Charles Caleb Colton

Charles Caleb Colton (1780–1832) was an English cleric, writer, and aphorist, remembered chiefly for *Lacon: or, Many Things in Few Words*, a popular collection of maxims. Educated at Eton and King’s College, Cambridge, he was ordained in the Church of England and held livings in Sussex. Colton also wrote sermons and other prose, but his reputation rests on his concise, often satirical observations on character, society, and morality. In later life he lived abroad, spending time in Paris. His career ended tragically: he died in 1832 after taking his own life. Colton’s aphorisms continue to be widely quoted.