William Congreve Quotes

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.

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

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

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

He that first cries out stop thief, is often he that has stolen the treasure.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

Every man plays the fool once in his live, but to marry is playing the fool all one's life long.

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!

O, she is the antidote to desire.

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