Welcome to our collection of quotes by William Congreve
Wikipedia Summary for William Congreve
William Congreve (24 January 1670 – 19 January 1729) was an English playwright and poet of the Restoration period. He is known for his clever, satirical dialogue and influence on the comedy of manners style of that period. He was also a minor political figure in the British Whig Party.
Music has charms to soothe a savage beast.
For blessings ever wait on virtuous deeds, And though a late, a sure reward succeeds.
Courtship to marriage is a very witty prologue to a very dull play.
A fellow who lives in a windmill has not a more whimsical dwelling than the heart of a man that is lodged in a woman.
A hungry wolf at all the herd will run, In hopes, through many, to make sure of one.
Courtship to marriage is as a very witty prologue to a very dull play.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
He that first cries out stop thief is often he that has stolen the treasure.
Uncertainty and expectation are the joys of life. Security is an insipid thing, though the overtaking and possessing of a wish discovers the folly of the chase.
Guilt is ever at a loss, and confusion waits upon it; when innocence and bold truth are always ready for expression.
Women are like tricks by sleight of hand, which, to admire, we should not understand.
Women are like tricks by sleight of hand,
Which, to admire, we should not understand.
Defer not till to-morrow to be wise,
To-morrow's Sun to thee may never rise.
Defer not till to-morrow to be wise,
To-morrow's sun to thee may never rise.
Courtship to marriage, as a very witty prologue to a very dull Play.
The good receiv'd, the giver is forgot.
Tho' marriage makes man and wife one flesh, it leaves 'em still two fools.
Wit must be foiled by wit, cut a diamond with a diamond.
I always take blushing either for a sign of guilt or ill-breeding.
For blessings ever wait on virtuous deeds.
One of love's April fools.
Baboons and apes ridiculous we find;
For what? For ill resembling Human-kind.
It is the business of a comic poet to paint the vices and follies of human kind.
Delay not till tomorrow to be wise; tomorrow's sun to thee may neve rise.
Women like flames have a destroying power; never to be quenched till they themselves devour.
No mask like open truth to cover lies, As to go naked is the best disguise.
Why will mankind be fools, and be deceived? And why are friends' and lovers' oaths believed; When each, who searches strictly his own mind, May so much fraud and power of baseness find?
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
Thus in this sad, but oh, too pleasing state! my soul can fix upon nothing but thee; thee it contemplates, admires, adores, nay depends on, trusts on you alone.
One minute gives invention to destroy; What to rebuild, will a whole age employ.
Music has charms to soothe a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak. I've read that things inanimate have moved, and, as with living souls, have been inform'd, by magic numbers and persuasive sound.
But say what you will, 'tis better to be left than never to have been loved. To pass our youth in dull indifference, to refuse the sweets of life because they once must leave us, is as preposterous as to wish to have been born old, because we one day must be old.
A little scorn is alluring.
Marriage is honourable, as you say; and if so, wherefore should Cuckoldom be a Discredit, being deriv'd from so honourable a Root?
I always take blushing either for a sign of guilt, or of ill breeding.
I know a lady that loves to talk so incessantly, she won't give an echo fair play; she has that everlasting rotation of tongue that an echo must wait till she dies before it can catch her last words!
Love's but a frailty of the mind, When 'tis not with ambition joined.
Love's but the frailty of the mind, When 'tis not with ambition joined; A sickly flame, which if not fed expires; And feeding, wastes in self-consuming fires.
A wit should no more be sincere, than a woman constant; one argues a decay of parts, as to other of beauty.
O, nothing is more alluring than a levee from a couch in some confusion.
Though marriage makes man and wife one flesh, it leaves 'em still two fools.
Every man plays the fool once in his live, but to marry is playing the fool all one's life long.
Honor is a public enemy, and conscience a domestic, and he that would secure his pleasure, must pay a tribute to one and go halves with t'other.
Women are like tricks by sleight of hand, Which, to admire, we should not understand.
There are come Critics so with Spleen diseased, They scarcely come inclining to be pleased: And sure he must have more than mortal Skill, Who please one against his Will.
There are times when sense may be unseasonable, as well as truth.
Music alone with sudden charms can bind The wand'ring sense, and calm the troubled mind.
There is nothing more unbecoming a man of quality than to laugh ... 'tis such a vulgar expression of the passion!
She once used me with that insolence, that in revenge I took her to pieces; sifted her, and separated her failings; I studied 'em, and got 'em by rote. The catalogue was so large, that I was not without hopes, one day or other to hate her heartily.
To converse with Scandal is to play at Losing Loadum, you must lose a good name to him, before you can win it for yourself.
Defer not till to-morrow to be wise, To-morrow's Sun to thee may never rise; Or should to-morrow chance to cheer thy sight With her enlivening and unlook'd for light, How grateful will appear her dawning rays! As favours unexpected doubly please.
Turn pimp, flatterer, quack, lawyer, parson, be chaplain to an atheist, or stallion to an old woman, anything but a poet; for a poet is worse, more servile, timorous and fawning than any I have named.
Invention flags, his brain goes muddy,
And black despair succeeds brown study.
O ay, letters -- I had letters -- I am persecuted with letters -- I hate letters -- nobody knows how to write letters; and yet one has 'em, one does not know why -- they serve one to pin up one's hair.
Would any thing but a madman complain of uncertainty? Uncertainty and expectation are joys of life; security is an insipid thing; and the overtaking and possessing of a wish discovers the folly of the chase.
There is in true Beauty, as in Courage, somewhat which narrow Souls cannot dare to admire.
I came up stairs into the world, for I was born in a cellar.
I nauseate walking; 'tis a country diversion, I loathe the country.
Thou art a retailer of phrases, and dost deal in remnants of remnants.
Nor Hell a Fury, like a Woman scorn'd.
Thus grief still treads upon the heels of pleasure; Married in haste, we may repent at leisure.
To find a young fellow that is neither a wit in his own eye, nor a fool in the eye of the world, is a very hard task.
They are at the end of the gallery; retired to their tea and scandal, according to their ancient custom.
I know that's a secret, for it's whispered every where.
A wit should be no more sincere than a woman constant.
Invention flags, his brain goes muddy, and black despair succeeds brown study.
Come, come, leave business to idlers, and wisdom to fools: they have need of 'em: wit be my faculty, and pleasure my occupation, and let father Time shake his glass.
I confess freely to you, I could never look long upon a monkey, without very mortifying reflections.
I know that's a secret, for it's whispered everywhere.
They come together like the Coroner's Inquest, to sit upon the murdered reputations of the week.
I find we are growing serious, and then we are in great danger of being dull.
No, I'm no enemy to learning; it hurts not me.
If there's delight in love, 'Tis when I see that heart, which others bleed for, bleed for me.
Wit must be foiled by wit: cut a diamond with a diamond.
You are a woman: you must never speak what you think; your words must contradict your thoughts, but your actions may contradict your words.
A little disdain is not amiss; a little scorn is alluring.
Say what you will, 'tis better to be left than never to have been loved.
In my conscience I believe the baggage loves me, for she never speaks well of me herself, nor suffers any body else to rail at me.
Grief walks upon the heels of pleasure; married in haste, we repent at leisure.
Never go to bed angry, stay up and fight.
Beauty is the lover's gift.
If this be not love, it is madness, and then it is pardonable.
She likes herself, yet others hates, For that which in herself she prizes; And while she laughs at them, forgets She is the thing that she despises.
There is in true beauty, as in courage, something which narrow souls cannot dare to admire.
'Tis well enough for a servant to be bred at an University. But the education is a little too pedantic for a gentleman.
He who closes his ears to the views of others shows little confidence in the integrity of his own views.
Fear comes from uncertainty. When we are absolutely certain, whether of our worth or worthlessness, we are almost impervious to fear.
Music has charms to sooth a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.
Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.
Uncertainty and expectation are the joys of life. Security is an insipid thing.
A hungry wolf at all the herd will run, In hopes, through many, to make sure of one.
Courtship is to marriage, as a very witty prologue to a very dull play.