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There is a heroism in crime as well as in virtue. Vice and infamy have their altars and their religion.

William Hazlitt

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William Hazlitt
Journalist
Literary Critic
Literary Historian
Painter
Philosopher
Writer
Wm. Haslett
William Carew Hazlitt
Religion
Criminality
Wells
Infamy
Well
Altars
Heroism
Vice
Vices
Crime
Virtue

More quotes by William Hazlitt

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Grace in women has more effect than beauty.
William Hazlitt
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Those who are at war with others are not at peace with themselves.
William Hazlitt
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The dupe of friendship, and the fool of love have I not reason to hate and to despise myself? Indeed I do and chiefly for not having hated and despised the world enough.
William Hazlitt
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To be remembered after we are dead, is but poor recompense for being treated with contempt while we are living.
William Hazlitt
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First impressions are often the truest, as we find (not unfrequently) to our cost when we have been wheedled out of them by plausible professions or actions. A man's look is the work of years, it is stamped on his countenance by the events of his whole life, nay, more, by the hand of nature, and it is not to be got rid of easily.
William Hazlitt
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A situation in a public office is secure, but laborious and mechanical, and without the great springs of life, hope and fear.
William Hazlitt
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The only true retirement is that of the heart the only true leisure is the repose of the passions. To such persons it makes little difference whether they are young or old and they die as they have lived, with graceful resignation.
William Hazlitt
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The garb of religion is the best cloak for power.
William Hazlitt
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Within my heart is lurking suspicion, and base fear, and shame and hate but above all, tyrannous love sits throned, crowned with her graces, silent and in tears.
William Hazlitt
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Let a man's talents or virtues be what they may, he will only feel satisfaction in his society as he is satisfied in himself.
William Hazlitt
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A great chessplayer is not a great man, for he leaves the world as he found it.
William Hazlitt
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To-day kings, to-marrow beggars, it is only when they are themselves that they are nothing.
William Hazlitt
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One is always more vexed at losing a game of any sort by a single hole or ace, than if one has never had a chance of winning it.
William Hazlitt
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Great thoughts reduced to practice become great acts.
William Hazlitt
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Violence ever defeats its own ends. Where you cannot drive you can always persuade. A gentle word, a kind look, a god-natured smile can work wonders and accomplish miracles. There is a secret pride in every human heart than revolts at tyranny. You may order and drive an individual, but you cannot make him respect you.
William Hazlitt
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Any one may mouth out a passage with a theatrical cadence, or get upon stilts to tell his thoughts but to write or speak with propriety and simplicity is a more difficult task. Thus it is easy to affect a pompous style, to use a word twice as big as the thing you want to express it is not so easy to pitch upon the very word that exactly fits it.
William Hazlitt
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The origin of all science is the desire to know causes, and the origin of all false science is the desire to accept false causes rather than none or, which is the same thing, in the unwillingness to acknowledge our own ignorance.
William Hazlitt
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A King (as such) is not a great man. He has great power, but it is not his own.
William Hazlitt
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A felon could plead benefit of clergy and be saved by [reading aloud] what was aptly enough termed the neck verse, which was very usually the Miserere mei of Psalm 51.
William Hazlitt
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The discussing the characters and foibles of common friends is a great sweetness and cement of friendship.
William Hazlitt