Top 200 Quotes & Sayings by Samuel Richardson - Page 3

A man who insults the modesty of a woman, as good as tells her that he has seen something in her conduct that warranted his presumption.

The eye is the casement at which the heart generally looks out. Many a woman who will not show herself at the door, has tipt the sly, the intelligible wink from the window.

He only who gave life has a power over it.

Those commands of superiors which are contrary to our first duties are not to be obeyed.

There cannot be any great happiness in the married life except each in turn give up his or her own humors and lesser inclinations.

The life of a good man was a continual warfare with his passions.

Air and manners are more expressive than words.

But let not those worthy young women, who may think themselves destined to a single life, repine over-much at their lot; since, possibly, if they have had no lovers, or having had one, two, or three, have not found a husband, they have had rather a miss than a loss, as men go.

Friendly satire may be compared to a fine lancet, which gently breathes a vein for health's sake.

What pleasure can those over-happy persons know, who, from their affluence and luxury, always eat before they are hungry and drink before they are thirsty?

Women are sometimes drawn in to believe against probability by the unwillingness they have to doubt their own merit.

The grace that makes every grace amiable is humility.

Beauty is an accidental and transient good.

I know not my own heart if it be not absolutely free.

The person who is worthiest to live, is fittest to die.

Men know no medium: They will either, spaniel-like, fawn at your feet, or be ready to leap into your lap.

Every thing is pretty that is young.

I never knew a man who deserved to be thought well of for his morals who had a slight opinion of our Sex in general.

Romances in general are calculated rather to fire the imagination, than to inform the judgment.

Men and women are brothers and sisters; they are not of different species; and what need be obtained to know both, but to allow for different modes of education, for situation and constitution, or perhaps I should rather say, for habits, whether good or bad.

Twenty-four is a prudent age for women to marry at.

The seeds of Death are sown in us when we begin to live, and grow up till, like rampant weeds, they choak the tender flower of life.

All that hoops are good for is to clean dirty shoes and keep fellows at a distance.

She who is more ashamed of dishonesty than of poverty will not be easily overcome.

Old men, imagining themselves under obligation to young paramours, seldom keep any thing from their knowledge.

If a woman knows a man to be a libertine, yet will, without scruple, give him her company, he will think half the ceremony between them is over; and will probably only want an opportunity to make her repent of her confidence in him.

We have nothing to do, but to choose what is right, to be steady in the pursuit of it, and leave the issue to Providence.

Marriage is a state that is attended with so much care and trouble, that it is a kind of faulty indulgence and selfishness to livesingle, in order to avoid the difficulties it is attended with.

In all Works of This, and of the Dramatic Kind, STORY, or AMUSEMENT, should be considered as little more than the Vehicle to the more necessary INSTRUCTION.

All human excellence is but comparative — there are persons who excel us, as much as we fancy we excel the meanest.

Those who respect age, deserve to live to be old, and to be respected themselves.

Spiritual pride is the most dangerous and the most arrogant of all sorts of pride.

A good man will extend his munificence to the industrious poor of all persuasions reduced by age, infirmity, or accident; to thosewho labour under incurable maladies; and to the youth of either sex, who are capable of beginning the world with advantage, but have not the means.

A good man will not engage even in a national cause, without examining the justice of it.

What we look upon as our greatest unhappiness in a difficulty we are involved in, may possibly be the evil hastening to its crisis, and happy days may ensue.

A feeling heart is a blessing that no one, who has it, would be without; and it is a moral security of innocence; since the heart that is able to partake of the distress of another, cannot wilfully give it.

Honesty is good sense, politeness, amiableness,--all in one.

The Nature of Familiar Letters, written, as it were, to the Moment, while the Heart is agitated by Hopes and Fears, on Events undecided, must plead an Excuse for the Bulk of a Collection of this Kind. Mere Facts and Characters might be comprised in a much smaller Compass: But, would they be equally interesting?

When we reflect upon the cruelties daily practised upon such of the animal creation as are given us for food, or which we ensnarefor our diversion, we shall be obliged to own that there is more of the savage in human nature than we are aware of.

A departure from the truth was hardly ever known to be a single one.

A fop takes great pains to hang out a sign, by his dress, of what he has within.

Too liberal self-accusations are generally but so many traps for acquittal with applause.

That cruelty which children are permitted to show to birds and other animals will most probably exert itself on their fellow creatures when at years of maturity.

If women would make themselves appear as elegant to an Husband, as they were desirous to appear to him while a Lover, the Rake, which all women love, would last longer in the Husband than it generally does.

An acquaintance with the muses, in the education of youth, contributes not a little to soften manners. It gives a delicate turn to the imagination and a polish to the mind.

Things we wish to be true are apt to gain too ready credit with us.

That dangerous but too commonly received notion, that a reformed rake makes the best husband.

It is but shaping the bribe to the taste, and every one has his price.

Virtue only is the true beauty.

Vast is the field of Science... the more a man knows, the more he will find he has to know.

Be sure don't let people's telling you, you are pretty, puff you up; for you did not make yourself, and so can have no praise due to you for it. It is virtue and goodness only, that make the true beauty.

We all know by theory that there is no permanent happiness in this life: But the weight of the precept is not felt in the same manner as when it is confirmed to us by a heavy calamity.

Why Do We Procrastinate? P - postponing life R - resisting change O - overly cautious C - contemplating course of action R - reasoning and justifying A - afraid of success S - summoning up some courage T - trouble moving forward I - inability to see the outcome N - not able to trust in your abilities to make decisions A - attempting to control the situation T - time to reflect on your motives E - erodes progress

An honest heart is not to be trusted with itself in bad company.

Chastity, like piety, is a uniform grace.

The richest princes and the poorest beggars are to have one great and just judge at the last day who will not distinguish betweenthem according to their ranks when in life but according to the neglected opportunities afforded to each. How much greater then, as the opportunities were greater, must be the condemnation of the one than of the other?

Tired of myself longing for what I have not

The world, the wise world, that never is wrong itself, judges always by events. And if he should use me ill, then I shall be blamed for trusting him: if well, O then I did right, to be sure!--But how would my censurers act in my case, before the event justifies or condemns the action, is the question.

'Passion' a word which involves so many feelings. I feel it when we touch; I feel it when we kiss; I feel it when I look at you. For you are my passion; my one true love.

Though a censure lies against those who are poor and proud, yet is Pride sooner to be forgiven in a poor person than in a rich one; since in the latter it is insult and arrogance; in the former, it may be a defense against temptations to dishonesty; and, if manifested on proper occasions, may indicate a natural bravery of mind, which the frowns of fortune cannot depress.