James Thomson quotes
James Thomson (1700–1748): Scottish writer. The library holds 131 quotes by James Thomson, drawn from The Seasons: Spring, The Seasons. Summer, The Seasons: Summer and other works. The 60 below are the most quoted; search the library in the maker for the rest.
Often about: nature, time, life, happiness, beauty, power
The best-known James Thomson quotes
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Base Envy withers at another’s joy, And hates that excellence it cannot reach.
The Seasons. Spring, Line 283 -
Delightful task! to rear the tender thought, To teach the young idea how to shoot.
The Seasons. Spring, Line 1149 -
Forever, Fortune, wilt thou prove An unrelenting foe to love; And when we meet a mutual heart, Come in between and bid us part?
Song -
Cruel as death, and hungry as the grave.
The Seasons. Winter, Line 393 -
Loveliness needs not the foreign aid of ornament, But is when unadorn’d, adorn’d the most.
Seasons, Autumn, Line 204 -
O fair undress, best dress! it checks no vein, But every flowing limb in pleasure drowns, And heightens ease with grace.
The Castle of Indolence, Canto i. Stanza 26 -
So stands the statue that enchants the world, So bending tries to veil the matchless boast, The mingled beauties of exulting Greece.
The Seasons. Summer, Line 1346 -
Who can paint Like Nature? Can imagination boast, Amid its gay creation, hues like hers?
The Seasons: Spring -
But yonder comes the powerful king of day, Rejoicing in the east.
The Seasons. Summer, Line 81 -
A lucky chance, that oft decides the fate Of mighty monarchs.
The Seasons. Summer, Line 1285 -
Amid the roses fierce Repentance rears Her snaky crest.
The Seasons. Spring, Line 996 -
Come, gentle Spring! ethereal Mildness! come.
The Seasons. Spring, Line 1 -
The meek-ey’d Morn appears, mother of dews.
The Seasons. Summer, Line 47 -
From seeming evil still educing good.
Hymn, Line 114 -
Light! Nature’s resplendent robe; without whose vesting beauty all were wrapt in gloom.
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All the proud virtue of this vaunting world fawns on success and power, however acquired.
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Passion often makes a fool of the most ingenious man, and often makes the greatest blockhead ingenious.
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Vulgar minds refuse to crouch beneath their load; the brave bear theirs without repining.
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The downward sun looks out effulgent from amid the flash of broken clouds.
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Philosophy consists not in airy schemes, or idle speculations; the rule and conduct of all social life is her great province.
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Winter binds our strengthened bodies in a cold embrace constringent.
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Real glory springs from the quiet conquest of ourselves; and without that the conqueror is nought but the first slave.
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What makes people discontented with their condition is the chimerical idea they conceive of the happiness of others.
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Peace is the happy natural state of man; war his corruption, his disgrace.
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Real glory springs from the silent conquest of ourselves.
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The best of men have ever loved repose: They hate to mingle in the filthy fray, Where the soul sours, and gradual rancor grows, Imbitter’d more from peevish day to day.
Castle of Indolence, Canto i., St. 17 -
Home is the resort Of love, of joy, of peace and plenty, where, Supporting and supported, polish’d friends And dear relations mingle into bliss.
Seasons, Autumn, Line 65 -
Oft when blind mortals think themselves secure, in height of bliss, they touch the brink of ruin.
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Inconstant, blind, deserting friends at need, and duped by foes; Loud and seditious, when a chief inspired Their headlong fury, but, of him deprived, Already slaves that lick’d the scourging hand.
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Never yet, since the proud selfish race Of men began to jar, did passion give, Nor can it ever give, a right decision.
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Who would in such a gloomy state remain Longer than nature craves; when ev’ry muse And every blooming pleasure wait without, To bless the wildly devious morning walk?
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Hail! Independence, hail! Heaven’s next best gift, To that of life and an immortal soul!
Liberty, Pt. V -
An elegant sufficiency, content, Retirement, rural quiet, friendship, books, Ease and alternate labor, useful life, Progressive virtue, and approving Heaven!
The Seasons: Spring -
Whoe’er amidst the sons Of reason, valor, liberty, and virtue, Displays distinguished merit, is a noble Of Nature’s own creating.
Coriolanus, Act iii. Sc. 3 -
Amid the roses, fierce Repentance rears Her snaky crest; a quick-returning pang Shoots through the conscious heart.
The Seasons: Spring -
True comeliness, which nothing can impair, Dwells in the mind; all else is vanity and glare.
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’Tis easier for the generous to forgive than for offense to ask it.
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An elegant sufficiency, content, Retirement, rural quiet, friendship, books, Ease and alternate labour, useful life, Progressive virtue, and approving Heaven!
The Seasons. Spring, Line 1158 -
When nothing is enjoyed, can there be greater waste?
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Weak Virtue that amid the shade Lamenting lies, with future schemes amused, While Wickedness and Folly, kindred powers, Confound the world!
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Come, gentle Spring, ethereal mildness, come; And from the bosom of your dropping cloud, While music wakes around, veiled in a shower Of shadowing roses, on our plains descend.
Seasons, Spring, Line 1 -
What proves the hero truly great, Is never, never to despair.
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Where, the hawk, High in the beetling cliff, his aery builds.
The Seasons: Spring -
Keep virtue’s simple path before your eyes, Nor think from evil good can ever rise.
Tancred, Act v. Sc. 8 -
Of men the happiest he, who far from public rage, Deep in the vale, with a choice few retired, Drinks the pure pleasures of the rural life.
Seasons, Autumn, Line 1132 -
The glad circles round them yield their souls To festive mirth, and wit that knows no gall.
The Seasons: Summer -
Senseless, and deformed, Convulsive Anger storms at large; or, pale And silent, settles into fell revenge.
The Seasons: Spring -
He whom toil has braced or manly play, As light as air each limb, each thought as clear as day.
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While Reason drew the plan, the Heart informed The moral page and Fancy lent it grace.
Liberty, Pt. IV -
He saw her charming, but he saw not half The charms her downcast modesty conceal’d.
The Seasons. Autumn, Line 229 -
Their only labour was to kill the time, And labour dire it is, and weary woe.
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But chief at sea, whose every flexile wave Obeys the blast, the aërial tumult swells. In the dread Ocean undulating wide, Beneath the radiant line that girts the globe.
The Seasons: Summer -
’Tis this (religion), my friend, that streaks our morning bright.
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Desponding fear, of feeble fancies full, Weak and unmanly, loosens ev’ry power.
Seasons, Spring, Line 286 -
The valiant in himself, what can he suffer? Or what need he regard his single woes?
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When from the opening chambers of the east The morning springs in thousand liveries drest, The early larks their morning tribute pay, And, in shrill notes, salute the blooming day.
The Morning in the Country -
From cloud to cloud the rending lightnings rage, Till, in the furious elemental war Dissolved, the whole precipitated mass Unbroken floods and solid torrents pour.
The Seasons: Summer -
For still the world prevail’d, and its dread laugh, Which scarce the firm philosopher can scorn.
The Seasons. Autumn, Line 233 -
I care not, Fortune, what you me deny: You cannot rob me of free Nature’s grace.
The Castle of Indolence, Canto II -
Desponding fear, of feeble fancies full, Weak and unmanly, loosens every power.
Where these quotes come from
- The Seasons: Spring (12 quotes)
- The Seasons. Summer (9 quotes)
- The Seasons: Summer (9 quotes)
- The Castle of Indolence (7 quotes)
- The Seasons: Autumn (7 quotes)
- The Seasons. Spring (5 quotes)
- Seasons, Autumn (4 quotes)
- Hymn (4 quotes)
Every quote comes from a public-domain edition. How the library was made .