Be not the first by whom the new are tried, Nor yet the last to lay the old aside.

Be not the first by whom the new are tried, Nor yet the last to lay the old aside.

A man must serve his time to every trade
Save censure--critics all are ready made.
Take hackney'd read more

A man must serve his time to every trade
Save censure--critics all are ready made.
Take hackney'd jokes from Miller, got by rote,
With just enough of learning to misquote;
A mind well skill'd to find or forge a fault;
A turn for punning, call it Attic salt;
To Jeffrey go, be silent and discreet,
His pay is just ten sterling pounds per sheet;
Fear not to lie, 'twill seem a lucky hit;
Shrink not from blasphemy, 'twill pass for wit;
Care not for feeling--pass your proper jest,
And stand a critic, hated yet caress'd.

To avoid criticism do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.

To avoid criticism do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.

A servile race
Who, in mere want of fault, all merit place;
Who blind obedience pay to read more

A servile race
Who, in mere want of fault, all merit place;
Who blind obedience pay to ancient schools,
Bigots to Greece, and slaves to musty rules.

Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.

Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.

Those who do not read criticism will rarely merit to be
criticised.

Those who do not read criticism will rarely merit to be
criticised.

If you have no will to change it, you have no right to criticize it

If you have no will to change it, you have no right to criticize it

Philosophers, as things now stand, are all too fond of offering criticism from on high instead of studying and understanding read more

Philosophers, as things now stand, are all too fond of offering criticism from on high instead of studying and understanding things from within.

Do what you feel in your heart to be right – for you’ll be criticized anyway.

Do what you feel in your heart to be right – for you’ll be criticized anyway.