W.C. Sellar Quotes & Sayings

When setting out on a photographic holiday, always provide yourself with two cameras, one to leave in the train going and the other to leave in the cab coming back. — W.C. Sellar

With the ascension of Charles I to the throne we come at last to the Central Period of English History (not to be confused with the Middle Ages, of course), consisting in the utterly memorable Struggle between the Cavaliers (Wrong but Wromantic) and the Roundheads (Right but Repulsive). — W.C. Sellar

It is utterly forbidden to be half-hearted about gardening. You have got to love your garden whether you like it or not. — W.C. Sellar

For every person wishing to teach there are thirty not wanting to be taught. — W.C. Sellar

Gladstone .. spent his declining years trying to guess the answer to the Irish Question; unfortunately, whenever he was getting warm, the Irish secretly changed the Question, ... — W.C. Sellar

Memorable among the Saxon warriors were Hengist and his wife (? or horse), Horsa. Hengist made himself King in the South. Thus Hengist was the first English King and his wife (or horse), Horsa, the first English Queen (or horse). — W.C. Sellar

The National Debt is a very Good Thing and it would be dangerous to pay it off for fear of Political Economy. — W.C. Sellar

While the Roman Empire was overrun by waves not only of Ostrogoths, Vizigoths and even Goths, but also of Vandals (who destroyed works of art) and Huns (who destroyed everything and everybody, including Goths, Ostrogoths, Vizigoths and even Vandals), Britain was attacked by waves of Picts (and, of course, Scots) who had recently learnt how to climb the wall, and of Angles, Saxons and Jutes who, landing at Thanet, soon overran the country with fire (and, of course, the sword). — W.C. Sellar

History is not what you think. It is what you can remember. — W.C. Sellar

"I want to be a lawn." Greta Garbo. — W.C. Sellar

To confess that you are totally Ignorant about the horse, is social suicide: you will be despised by everybody, especially the horse. — W.C. Sellar

The Scots (originally Irish, but by now Scotch) were at this time inhabiting Ireland, having driven the Irish (Picts) out of Scotland; while the Picts (originally Scots) were now Irish (living in brackets) and vice versa. It is essential to keep these distinctions clearly in mind (and verce visa). — W.C. Sellar