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“Every increase of knowledge may possibly render depravity more depraved, as well as it may increase the strength of virtue. It is in itself only power; and its value depends on its application.”

Sydney Smith

Quote reported in Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert, Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895), p. 364

“You remember Thurlow's answer to some one complaining of the injustice of a company. "Why, you never expected justice from a company, did you? they have neither a soul to lose, nor a body to kick."”

Sydney Smith

Vol. I, ch. 11 http://books.google.com/books?id=RpYEAAAAYAAJ&q=&quot;You+remember+Thurlow's+answer+to+some+one+complaining+of+the+injustice+of+a+company+Why+you+never+expected+justice+from+a+company+did+you+they+have+neither+a+soul+to+lose+nor+a+body+to+kick&quot;&pg=PA331#v=onepage <br class="br">Lady Holland's Memoir (1855)

“Looked as if she had walked straight out of the ark.”

Sydney Smith

Vol. I, p. 157
Lady Holland's Memoir (1855), Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919)

“If you could be alarmed into the semblance of modesty, you would charm everybody; but remember my joke against you about the Moon and the Solar System;—"Damn the solar system! bad light — planets too distant — pestered with comets — feeble contriviance; — could make a better with great ease."”

Sydney Smith

As quoted in "Romantic Parodies, 1797-1831" by David A. Kent, D. R. Ewen, in The Review of English Studies, New Series, Vol. 44, No. 175, (1993), pp. 430-432
Letter to Lord Jeffrey

“That knuckle-end of England—that land of Calvin, oatcakes, and sulphur.”

Sydney Smith

Vol. I, ch. 2
Lady Holland's Memoir (1855)

“Life is to be fortified by many friendships. To love, and to be loved, is the greatest happiness of existence.”

Sydney Smith

"Of Friendship"
Lady Holland's Memoir (1855)

“Praise is the best diet for us, after all.”

Sydney Smith

Vol. I, ch. 9
Lady Holland's Memoir (1855)

“In the midst of this sublime and terrible storm [at Sidmouth], Dame Partington, who lived upon the beach, was seen at the door of her house with mop and pattens, trundling her mop, squeezing out the sea-water, and vigorously pushing away the Atlantic Ocean. The Atlantic was roused; Mrs. Partington's spirit was up. But I need not tell you that the contest was unequal; the Atlantic Ocean beat Mrs. Partington.”

Sydney Smith

Speech at Taunton (1813)

“Macaulay is like a book in breeches…He has occasional flashes of silence, that make his conversation perfectly delightful.”

Sydney Smith

Vol. I, ch. 11
Lady Holland's Memoir (1855)

“Marriage resembles a pair of shears, so joined that they can not be separated; often moving in opposite directions, yet always punishing anyone who comes between them.”

Sydney Smith

Lady Holland's Memoir (1855) Vol. I, ch. 11, p. 415
Variant: Marriage resembles a pair of shears, so joined that they can not be separated; often moving in opposite directions, yet always punishing anyone who comes between them.

“Manners are the shadows of virtues; the momentary display of those qualities which our fellow creatures love, and respect.”

Sydney Smith

Sermon XII, Sermons (1809)

“Have the courage to be ignorant of a great number of things, in order to avoid the calamity of being ignorant of everything.”

Sydney Smith

Lecture IX : On the Conduct of the Understanding
Elementary Sketches of Moral Philosophy (1849)

“Bishop Berkeley destroyed this world in one volume octavo; and nothing remained after his time, but mind — which experienced a similar fate from the hand of Mr. Hume, in 1737.”

Sydney Smith

Introduction
Elementary Sketches of Moral Philosophy (1849)

“The truth is, that most men want knowledge, not for itself, but for the superiority which knowledge confers; and the means they employ to secure this superiority, are as wrong as the ultimate object, for no man can ever end with being superior, who will not begin with being inferior.”

Sydney Smith

Lecture IX : On the Conduct of the Understanding
Elementary Sketches of Moral Philosophy (1849)