William Adams (Master of Pembroke)

William Adams (minister) thumb|William Adams William Adams D.D. (Shrewsbury, England, 1706/07 – 13 February 1789) was Fellow and Master of Pembroke College, Oxford. Quotes You would not jostle a chimney-sweeper. Conversation with Dr Johnson in 1776, quoted in Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson, vol. 2 (1791) pp. 24–5: Johnson coincided with me and said, "When a man voluntarily engages in an important controversy, he is to do all he can to lessen his antagonist, because authority from personal respect has much weight with most people, and often more than reasoning. If my antagonist writes bad language, though that may not be essential to the question, I will attack him for his bad language." Adams: "You would not jostle a chimney-sweeper." Johnson: Yes, Sir, if it were necessary to jostle him down." External links "Quote Origin: Don't Wrestle with a Chimney Sweep or You Will Get Covered with Grime", Quote Investigator (6 July 2017) Category:Essayists from England Category:1700s births Category:1789 deaths Category:Christian leaders Category:University of Oxford faculty Category:University of Oxford alumni