[F]riends praise your abilities to the skies, submit to you in argument, and seem to have the greatest deference for you; but, though they may ask it…

- William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

My esoteric doctrine, is that if you entertain any doubt, it is safest to take the unpopular side in the first instance. Transit from the unpopular, …

- William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

Be not over solicitous about education. It may be able to do much, but it does not do as much as expected from it. It may mould and direct the charac…

- William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

That is no use at all. What I want is men who will support me when I am in the wrong.

- William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

Neither man nor woman can be worth anything until they have discovered that they are fools. The sooner the discovery is made the better, as there is …

- William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

The whole duty of government is to prevent crime and to preserve contracts.

- William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

Nobody ever did anything very foolish except from some strong principle.

- William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

It doesn't matter what we say , so long as we all say the same thing.

- William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne

Things are coming to a pretty pass when religion is allowed to invade private life.

- William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne