“With regard to donations always expect the most from prudent people, who keep their own accounts.”

— Joseph Addison

This is attributed to Addison in The Columbia Dictionary of Quotations (1993) with a citation of "Economy and Benevolence" in Interesting Anecdotes, Memoirs, Allegories, Essays, and Poetical Fragments (1794) but that was a publication of a contemporary "Mr. Addison" in several volumes, and not the poet. Vol. III of that publication (in 1796), on page 205, does contain these lines, but as part of an anonymous ancecdote.
Misattributed

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "With regard to donations always expect the most from prudent people, who keep their own accounts." by Joseph Addison?

Joseph Addison photo

Joseph Addison 226

politician, writer and playwright 1672–1719

Related quotes

“A prudent man should always follow in the path trodden by great men and imitate those who are most excellent.”

Niccolo Machiavelli book The Prince

Source: The Prince (1513), Ch. 6; translated by Luigi Ricci

“When the final result is expected to be a compromise, it is often prudent to start from an extreme position.”

John Maynard Keynes book The Economic Consequences of the Peace

Source: The Economic Consequences of the Peace

“Wall Street has a few prudent principles; the trouble is that they are always forgotten when they are most needed.”

Benjamin Graham book The Intelligent Investor

Source: The Intelligent Investor (1973) (Fourth Revised Edition), Chapter 16, Convertible Issues and Warrants, p. 225

“The real destroyer of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations and benefits.”

Plutarch (46–127) ancient Greek historian and philosopher

“The most content people are those who expect nothing, who have ceased to dream.”

Christopher Pike (1954) American author Kevin Christopher McFadden

Source: The Red Dice

“The constitution shall never be construed… to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms.”

Alexander Hamilton (1757–1804) Founding Father of the United States

“The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms.”

Samuel Adams (1722–1803) American statesman, Massachusetts governor, and political philosopher

“You are one of the rare people who can separate your observation from your preconception. You see what is, where most people see what they expect.”

John Steinbeck book East of Eden

Source: East of Eden

“You are one of the rare people who can separate your observation from your perception… you see what is, where most people see what they expect.”

Tsitsi Dangarembga Nervous Conditions

Source: Nervous Conditions

“People with new ideas could distribute programs as freeware, asking for donations from satisfied users, or selling hand-holding services. I have met people who are already working this way successfully.”

Richard Stallman (1953) American software freedom activist, short story writer and computer programmer, founder of the GNU project

1980s, GNU Manifesto (1985)

Related topics