Friends of my youth, a last adieu! haply some day we meet again; _x000D_ Yet ne'er the self-same men shall meet; the years shall make us other men.
Richard Francis BurtonRead
I'd like to be born the son of a duke with 90,000 pounds a year, on an enormous estate.... And I'd like to have the most enormous library, and I'd like to think that I could read those books forever and forever, and die unlamented, unknown, unsung, unhonored - and packed with information.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses a desire for wealth, knowledge, and anonymity.
In this quote, Richard Francis Burton reflects on the notion of privilege and the pursuit of knowledge. He imagines a life of luxury, filled with books and intellectual wealth, yet desires to remain unknown and uncelebrated, suggesting that the value of knowledge itself is more important than recognition or acclaim.
Themes
KnowledgeWealthAnonymityBooksIntellect
In practice
Example use cases
In a graduation speech emphasizing the importance of lifelong learning.
More from Richard Francis Burton
All quotes →One cannot look at the sea without wishing for the wings of a swallow.
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Do what thy manhood bids thee do, from none but self expect applause. He noblest lives and noblest dies who makes and keeps his self-made laws.
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If you can’t laugh together in bed, the chances are you are incompatible, anyway. I’d rather hear a girl laugh well than try to turn me on with long, silent, soulful, secret looks. If you can laugh with a woman, everything else falls into place.
Richard Francis BurtonRead
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