William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne Quotes

Be not over solicitous about education. It may be able to do much, but it does not do as much as expected from it. It may mould and direct the character, but it rarely alters it.

Neither man nor woman can be worth anything until they have discovered that they are fools. The sooner the discovery is made the better, as there is more time and power for taking advantage of it.

Nobody ever did anything very foolish except from some strong principle.

That is no use at all. What I want is men who will support me when I am in the wrong.

It doesn't matter what we say , so long as we all say the same thing.

It is not much matter which we say, but mind, we must all say the same.

What all the wise men promised has not happened and what all the dammed fools said would happen has come to pass.

My esoteric doctrine, is that if you entertain any doubt, it is safest to take the unpopular side in the first instance. Transit from the unpopular, is easy... but from the popular to the unpopular is so steep and rugged that it is impossible to maintain it.

While I cannot be regarded as a pillar, I must be regarded as a buttress of the church, because I support it from outside.

[F]riends praise your abilities to the skies, submit to you in argument, and seem to have the greatest deference for you; but, though they may ask it, you never find them following your advice upon their own affairs; nor allowing you to manage your own.

I wish I was as cocksure of anything as Tom Macaulay is of everything.

Things are coming to a pretty pass when religion is allowed to invade private life.

Neither man nor woman can be worth anything until they have discovered that they are fools. wThis is the first step towards becoming either estimable or agreeable; and until it be taken there is no hope. wThe sooner the discovery is made the better, as there is more time and power for taking advantage of it. Sometimes the great truth is found out too late to apply to it any effectual remedy.w Sometimes it is never found at all; and these form the desperate and inveterate causes of folly, self-conceit, and impertinence.

The whole duty of government is to prevent crime and to preserve contracts.

What I like about the Order of the Garter is that there is no damned merit about it.

A doctrinaire is a fool but an honest man.