Quote#Desire
Were not this desire of fame very strong, the difficulty of obtaining…
Quote byJoseph Addison · 1672–1719
Commonly attributed — not confirmed in an authoritative edition. Cited on Wikiquote to: The Spectator (1711–1714), No. 255 (22 December 1711).
English (original)
Were not this desire of fame very strong, the difficulty of obtaining it, and the danger of losing it when obtained, would be sufficient to deter a man from so vain a pursuit.
— Joseph Addison
More from Joseph Addison
On you, my lord, with anxious fear I wait, And from your judgment must expect my fate.
Music religious heat inspires, It wakes the soul, and lifts it high, And wings it with sublime desires, And fits it to bespeak the Deity.
When time itself shall be no more, And all things in confusion hurl'd, Music shall then exert it's power, And sound survive the ruins of the world: Then saints and angels shall agree In one eternal jubilee:
Consecrate the place and day To music and Cecilia. Let no rough winds approach, nor dare Invade the hallow'd bounds, Nor rudely shake the tuneful air, Nor spoil the fleeting sounds.
Music, the greatest good that mortals know, And all of heaven we have below.
Let echo, too, perform her part, Prolonging every note with art; And in a low expiring strain, Play all the concert o'er again.