Augustine Birrell Quotes

Friendship is a word, the very sight of which in print makes the heart warm.

- Augustine Birrell

Given Pounds and five years, and an ordinary man can in the ordinary course, without any undue haste or putting any pressure upon his taste, surround himself with books, all in his own language, and thence forward have at least one place in the world.

- Augustine Birrell

An ordinary man can surround himself with two thousand books and thenceforward have at least one place in the world in which it is possible to be happy.

- Augustine Birrell

History is the great dust-heap... a pageant and not a philosophy.

- Augustine Birrell

A conventional good read is usually a bad read, a relaxing bath in what we know already. A true good read is surely an act of innovative creation in which we, the readers, become conspirators.

- Augustine Birrell

Libraries are not made, they grow.

- Augustine Birrell

That great dust-heap called 'history'.

- Augustine Birrell