The Washington Irving Anthology Quotes

“It is when the rich and well-educated and highly-privileged classes neglect their duties, when they neglect to study the interests, and conciliate the affections, and instruct the opinions, and champion the rights of the people, that the latter become discontented and turbulent, and fall into the hands of demagogues: the demagogue always steps in, where the patriot is wanting.”
― Washington Irving, The Washington Irving Anthology: The Complete Fiction and Collected Non-Fiction Works

“Surely happiness is reflective, like the light of heaven; and every countenance, bright with smiles, and glowing with innocent enjoyment, is a mirror transmitting to others the rays of a supreme and ever shining benevolence.”
― Washington Irving, The Washington Irving Anthology: The Complete Fiction and Collected Non-Fiction Works

“Presently a choir of small voices chanted forth an old Christmas carol, the burden of which was— Rejoice, our Saviour he was born
On Christmas Day in the morning.
I rose softly, slipt on my clothes, opened the door suddenly, and beheld one of the most beautiful little fairy groups that a painter could imagine. It consisted of a boy and two girls, the eldest not more than six, and lovely as seraphs. They were going the rounds of the house and singing at every chamber door,”
― Washington Irving, The Washington Irving Anthology: The Complete Fiction and Collected Non-Fiction Works

“The grate had been removed from the wide overwhelming fireplace to make way for a fire of wood, in the midst of which was an enormous log glowing and blazing, and sending forth a vast volume of light and heat: this, I understood, was the Yule-clog, which the squire was particular in having brought in and illumined on a Christmas Eve, according to ancient custom.* * The Yule-clog is a great log of wood, sometimes the root
of a tree, brought into the house with great ceremony on
Christmas Eve, laid in the fireplace, and lighted with the
brand of last year's clog. While it lasted there was great
drinking, singing, and telling of tales. Sometimes it was
accompanied by Christmas candles; but in the cottages the
only light was from the ruddy blaze of the great wood fire.
The Yule-clog was to burn all night; if it went out, it was
considered a sign of ill luck.”
― Washington Irving, The Washington Irving Anthology: The Complete Fiction and Collected Non-Fiction Works

“Here were kept up the old games of hoodman blind, shoe the wild mare, hot cockles, steal the white loaf, bob apple, and snap dragon; the Yule-clog and Christmas candle were regularly burnt, and the mistletoe with its white berries hung up, to the imminent peril of all the pretty housemaids.* * The mistletoe is still hung up in farm-houses and kitchens
at Christmas, and the young men have the privilege of
kissing the girls under it, plucking each time a berry from
the bush. When the berries are all plucked the privilege
ceases.”
― Washington Irving, The Washington Irving Anthology: The Complete Fiction and Collected Non-Fiction Works

“The sorrow for the dead is the only sorrow from which we refuse to be divorced. Every other wound we seek to heal, every other affliction to forget; but this wound we consider it a duty to keep open, this affliction we cherish and brood over in solitude.”
― Washington Irving, The Washington Irving Anthology: The Complete Fiction and Collected Non-Fiction Works

“Knowledge is power, and truth is knowledge; whoever, therefore, knowingly propagates a prejudice, wilfully saps the foundation of his country's strength.”
― Washington Irving, The Washington Irving Anthology: The Complete Fiction and Collected Non-Fiction Works

“There are some causes sosacred as to carry with them an irresistible appeal to every virtuous bosom; and he needs but little power of eloquence, who defends the honour of his wife, his mother, or his country. I”
― Washington Irving, The Washington Irving Anthology: The Complete Fiction and Collected Non-Fiction Works

“I feel convinced that the true interests and solid happiness of man are promoted by the advancement of truth; yet I cannot but mourn over the pleasant errors which it has trampled down in its progress. The fauns and sylphs, the household sprite, the moonlight revel, Oberon, Queen Mab, and the delicious realms of fairy-land, all vanish before the light of true philosophy; but who does not sometimes turn with distaste from the cold realities of morning, and seek to recall the sweet visions of the night?”
― Washington Irving, The Washington Irving Anthology: The Complete Fiction and Collected Non-Fiction Works

“The orders of society, in all well-constituted governments, are mutually bound together, and important to each other; there can be no such thing in a free government as a vacuum; and whenever one is likely to take place, by the drawing off of the rich and intelligent from the poor, the bad passions of society will rush in to fill up the space, and rend the whole asunder. Though”
― Washington Irving, The Washington Irving Anthology: The Complete Fiction and Collected Non-Fiction Works

“Let those who would keep two youthful hearts asunder, beware of music.”
― Washington Irving, The Washington Irving Anthology: The Complete Fiction and Collected Non-Fiction Works

“As the leaves of trees are said to absorb all noxious qualities of the air, and to breathe forth a purer atmosphere, so it seems to me as if they drew from us all sordid and angry passions, and breathed forth peace and philanthropy.”
― Washington Irving, The Washington Irving Anthology: The Complete Fiction and Collected Non-Fiction Works

“Men are always doomed to be duped, not so much by the arts of the sex, as by their own imaginations. They are always wooing goddesses, and marrying mere mortals.”
― Washington Irving, The Washington Irving Anthology: The Complete Fiction and Collected Non-Fiction Works

“Whenever a man's friends begin to compliment him about looking young, he may be sure that they think he is growing old. I”
― Washington Irving, The Washington Irving Anthology: The Complete Fiction and Collected Non-Fiction Works