WORDS FROM A GREAT MIND

Washington Irving

Essayist, biographer & short-story writer

Born: 3 April 1783
Died: 28 November 1859
Lived in: New York, England, Spain & Sunnyside

Washington Irving was an American essayist, biographer, and storyteller. The Sketch Book brought him international fame through pieces including Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, while his later work ranged from Spanish history to a five-volume life of George Washington.

A LESSER-KNOWN DETAIL

Named after George Washington, Irving met the president as a small boy. He later remembered Washington placing a hand on his head and giving him a blessing.

Words by Washington Irving

“Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune, but great minds rise above it.”

Washington Irving ↗

“The love which survives the tomb is one of the noblest attributes of the soul.”

Washington Irving ↗

“Honest good-humor is the oil and wine of a merry meeting.”

Washington Irving ↗