Tom Brown at Oxford Quotes

“You are no longer a boy, and one of the first duties which a man owes to his friends and to society is to live within his income.”
― Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford

“Blessed is the man who has the gift of making friends; for it is one of God's best gifts. It involves many things, but above all, the power of going out of oneself, and seeing and appreciating whatever is noble and living in another man.”
― Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford

“For some days after his return home—in fact, until his friend's arrival, Tom was thoroughly beaten down and wretched, notwithstanding his efforts to look hopefully forward, and keep up his spirits. His usual occupations were utterly distasteful to him; and, instead of occupying himself, he sat brooding over his late misfortune, and hopelessly puzzling his head as to what he could do to set matters right. The conviction in which he always landed was that there was nothing to be done, and that he was a desolate and blighted being, deserted of gods and men.”
― Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford

“Anyone who takes a decided line in certain matters, is sure to lead all the rest.”
― Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford

“While one was an undergraduate, one could feel virtuous and indignant at the vices of Oxford, at least at those which one did not indulge in, particularly at the flunkeyism and money-worship which are our most prevalent and disgraceful sins. But when one is a fellow it is quite another affair. They become a sore burthen then, enough to break one's heart.”
― Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford

“After a sharp inward struggle, he concluded to stay and see it out. He should despise himself, more than he cared to face, if he gave in now.”
― Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford

“The faces of your young people in general are not interesting—I don't mean the children, but the young men and women—and they are awkward and clownish in their manners, without the quaintness of the elder generation, who are the funniest old dears in the world." "They will all be quaint enough as they get older. You must remember the sort of life they lead. They get their notions very slowly, and they must have notions in their heads before they can show them on their faces.”
― Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford

“The least of the muscular Christians has hold of the old chivalrous and Christian belief, that a man's body is given him to be trained and brought into subjection, and then used for the protection of the weak, the advancement of all righteous causes, and the subduing of the earth which God has given to the children of men. He does not hold that mere strength or activity are in themselves worthy of any respect or worship, or that one man is a bit better than another because he can knock him down, or carry a bigger sack of potatoes than he.”
― Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford

“This work of making trade righteous, of Christianizing trade, looks like the very hardest the Gospel has ever had to take in hand—in England at any rate.”
― Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford

“Those were times when brave men who knew and loved their profession couldn't be overlooked.”
― Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford

“You see, at Rugby I was rather a great man. There one had a share in the ruling of 300 boys, and a good deal of responsibility; but here one has only just to take care of oneself, and keep out of scrapes; and that's what I never could do.”
― Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford

“While he was conscious of improving at every stroke, he did not feel that the other was asserting any superiority over him; and so, though more humble than at the most disastrous period of his downward voyage, he was getting into a better temper every minute.”
― Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford

“A landing place is a famous thing, but it is only enjoyable for a time by any mortal who deserves one at all.”
― Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford