Ridicule is the first and last argument of fools.

Ridicule is the first and last argument of fools.

There is nothing one sees oftener than the ridiculous and
magnificent, such close neighbors that they touch.
[Fr., read more

There is nothing one sees oftener than the ridiculous and
magnificent, such close neighbors that they touch.
[Fr., L'on ne saurait mieux faire voir que le magnifique et le
ridicule sont si voisins qu'ils se touchent.]

The sublime and ridiculous are often so nearly related that it is
difficult to class them separately. One step read more

The sublime and ridiculous are often so nearly related that it is
difficult to class them separately. One step below the sublime
makes the ridiculous and one step above the ridiculous makes the
sublime again.

I believe they talked of me, for they laughed consumedly.

I believe they talked of me, for they laughed consumedly.

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.

Ridicule has historically proven itself a rickety fence for great ideas.

Ridicule has historically proven itself a rickety fence for great ideas.

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.

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."