Benjamin Disraeli (1804 – 1881)
British politician, novelist, and essayist, serving twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
There is no act of treachery or meanness of which a political party is not capable; for in politics there is no honour.
I am prepared for the worst, but hope for the best.
Time is precious, but truth is more precious than time.
The most dangerous strategy is to jump a chasm in two leaps.
Every man has a right to be conceited until he is successful.
Action may not always bring happiness but there is no happiness without action.
You cannot choose between party government and Parliamentary government. I say, you can have no Parliamentary government if you have no party government; and, therefore, when Gentlemen denounce party government, they strike at that scheme of government which, in my opinion, has made this country great, and which I hope will keep it great.
The pursuit of science leads only to the insoluble.
One secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes.
A man may speak very well in the House of Commons, and fail very completely in the House of Lords. There are two distinct styles requisite: I intend, in the course of my career, if I have time, to give a specimen of both.
We are indeed a nation of shopkeepers.
Sir, it is very easy to complain of party Government, and there may be persons capable of forming an opinion on this subject who may entertain a deep objection to that Government, and know to what that objection leads. But there are others who shrug their shoulders, and talk in a slipshod style on this head, who, perhaps, are not exactly aware of what the objections lead to. These persons should understand, that if they object to party Government, they do, in fact, object to nothing more nor less than Parliamentary Government. A popular assembly without parties--500 isolated individuals--cannot stand five years against a Minister with an organized Government without becoming a servile Senate.
"As for that," said Waldenshare, "sensible men are all of the same religion."
"Pray, what is that?" inquired the Prince.
"Sensible men never tell."
Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most.
"So you see, my dear Coningsby, that the world is governed by very different personages from what is imagined by those who are not behind the scenes." (Sidonia speaking)
The wisdom of the wise, and the experience of ages, may be preserved by quotation.
To be conscious that you are ignorant is a great step to knowledge.
Diligence is the mother of good fortune.
I think the author who speaks about his own books is almost as bad as a mother who talks about her own children.
For what is the Tory party unless it represents national feeling? If it does not represent national feeling, Toryism is nothing. It does not depend upon hereditary coteries of exclusive nobles. It does not attempt power by attracting to itself the spurious force which may accidentally arise from advocating cosmopolitan principles or talking cosmopolitan jargon. The Tory party is nothing unless it represent and uphold the institutions of the country.