uncultivated by rule of art.
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Eternity! thou pleasing, dreadful thought.
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It is odd to consider the connection between despotism and barbarity, and how the making one person more than man makes the rest less.
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That courage which arises from the sense of our duty, and from the fear of offending Him that made us, acts always in a uniform manner, and according to the dictates of right reason.
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From hence, let fierce contending nations know, what dire effects from civil discord flow.
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The person who has a firm trust in the Supreme Being is powerful in his power, wise by his wisdom, happy by his happiness.
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Mysterious love, uncertain treasure, hast thou more of pain or pleasure! Endless torments dwell about thee: Yet who would live, and live without thee!
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If there's a power above us, (And that there is all nature cries aloud Through all her works,) he must delight in virtue.
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Quick sensitivity is inseperable from a ready understanding.
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It is ridiculous for any man to criticize on the works of another, who has not distinguished himself by his own performances.
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I would have every zealous man examine his heart thoroughly, and I believe he will often find that what be calls a zeal for his religion is either pride, interest, or ill-repute.
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A man whose extraordinary reputation thus lifts him up to the notice and observation of mankind, draws a multitude of eyes upon him, that will narrowly inspect every part of him.
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A reader seldom peruses a book with pleasure until he knows whether the writer of it be a black man or a fair man, of a mild or choleric disposition, married or a bachelor.
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Courage that grows from constitution often forsakes a man when he has occasion for it courage which arises from a sense of duty acts in a uniform manner.
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