Quotessence
Home / Authors / Francis Quarles
Francis Quarles

Francis Quarles Quotes

Poet

Filter quotes by topic

AllIfsTheeMenMaySoulWorldHeartWayDesireLiteratureVirtueGivingThyselfActionEndsFirstsGloryCharityDangerFire

Famous Francis Quarles Quotes

“Mark, how the ready hands of Death prepare: His bow is bent, and he hath notch'd his dart; He aims, he levels at thy slumb'ring heart: The wound is posting, O be wise, beware.”

HeartHandsDeathLevelsWiseReadyMarkAimWoundsRingsBowsBentBeing WiseNotches
Book:Emblems, divine and moral; The school of the heart [really by C. Harvey] and Hieroglyphies of the life of man
Create image

“They who cannot be induced to fear for love will never be enforced to love for fear. Love opens the heart, fear shuts it; that encourages, this compels; and victory meets encouragement, but flees compulsion.”

HeartFearVictoryEncouragementCompulsionFear Of Love
Book:Enchiridion Institutions, Essays and Maxims, political, moral & divine. Divided into four centuries. By Francis Quarles
Create image

“Wrinkle not thy face with too much laughter, lest thou become ridiculous; neither wanton thy heart with too much mirth, lest thou become vain: the suburbs of folly is vain mirth, and profuseness of laughter is the city of fools.”

HeartFacesCitiesToo MuchFoolLaughterRidiculousVainFollyWrinklesSuburbsMirthWanton
Book:Enchiridion Institutions, Essays and Maxims, political, moral & divine. Divided into four centuries. By Francis Quarles
Create image

“Wouldst thou know the lawfulness of the action which thou desirest to undertake, let thy devotion recommend it to Divine blessing: if it be lawful, thou shalt perceive thy heart encouraged by thy prayer; if unlawful, thou shalt find thy prayer discouraged by thy heart. That action is not warrantable which either blushes to beg a blessing, or, having succeeded, dares not present a thanksgiving.”

IfsKnowsHeartActionPrayerDivineBlessingDareDevotionPerceiveDiscouragedUnlawfulLawfulness
Author:Francis Quarles
Create image

“Gaze not on beauty too much, lest it blast thee; nor too long, lest it blind thee; nor too near, lest it burn thee. If thou like it, it deceives thee; if thou love it, it disturbs thee; if thou hunt after it, it destroys thee. If virtue accompany it, it is the heart's paradise; if vice associate it, it is the soul's purgatory. It is the wise man's bonfire, and the fool's furnace.”

IfsMenHeartLongSoulBeautyVirtueToo MuchWiseFoolBlindVicesTheeParadiseDeceivingAssociatesHuntsBlastAccompanyPurgatoryFurnacesBonfire
Book:Enchiridion Institutions, Essays and Maxims, political, moral & divine. Divided into four centuries. By Francis Quarles
Create image

“If any speak ill of thee, flee home to thy own conscience, and examine thy heart: if thou be guilty, it is a just correction; if not guilty, it is a fair instruction: make use of both; so shalt thou distil honey out of gall, and out of an open enemy create a secret friend.”

IfsHeartUseHomeSpeakSecretEnemyConscienceFairsIllGuiltyTheeHoneyInstructionSlanderCorrectionsNot Guilty
Book:Enchiridion Institutions, Essays and Maxims, political, moral & divine. Divided into four centuries. By Francis Quarles
Create image

“Luxury is an enticing pleasure, a bastard mirth, which hath honey in her mouth, gall in her heart, and a sting in her tail.”

HeartPleasureMouthsLuxuryHoneyTailsMirthEnticing
Book:The school of the heart, or The heart of itself gone away from God brought back again to him and instructed by him, by Francis Quarles [really by C. Harvey. Adapted from B. van Haeften's Schola cordis]. To which is added, The learning of the heart by the same author [really by C. Harvey. Ed. by C.E. De Coetlogon. Issued as vol. 2 of Emblems divine and moral, by F. Quarles. Wanting the title-leaf and plates].
Create image