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Francis Quarles

Francis Quarles Quotes

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Famous Francis Quarles Quotes

“Alas! fond child, How are thy thoughts beguil'd To hope for honey from a nest of wasps? Thou may'st as well Go seek for ease in hell, Or sprightly nectar from the mouths of asps. The world's a hive, From whence thou canst derive No good, but what thy soul's vexation brings: But case thou meet Some petty-petty sweet, Each drop is guarded with a thousand stings.”

WorldWellsMayChildrenSoulCasesHellSweetThousandMouthsEaseHoneyAlasPettyNestsGuardedHivesNectarVexationWasps
Book:Emblems divine and moral
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“Be not too rash in the breaking of an inconvenient custom; as it was gotten, so leave it by degrees. Danger attends upon too sudden alterations; he that pulls down a bad building by the great may be ruined by the fall, but he that takes it down brick by brick may live to build a better.”

MayFallDangerBuildingDegreesCustomsRuinedBricksInconvenientAlterations
Book:Enchiridion Institutions, Essays and Maxims, political, moral & divine. Divided into four centuries. By Francis Quarles
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“Rather do what is nothing to the purpose than be idle; that the devil may find thee doing. The bird that sits is easily shot, when fliers scape the fowler. Idleness is the Dead Sea that swallows all the virtues, and the self-made sepulchre of a living man.”

MenMayMadeSelfPurposeVirtueSeaBirdDevilShotsTheeIdleIdlenessSelf MadeScapes
Book:Enchiridion Institutions, Essays and Maxims, political, moral & divine. Divided into four centuries. By Francis Quarles
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“So use prosperity, that adversity may not abuse thee: if in the one, security admits no fears, in the other, despair will afford no hopes; he that in prosperity can foretell a danger can in adversity foresee deliverance.”

IfsMayUseSecurityDangerDespairAbuseAdversityProsperityTheeNo FearNo HopeDeliverance
Book:Enchiridion Institutions, Essays and Maxims, political, moral & divine. Divided into four centuries. By Francis Quarles
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“Demean thyself more warily in thy study than in the street. If thy public actions have a hundred witnesses, thy private have a thousand. The multitude looks but upon thy actions; thy conscience looks into them: the multitude may chance to excuse thee, if not acquit thee; thy conscience will accuse thee, if not condemn thee.”

IfsLooksMayActionChanceStudyStreetsThousandHundredConscienceExcuseWitnessTheeRetirementMultitudesThyself
Book:Enchiridion Institutions, Essays and Maxims, political, moral & divine. Divided into four centuries. By Francis Quarles
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“If thou seest anything in thyself which may make thee proud, look a little further and thou shalt find enough to humble thee; if thou be wise, view the peacock's feathers with his feet, and weigh thy best parts with thy imperfections.”

IfsLooksMayLittlesEnoughViewsWiseFeetProudHumbleTheeImperfectionFeathersThyselfBeing WisePeacockSelf-examination
Book:Enchiridion Institutions, Essays and Maxims, political, moral & divine. Divided into four centuries. By Francis Quarles
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“If thy words be too luxuriant, confine them, lest they confine thee; he that thinks he never can speak enough may easily speak too much. A full tongue and an empty brain are seldom parted.”

IfsThinkingMayEnoughSpeakBrainTalkingToo MuchEmptyTongueThee
Book:Enchiridion Institutions, Essays and Maxims, political, moral & divine. Divided into four centuries. By Francis Quarles
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“Though virtue give a ragged livery, she gives a golden cognizance; if her service make thee poor, blush not. Thy poverty may disadvantage thee, but not dishonor thee.”

IfsGivingMayPoorPovertyVirtueGoldenTheeDisadvantagesDishonorRagged
Book:Enchiridion Institutions, Essays and Maxims, political, moral & divine. Divided into four centuries. By Francis Quarles
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“Fear nothing but what thy industry may prevent; be confident of nothing but what fortune cannot defeat; it is no less folly to fear what is impossible to be avoided than to be secure when there is a possibility to be deprived.”

MayLiteratureWorryImpossiblePossibilityIndustryFortuneDefeatSecureFollyDeprivedAvoidedFear NotBe ConfidentFear Nothing
Book:Enchiridion Institutions, Essays and Maxims, political, moral & divine. Divided into four centuries. By Francis Quarles
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