The law touches us but here and there, and now and then. Manners are what vex or soothe, corrupt or purify, exalt or debase, barbarize or refine us, by a constant, steady, uniform, insensible operation, like that of the air we breathe in.

Edmund Burke

More information about this quote

Topic

Custom and convention Law

Author

Edmund Burke

Source

Two Letters to a Member of the Present Parliament, on the Proposals for Peace with the Regicide Directory of France

Medium

Open letter Letter

Language

English

Time

1796 1790s 18th century

Era

Age of Enlightenment

Occupation

Philosopher Politician Writer

From

Ireland Europe

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Burke, Edmund. Two Letters to a Member of the Present Parliament, on the Proposals for Peace with the Regicide Directory of France. London: F. and C. Rivington, 1796, letter 1.

Current Citation

Burke, Edmund. Letters on a Regicide Peace." The Portable Edmund Burke, edited by Isaac Kramnick. Penguin, 2009, letter 1.

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A quote by Edmund Burke about custom and convention: “The law touches us but here and there, and now and then. Manners are…”
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A quote by Edmund Burke about custom and convention: “The law touches us but here and there, and now and then. Manners are…”
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Related Quotes

Below are one or more quotes that share at least one tag with the quote at the top of the page

Another quote by Edmund Burke

Old religious factions are volcanoes burnt out.

Edmund Burke

Speech on the Petition of the Unitarians, May 11, 1792

More information about this quote
Topic
Sectarianism Religion
Speaker
Edmund Burke
Source
Speech on the Petition of the Unitarians, May 11, 1792
Medium
Speech
Genre
Political speech
Language
English
Time
1792 1790s 18th century
Authentication Score 3
Original Citation

Burke, Edmund. Address on Petition of the Unitarians. House of Commons. 11 May 1792, Palace of Westminster, London, England, UK.

Current Citation

Burke, Edmund. "Speech on the Petition of the Unitarian Society." The Portable Edmund Burke, edited by Isaac Kramnick. Penguin Classics, 1999.

Another quote from the 1790s

We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.

John Adams

Read this letter at the National Archives website
More information about this quote
Topic
Morality and politics Political theory American experiment

Author

John Adams
Source
Letters of John Adams
Medium
Letter
Language
English
Time
1798 1790s 18th century
Authentication Score 3
Citation

Adams, John. Letter to the Officers of the First Brigade of the Third Division of the Militia of Massachusetts. 11 Oct. 1798.

Another quote about Law

I fought the law, and the law won.

The Crickets

I Fought the Law

Listen to I Fought the Law at Amazon Listen to I Fought the Law at Amazon
Read the lyrics to I Fought the Law at genius.com
More information about this quote
Topic
Law Resisting authority The man
Speaker
The Crickets
Source
I Fought the Law
Genre
Rock and roll
Language
English
Time
1961 1960s 20th century
Authentication Score 3
Citation

Curtis, Sonny. "I Fought the Law." Performed by The Crickets. In Style With the Crickets. Coral Records, 1960.

Another quote from Age of Enlightenment

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

Alexander Pope

An Essay on Criticism

Read An Essay on Criticism at Poetry Foundation
More information about this quote
Topic
Taking risks Going for it

Author

Alexander Pope
Source
An Essay on Criticism
Medium
Poem
Statement Type
Proverbs, aphorisms and adages
Language
English
Time
1711 1710s 18th century
Era
Age of Enlightenment
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Pope, Alexander, [published anonymously]. "An Essay on Criticism." London: W. Lewis, 1711, pt. 2, l. 626.

Current Citation

Pope, Alexander. "An Essay on Criticism." The Major Works, edited by Pat Rogers. Oxford University Press, 2009, pt. 2, I. 626.