Commonplace books (or commonplaces) are a way to compile knowledge, usually by writing information into books. They have been kept from antiquity, and were kept particularly during the Renaissance and in the nineteenth century. Such books are similar to scrapbooks filled with items of many kinds: sententiae, notes, proverbs, adages, aphorisms, maxims, quotes, letters, poems, tables of weights and measures, prayers, legal formulas, and recipes. Entries are most often organized under subject headings. - Wikipedia.
I have been keeping a document on my computer for several years now that has served as my commonplace book. As the definition says, the better sorts of these things are organized by subject. Mine have just been copied down as they came my way.
I've decided to start transcribing it here, piece by piece. They are mainly longish quotations, poems, and the occasional observation that struck me as being noteworthy. Many I agree with; some are appalling. But all, I think, are worth considering.
I shall mark each entry in its title as CPB, and label it by subject and author (when known). I hope readers will find it an amusing stroll through my mind and interests.
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