William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne famous quotes

Last updated: Sep 5, 2024

[F]riends praise your abilities to the skies, submit to you in argument, and seem to have the greatest deference for you; but, though they may ask it, you never find them following your advice upon their own affairs; nor allowing you to manage your own.
-- William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

#Sky #Advice #May
While I cannot be regarded as a pillar, I must be regarded as a buttress of the church, because I support it from outside.
-- William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

#Support #Religion #Church
My esoteric doctrine, is that if you entertain any doubt, it is safest to take the unpopular side in the first instance. Transit from the unpopular, is easy... but from the popular to the unpopular is so steep and rugged that it is impossible to maintain it.
-- William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

#Doubt #Esoteric #Firsts
A doctrinaire is a fool but an honest man.
-- William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

#Men #Fool #Principles
I wish I was as cocksure of anything as Tom Macaulay is of everything.
-- William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

#Confidence #Self Confidence #Wish
It is not much matter which we say, but mind, we must all say the same.
-- William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

#Agreement #Mind #Matter
What I like about the Order of the Garter is that there is no damned merit about it.
-- William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

#Order #Awards #Merit
Things are coming to a pretty pass when religion is allowed to invade private life.
-- William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

#Life #Private Life
Neither man nor woman can be worth anything until they have discovered that they are fools. The sooner the discovery is made the better, as there is more time and power for taking advantage of it.
-- William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

#Men #Discovery #Fool
Neither man nor woman can be worth anything until they have discovered that they are fools. wThis is the first step towards becoming either estimable or agreeable; and until it be taken there is no hope. wThe sooner the discovery is made the better, as there is more time and power for taking advantage of it. Sometimes the great truth is found out too late to apply to it any effectual remedy.w Sometimes it is never found at all; and these form the desperate and inveterate causes of folly, self-conceit, and impertinence.
-- William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

#Taken #Conceited #Men
That is no use at all. What I want is men who will support me when I am in the wrong.
-- William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

#Men #Support #Want
The whole duty of government is to prevent crime and to preserve contracts.
-- William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

#Government #Crime #Contracts
What all the wise men promised has not happened and what all the dammed fools said would happen has come to pass.
-- William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

#Wise #Army #Men
Nobody ever did anything very foolish except from some strong principle.
-- William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

#Strong #Character #Principles

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