William Congreve Quotes

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.

Music has charms to sooth a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.

Fear comes from uncertainty. When we are absolutely certain, whether of our worth or worthlessness, we are almost impervious to fear.

Women are like tricks by sleight of hand, Which, to admire, we should not understand

Say what you will, 'tis better to be left than never to have been loved.

He who closes his ears to the views of others shows little confidence in the integrity of his own views.

'Tis well enough for a servant to be bred at an University. But the education is a little too pedantic for a gentleman.

Nor Hell a Fury, like a Woman scorn'd.

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.

Thou art a retailer of phrases, and dost deal in remnants of remnants.

Nothing but you can lay hold of my mind, and that can lay hold of nothing but you.

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.

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.

I find we are growing serious, and then we are in great danger of being dull.

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.

Uncertainty and expectation are the joys of life. Security is an insipid thing.

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.

There are times when sense may be unseasonable, as well as truth.

No mask like open truth to cover lies, As to go naked is the best disguise.

There is in true Beauty, as in Courage, somewhat which narrow Souls cannot dare to admire.

Women like flames have a destroying power; never to be quenched till they themselves devour.

Delay not till tomorrow to be wise; tomorrow's sun to thee may neve rise.

Courtship is to marriage, as a very witty prologue to a very dull play.

You are a woman: you must never speak what you think; your words must contradict your thoughts, but your actions may contradict your words.

Wit must be foiled by wit: cut a diamond with a diamond.

A wit should no more be sincere, than a woman constant; one argues a decay of parts, as to other of beauty.

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.

Whoever is king, is also the father of his country.

They are at the end of the gallery; retired to their tea and scandal, according to their ancient custom.

Invention flags, his brain goes muddy, And black despair succeeds brown study.

Musick has Charms to sooth a savage Breast...

Thus grief still treads upon the heels of pleasure; Married in haste, we may repent at leisure.

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.

I confess freely to you, I could never look long upon a monkey, without very mortifying reflections.

A little scorn is alluring.

I came up stairs into the world, for I was born in a cellar.

No, I'm no enemy to learning; it hurts not me.

A woman only obliges a man to secrecy, that she may have the pleasure of telling herself.

If there's delight in love, 'Tis when I see that heart, which others bleed for, bleed for me.

O fie, miss, you must not kiss and tell.

A hungry wolf at all the herd will run, In hopes, through many, to make sure of one.

Beauty is the lover's gift.

O, she is the antidote to desire.

How hard a thing 'twould be to please you all.

Mr Witwould: "Pray, madam, do you pin up your hair with all your letters? I find I must keep copies." Mrs Millamant: "Only with those in verse.... I never pin up my hair with prose."

There is nothing more unbecoming a man of quality than to laugh ... 'tis such a vulgar expression of the passion!

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.

It is the business of a comic poet to paint the vices and follies of human kind.

Music alone with sudden charms can bind The wand'ring sense, and calm the troubled mind.

These articles subscribed, if I continue to endure you a little longer, I may by degrees dwindle into wife.