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William Makepeace Thackeray

William Makepeace Thackeray Quotes

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Famous William Makepeace Thackeray Quotes

“To describe love-making is immoral and immodest; you know it is. To describe it as it really is, or would appear to you and me as lookers-on, would be to describe the most dreary farce, to chronicle the most tautological twaddle. To take note of sighs, hand-squeezes, looks at the moon, and so forth--does this business become our dignity as historians? Come away from those foolish young people--they don't want us; and dreary as their farce is, and tautological as their twaddle, you may be sure it amuses them, and that they are happy enough without us.”

PeopleKnowsWantLoveLooksMayDoeEnoughHandsWould BeYoungMoonDignityNotesFoolishHistorianSighImmoralWant ULove MakingDrearyChroniclesFarce
Book:Works
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“Only to two or three persons in all the world are the reminiscences of a man's early youth interesting: to the parent who nursed him; to the fond wife or child mayhap afterwards who loves him; to himself always and supremely--whatever may be his actual prosperity or ill fortune, his present age, illness, difficulties, renown, or disappointments--the dawn of his life still shines brightly for him, the early griefs and delights and attachments remain with him ever faithful and dear.”

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Author:William Makepeace Thackeray
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“Young ladies may have been crossed in love, and have had their sufferings, their frantic moments of grief and tears, their wakeful nights, and so forth; but it is only in very sentimental novels that people occupy themselves perpetually with that passion, and I believe what are called broken hearts are a very rare article indeed.”

PeopleBelieveHeartMayHas BeensMomentsYoungNightSufferingPassionI BelieveGriefNovelTearsBrokenDisappointmentArticlesSentimentalFranticYoung Ladies
Book:Delphi Complete Works of William Makepeace Thackeray (Illustrated)
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“Where is truth, forsooth, and who knoweth it? Is Beauty beautiful, or is it only our eyes that make it so? Does Venus squint? Has she got a splay-foot, red hair, and a crooked back? Anoint my eyes, good Fairy Puck, so that I may ever consider the Beloved Object a paragon! Above all, keep on anointing my mistress's dainty peepers with the very strongest ointment, so that my noddle may ever appear lovely to her, and that she may continue to crown my honest ears with fresh roses!”

MayDoeEyeBeautifulFeetHonestObjectsHairRedEarsRoseLovelyBelovedFairyStrongestVery StrongCrownsMistressCrookedVenusPuckRed HairAnointingDaintyParagon
Book:The Virginians: Christie's Collections
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“A woman may possess the wisdom and chastity of Minerva, and we give no heed to her, if she has a plain face. What folly will not a pair of bright eyes make pardonable? What dullness may not red lips are sweet accents render pleasant? And so, with their usual sense of justice, ladies argue that because a woman is handsome, therefore she is a fool. O ladies, ladies! there are some of you who are neither handsome nor wise.”

IfsGivingMayEyeFacesJusticeWiseSweetFoolRedLipsArguingPleasantFollyPairsUsualAccentsHandsomeHeedChastityDullnessRed LipsBright EyesMinerva
Book:Vanity Fair
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“And in those varieties of pain of which we spoke anon, what a part of confidante has that poor teapot played ever since the kindly plant was introduced among us! What myriads of women have cried over it, to be sure! What sickbeds it has smoked by! What fevered lips have received refreshment from out of it! Nature meant very gently by women when she made that teaplant; and with a little thought what a series of pictures and groups the fancy may conjure up and assemble round the teapot and cup!”

MayLittlesMadePoorPlantSeriesRoundsLipsCupsTeaFancyOver ItCriedRed LipsRefreshmentsTeapots
Author:William Makepeace Thackeray
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