“The human species, according to the best theory I can form of it, is composed of two distinct races, the men who borrow and the men who lend.”
The Two Races of Men.
Essays of Elia (1823)
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Charles Lamb 85
English essayist 1775–1834Related quotes
1790s, Letter to the Addressers (1792)
“It is in the best interests of the human race, and of women themselves, for men to be strong.”
Source: Vamps and Tramps (1994), "No Law in the Arena: A Pagan Theory of Sexuality", p. 85
Context: Because boys lack a biological marker like menstruation, to be man is to be not female. Contemporary feminism called this "misogyny," but it was wrong. Masculine identity is embattled and fragile. In the absence of opportunity for heroic physical action, as in the modern office world, women's goodwill is crucial for preserving the male ego, which requires, alas, daily maintenance. It is in the best interests of the human race, and of women themselves, for men to be strong.
Essay on the Immortality of the Soul
Context: Heaven and Hell suppose two distinct species of men, the good and the bad; but the greatest part of mankind float betwixt vice and virtue. -- Were one to go round the world with an intention of giving a good supper to the righteous, and a sound drubbing to the wicked, he would frequently be embarrassed in his choice, and would find that the merits and the demerits of most men and women scarcely amount to the value of either.
Nathan the Wise http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext03/natws10.txt (1779), Act II, scene II
Letter to Colette, December 28, 1916
1910s
Theological Lectures, No. 5, "Of the Immortality of the Soul", reported in Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations (1922), p. 514.
Political, Moral, and Miscellaneous Reflections (1750), Miscellaneous Thoughts and Reflections