Scoff not at the natural defects of any which are not in their power to amend. It is cruel to read more

Scoff not at the natural defects of any which are not in their power to amend. It is cruel to beat a cripple with his own crutches!

I know that there are things that never have been funny, and never will be. And I know that ridicule read more

I know that there are things that never have been funny, and never will be. And I know that ridicule may be a shield, but it is not a weapon.

Ridicule is the language of the devil.

Ridicule is the language of the devil.

We have oftener than once endeavoured to attach some meaning to
that aphorism, vulgarly imputed to Shaftesbury, which however read more

We have oftener than once endeavoured to attach some meaning to
that aphorism, vulgarly imputed to Shaftesbury, which however we
can find nowhere in his works, that "ridicule is the test of
truth."

We never repent of having eaten too little.

We never repent of having eaten too little.

Resort is had to ridicule only when reason is against us.

Resort is had to ridicule only when reason is against us.

Jane borrow'd maxims from a doubting school,
And took for truth the test of ridicule;
Lucy saw read more

Jane borrow'd maxims from a doubting school,
And took for truth the test of ridicule;
Lucy saw no such virtue in a jest,
Truth was with her of ridicule the test.

That passage is what I call the sublime dashed to pieces by
cutting too close with the fiery four-in-hand read more

That passage is what I call the sublime dashed to pieces by
cutting too close with the fiery four-in-hand round the corner of
nonsense.

One does not lash what lies at a distance. The foibles that we ridicule must at least be a little read more

One does not lash what lies at a distance. The foibles that we ridicule must at least be a little bit our own. Only then will the work be a part of our own flesh. The garden must be weeded.