Literary Birthday – 8 May – Edward Gibbon

Edward Gibbon was born 8 May 1737, and died 16 January 1794.

Quotes

1. Conversation enriches the understanding, but solitude is the school of genius.
2. My early and invincible love of reading—I would not exchange for the treasures of India.
3. The style of an author should be the image of his mind, but the choice and command of language is the fruit of exercise.
4. We improve ourselves by victory over our self. There must be contests, and you must win.
5. I never make the mistake of arguing with people for whose opinions I have no respect.
6. Books are those faithful mirrors that reflect to our mind the minds of sages and heroes.
7. The history of empires is the history of human misery.
8. [Whole] generations may be swept away by the madness of kings in the space of a single hour.
9. The sentiment of fear is nearly allied to that of hatred.
10. The communication of ideas requires a similitude of thought and language.

Edward Gibbon was an English historian and Member of Parliament. He wrote The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,  which was published in six volumes between 1776 and 1788.

Source for Image

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edward_Emily_Gibbon.jpg

Joshua Reynolds, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

by Amanda Patterson

Please click here for our Literary Birthday Calendar

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