The nations which have put mankind and posterity most in their debt have been small states Israel, Athens, Florence, Elizabethan read more

The nations which have put mankind and posterity most in their debt have been small states Israel, Athens, Florence, Elizabethan England

People will not look forward to posterity, who never look backward to their ancestors

People will not look forward to posterity, who never look backward to their ancestors

Herself the solitary scion left
Of a time-honour'd race.

Herself the solitary scion left
Of a time-honour'd race.

Posterity: you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will read more

Posterity: you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it.

He only half dies who leaves an image of himself in his sons.
[It., Muore per meta chi lascia read more

He only half dies who leaves an image of himself in his sons.
[It., Muore per meta chi lascia un' immagine di se stesso nei
figi.]

As to posterity, I may ask (with somebody whom I have forgot)
what has it ever done to oblige read more

As to posterity, I may ask (with somebody whom I have forgot)
what has it ever done to oblige me?

Why should we put ourselves out of our way to do anything for
posterity; for what has posterity done read more

Why should we put ourselves out of our way to do anything for
posterity; for what has posterity done for us?

Posterity is a most limited assembly. Those gentlemen who reach
posterity are not much more numerous than the planets.

Posterity is a most limited assembly. Those gentlemen who reach
posterity are not much more numerous than the planets.

I despise mankind in all its strata; I foresee that our
descendants will be still far unhappier than we read more

I despise mankind in all its strata; I foresee that our
descendants will be still far unhappier than we are. Would I not
be a criminal if, notwithstanding this view, I should provide for
progeny, i.e. for unfortunates?
[Ger., Ich verachte die Menschheit in allen ihren Schichten; ich
sehe es voraus, dass unsere Nachkommen noch weit unglucklicher
sein werden, als wir. Sollte ich nicht ein Sunder sein, wenn ich
trotz dieser Ansicht fur Nachkommen, d.h. fur Ungluckliche
sorgte?