Quote 32 of 40

From Emerson's Essays, by Ralph Waldo Emerson

But there are no such men as we fable; no Jesus, nor Pericles, nor
Caesar, nor Angelo, nor Washington, such as we have made.  We
consecrate a great deal of nonsense because it was allowed by great
men.  There is none without his foible.  I believe that if an angel
should come to chant the chorus of moral law, he would eat too much
gingerbread, or take liberties with private letters, or do some
precious atrocity.
		-- Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Nominalist and Realist", p.
		   312

Tags: angel jesus liberties nonsense caesar fable realist atrocity greatmen pericles morallaw privateletters foible ralphwaldoemerson