“ 'When a man's his own enemy, it's only because he's too much his own friend ”
Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist (1838). copy citation
| Author | Charles Dickens |
|---|---|
| Source | Oliver Twist |
| Topic | enemies |
| Date | 1838 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/730/730-h/730-h.htm |
Context
“'He hasn't as good a one as himself anywhere.'
'Except sometimes,' replied Morris Bolter, assuming the air of a man of the world. 'Some people are nobody's enemies but their own, yer know.'
'Don't believe that,' said Fagin. 'When a man's his own enemy, it's only because he's too much his own friend; not because he's careful for everybody but himself. Pooh! pooh! There ain't such a thing in nature.'
'There oughn't to be, if there is,' replied Mr. Bolter.
'That stands to reason. Some conjurers say that number three is the magic number, and some say number seven.”
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