Authors From England

"I would like a bat with the words WHAT A ROTTEN WICKET-KEEPER stamped in large letters on the back of it."

"A batsman given to run-stealing need not open his mouth to gain the reputation of a wit."

"Not content with discoursing on supermen, the author presents them in the flesh - or whatever it is they are made of."

"What is a harp but an over-sized cheese-slicer with cultural pretensions?"

"Smetana certainly knew which side his bride was bartered."

"A counter tenor is anyone who can count to ten."

"He had the kind of handshake that ought never to be used except as a tourniquet."

"After thee accumulation of too much history we have lost our innocence, we cannot easily believe in any explanations. We describe rather than feel, we touch rather than explore, we lust rather than adore."

"The whole planet is the museum!"

"... used to be the fight for the means of production, now it's the fight for the means of perception ... or the meme's of perception ... they who control the meme's of perception design each universe I would say"

"The bottom line is that the human species has to realize the human body really is just a cheap suitcase."

"An exact science is one that admits loss."

"Ainsley walked round him, shivering and rubbing his nose. The nose felt that it was running, or felt that it didn't feel it was running when it was"

"I know a very good reason,' said Ainsley, 'but I don't know a very good excuse."

"Our enemy really isn't capitalism, it's cynicism. That's one the things I learned from Woody … Not to be cynical … That cynicism … It destroys you, it rots you away from the inside. So that sense of optimism and humanity … which 20 years ago I would have called socialism but now I'll call compassion … You know, that idea is still out there and alive and if you can plug into that and encourage that it makes it all worth while."

"A patriot is someone who cares what happens in their country."

"If individuals have no virtues, their vices may be of use to us."

"The government of England is a government of law. We betray ourselves, we contradict the spirit of our laws, and we shake the whole system of English jurisprudence, whenever we entrust a discretionary power over the life, liberty, or fortune of the subject to any man, or set of men, whatsoever, upon a presumption that it will not be abused."

"An honest man, like the true religion, appeals to the understanding, or modestly confides in the internal evidence of his conscience. The imposter employes force instead of argument, imposes silence where he cannot convince, and propagates his character by the sword."

"I see through your whole life, one uniform plan to enlarge the power of the crown, at the expense of the liberty of the subject. To this object, your thoughts, words and actions have been constantly directed. In contempt or ignorance of the common law of England, you have made it your study to introduce into the court, where you preside, maxims of jurisprudence unknown to Englishmen. The Roman code, the law of nations, and the opinion of foreign civilians, are your perpetual theme;—but whoever heard you mention Magna Charta or the Bill of Rights with approbation or respect? By such treacherous arts, the noble simplicity and free spirit of our Saxon laws were first corrupted. The Norman conquest was not compleat, until Norman lawyers had introduced their laws, and reduced slavery to a system.—This one leading principle directs your interpretation of the laws, and accounts for your treatment of juries."

"The injustice done to an individual is sometimes of service to the public. Facts are apt to alarm us more than the most dangerous principles."

"He has sometimes sported with lucky malice; but to him that knows his company, it is not hard to be sarcastic in a mask. ... Junius burst into notice with a blaze of impudence which has rarely glared upon the world before, and drew the rabble after him as a monster makes a show. When he had once provided for his safety by impenetrable secrecy, he had nothing to combat but truth and justice, enemies whom he knows to be feeble in the dark. ... out of the reach of danger, he has been bold: out of the reach of shame, he has been confident. As a rhetorician, he has had the art of persuading when he seconded desire; as a reasoner, he has convinced those who had no doubt before; as a moralist, he has taught that virtue may disgrace; and as a patriot, he has gratified the mean by insults on the high. Finding sedition ascendant, he has been able to advance it; finding the nation combustible, he has been able to inflame."

"How comes this Junius to have broke through the cobwebs of the law, and to range uncontrolled, unpunished through the land? The myrmidons of the court have been long, and are still, pursuing him in vain. ... No sooner has he wounded one than he lays another dead at his feet. For my part, when I saw his attack upon the king, I own my blood ran cold. ... In short, after carrying away our royal eagle in his pounces, and dashing him against a rock, he has laid you prostrate. Kings, Lords, and Commons are but the sport of his fury. Were he a member of this House, what might not be expected from his knowledge, his firmness, and integrity? He would be easily known by his contempt of all danger, by his penetration, by his vigour. Nothing would escape his vigilance and activity. Bad ministers could conceal nothing from his sagacity; nor could promises or threats induce him to conceal any thing from the public."

"The temple of fame is the shortest passage to riches and preferment."

"We lament the mistakes of a good man, and do not begin to detest him until he affects to renounce his principles."

"The least considerable man among us has an interest equal to the proudest nobleman, in the laws and constitution of his country, and is equally called upon to make a generous contribution in support of them — whether it be the heart to conceive, the understanding to direct, or the hand to execute."

"The people of England are loyal to the House of Hanover, not from a vain preference of one family to another, but from a conviction that the establishment of that family was necessary to the support of their civil and religious liberties. This, Sir, is a principle of allegiance equally solid and rational;—fit for Englishmen to adopt, and well worthy of your Majesty's encouragement. We cannot long be deluded by nominal distinctions. The name of Stuart, of itself, is only contemptible;—armed with the sovereign authority, their principles are formidable. The Prince, who imitates their conduct, should be warned by their example; and, while he plumes himself upon the security of his title to the crown, should remember that, as it was acquired by one revolution, it may be lost by another."

"There is a holy mistaken zeal in politics as well as in religion. By persuading others, we convince ourselves."

"When once a man is determined to believe, the very absurdity of the doctrine confirms him in his faith."

"It is not then from the alienated affections of Ireland or America, that you George III] can reasonably look for assistance; still less from the people of England, who are actually contending for their rights, and in this great question, are parties against you. You are not however, destitute of every appearance of support: you have all the Jacobites, Non-jurors, Roman Catholics, and Tories of this country, and all Scotland, without exception. Considering from what family you are descended, the choice of your friends has been singularly directed; and truly, Sir, if you had not lost the Whig interest of England, I should admire your dexterity in turning the hearts of your enemies."

"They [the Americans] equally detest the pageantry of a king, and the supercilious hypocrisy of a bishop."

"There is a moment of difficulty and danger at which flattery and falsehood can no longer deceive, and simplicity itself can no longer be misled."

"When the constitution is openly invaded, when the first original right of the people, from which all laws derive their authority, is directly attacked, inferior grievances naturally lose their force, and are suffered to pass by without punishment or observation."

"We owe it to our ancestors to preserve entire those rights, which they have delivered to our care: we owe it to our posterity, not to suffer their dearest inheritance to be destroyed."

"I believe there is yet a spirit of resistance in this country, which will not submit to be oppressed; but I am sure there is a fund of good sense in this country, which cannot be deceived."

"Loyalty, in the heart and understanding of an Englishman, is a rational attachment to the guardian of the laws."

"The submission of free people to the executive authority of government, is no more than a compliance with laws which they themselves have enacted."

"The liberty of the press is the palladium of all the civil, political, and religious rights of an Englishman."

"One precedent creates another. They soon accumulate and constitute law. What yesterday was fact, today is doctrine."

"On stage you can group 200 people together and scare them or embarrass them or whatever. You can't do that on TV. You have to use the conventions, that's why Kevin [Turvey] works so well."

"Shocked & saddened that a comedy hero is gone; for those who grew up on The Young Ones, Rik Mayall was one of funniest performers ever."

"It is a terrible loss, he was true pioneer and an incredible force. His peers and him were as important to comedy as the Sex Pistols were to music. For me, The Young Ones will always be his signature performance. Rick was just a character for the ages."

"Rik Mayall is putrid – absolutely vile. He thinks nose-picking is funny and farting and all that. He is the arsehole of British comedy."

"A young girl, stricken with terminal cancer, once asked Rik Mayall for an autograph. He wrote: "Young Ones are never afraid.""

"Very, very sad to learn of Rik Mayall's passing. Frank Oz and I saw him and Adrian Edmondson at the Comic Strip while I was in pre-production on An American Werewolf in London and they were extraordinary. He did not believe me at first when afterwards I offered him a part. I just remember how excited Rik was to be in a movie and how good he was even in such a small role. It was no surprise to me he went on to The Young Ones and a brilliant career. A great loss of a truly gifted man."

"Very sad to hear of the passing of Rik Mayall. Far too young. A very funny and talented man."

"I've never stopped missing Rik Mayall but thankful for his legacy of incomparable comedy!"

"I was brought up to be a good boy and proud of myself so I suppress all the things about me that are bad."

"RIP Rik Mayall. An icon of modern British comedy."

"Simply distraught to hear of the death of Rik Mayall. An authentic comedy genius and a prince among men."