John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.
4856 Sydney Smith 1771-1845 John Bartlett
| NUMBER: | 4856 |
| AUTHOR: | Sydney Smith (1771–1845) |
| QUOTATION: | We cultivate literature on a little oatmeal. 1 |
| ATTRIBUTION: | Lady Holland’s Memoir. Vol. i. p. 23. |
| Note 1. Mr. Smith, with reference to the “Edinburgh Review,” says: “The motto I proposed for the ‘Review’ was ‘Tenui musam meditamur avena;’ but this was too near the truth to be admitted; so we took our present grave motto from Publius Syrus, of whom none of us had, I am sure, read a single line.” [back] |