All who (like him) have writ ill plays before,
For they, like thieves, condemned, are hangman made,
read more

All who (like him) have writ ill plays before,
For they, like thieves, condemned, are hangman made,
To execute the members of their trade.

Who shall dispute what the Reviewers say?
Their word's sufficient; and to ask a reason,
In such read more

Who shall dispute what the Reviewers say?
Their word's sufficient; and to ask a reason,
In such a state as theirs, is downright treason.

Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving.

Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving.

As soon
Seek roses in December--ice in June,
Hope, constancy in wind, or corn in chaff;
read more

As soon
Seek roses in December--ice in June,
Hope, constancy in wind, or corn in chaff;
Believe a woman or an epitaph,
Or any other thing that's false, before
You trust in critics.

There is no logical way to the discovery of these elemental laws. There is only the way of intuition, which read more

There is no logical way to the discovery of these elemental laws. There is only the way of intuition, which is helped by a feeling for the order lying behind the appearance.

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.

Remember that nobody will ever get ahead of you as long as he is kicking you in the seat of read more

Remember that nobody will ever get ahead of you as long as he is kicking you in the seat of the pants.

The most noble criticism is that in which the critic is not the
antagonist so much as the rival read more

The most noble criticism is that in which the critic is not the
antagonist so much as the rival of the author.

They who write ill, and they who ne'er durst write,
Turn critics out of mere revenge and spite.

They who write ill, and they who ne'er durst write,
Turn critics out of mere revenge and spite.