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I know of no manner of speaking so offensive as that of giving praise, and closing it with an exception.

Richard Steele

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Richard Steele
Age: 57 †
Born: 1672
Born: March 12
Died: 1729
Died: September 1
Journalist
Playwright
Politician
Writer
Dublin city
Sir Richard Steele
Closing
Offensive
Exception
Manner
Speaking
Praise
Giving

More quotes by Richard Steele

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The man is mechanically turned, and made for getting. . . . It was verily prettily said that we may learn the little value of fortune by the persons on whom Heaven is pleased to bestow it.
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When a man is not disposed to hear music, there is not a more disagreeable sound in harmony than that of the violin.
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It has been a sort of maxim, that the greatest art is to conceal art but I know not how, among some people we meet with, their greatest cunning is to appear cunning.
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Since our persons are not of our own making, when they are such as appear defective or uncomely, it is, methinks, an honest and laudable fortitude to dare to be ugly.
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It is a very melancholy reflection that men are usually so weak that it is absolutely necessary for them to know sorrow and pain to be in their right senses.
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Modesty never rages, never murmurs, never pouts when it is ill-treated, it pines, it beseeches, it languishes.
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Though very troublesome to others, anger is most so to him that has it.
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It may be remarked in general, that the laugh of men of wit is for the most part but a feint, constrained kind of half-laugh, as such persons are never without some diffidence about them but that of fools is the most honest, natural, open laugh in the world.
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It is to beoted that when any part of this paper appears dull there is a design in it.
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I cannot think of any character below the flatterer, except he who envies him
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There can hardly, I believe, be imagined a more desirable pleasure than that of praise unmixed with any possibility of flattery.
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Vanity makes people ridiculous, pride odious, and ambition terrible.
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Pride destroys all symmetry and grace, and affectation is a more terrible enemy to fine faces than the small-pox.
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Simplicity of all things is the hardest to be copy.
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A fool is in himself the object of pity, until he is flattered.
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Zeal for the public good is the characteristic of a man of honor and a gentleman, and must take the place of pleasures, profits and all other private gratifications.
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The world is grown so full of dissimulation and compliment, that men's words are hardly any signification of their thoughts.
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It is the duty of a great person so to demean himself, as that whatever endowments he may have, he may appear to value himself upon no qualities but such as any man may arrive at.
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Fire and swords are slow engines of destruction, compared to the tongue of a Gossip.
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The insupportable labor of doing nothing.
Richard Steele