Let the fear of a danger be a spur to prevent it; he that fears not, gives advantage to the danger.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Danger
Pleasures bring effeminacy, and effeminacy foreruns ruin; such conquests, without blood or sweat, do sufficiently revenge themselves upon their intemperate conquerors.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Excess
Pride is the ape of charity, in show not much unlike, but somewhat fuller of action. They are two parallels, never but asunder; charity feeds the poor, so does pride; charity builds an hospital, so does pride. In this they differ: charity gives her glory to God; pride takes her glory from man.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Pride
The place of charity, like that of God, is everywhere. Proportion thy charity to the strength of thine estate, lest God proportion thine estate to the weakness of thy charity.—Let the lips of the poor be the trumpet of thy gift, lest in seeking applause, thou lose thy reward.—Nothing is more pleasing to God than an open hand, and a closed mouth.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Charity
Flatter not thyself in thy faith in God, if thou hast not charity for thy neighbor; I think not thou hast charity for thy neighbor, if thou wantest faith in God.—Where they are not both together, they are both wanting; they are both dead if once divided.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Faith, Flattery
Be very circumspect in the choice of thy company. In the society of thine equals thou shalt enjoy more pleasure; in the society of thy superiors thou shalt find more profit. To be the best in the company is the way to grow worse; the best means to grow better is to be the worst there.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Associates
Temper your enjoyments with prudence, lest there be written on your heart that fearful word “satiety.”
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Enjoyment
If thou desire to raise thy fortunes by the casts of fortune, be wise betimes, lest thou repent too late.—What thou winnest, is prodigally spent.—What thou losest, is prodigally lost.—It is an evil trade that prodigality drives, and a bad voyage where the pilot is blind.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Gambling
No cross no crown.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Victory
The act is unjustifiable that either begs for a blessing, or, having succeeded gives no thanksgiving.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Action
Before undertaking any design weigh the story of thy action with the danger of the attempt.—If the glory outweigh the danger it is cowardice to neglect it; if the danger exceed the glory, it is rashness to attempt it; if the balances stand poised, let thine own genius cast them.
—Francis Quarles
Make use of time if thou lovest eternity; yesterday cannot be recalled; tomorrow cannot be assured; only today is thine, which if thou procrastinate, thou losest; and which lost is lost forever. One today is worth two tomorrows.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Time
Wouldst thou multiply thy riches?—diminish them wisely.—Or wouldst thou make thine estate entire?—divide it charitably.—Seeds that are scattered increase, but hoarded up they perish.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Riches
The road to perseverance lies by doubt.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Doubt
If thy daughter marry well, thou hast found a son; if not, thou hast lost a daughter.
—Francis Quarles
Give not thy tongue too great liberty, lest it take thee prisoner. A word unspoken is, like the sword in the scabbard, thine. If vented, thy sword is in another’s hand. If thou desire to be held wise, be so wise as to hold thy tongue.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Silence
The way to subject all things to thyself is to subject thyself to reason. Thou shalt govern many if reason govern thee.—Wouldst thou be the monarch of a little world?—command thyself.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Reason
If virtue accompanies beauty it is the heart’s paradise; if vice be associate with it, it is the soul’s purgatory.—It is the wise man’s bonfire, and the fool’s furnace.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Beauty
That friendship will not continue to the end which is begun for an end.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Friends, Friendship
If you desire to be magnanimous, undertake nothing rashly, and fear nothing thou undertakest.—Fear nothing but infamy; dare anything but injury; the measure of magnanimity is to be neither rash nor timorous.
—Francis Quarles
Our God and soldiers we alike adore
Ev’n at the Brink of danger; not before:
After deliverance, both alike required;
Our Gods forgotten, and our soldiers slighted.
—Francis Quarles
Let the greatest part of the news thou nearest be the least part of what thou believest; lest the greatest part of what thou believest be the least part of what is true. Where lies are easily admitted, the father of lies will not easily be kept out.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Gossip
Be wisely worldly, but not worldly wise.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Wisdom
I see no virtues where I smell no sweat.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Work
Mercy turns her back to the unmerciful.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Mercy
If thou neglectest thy love to thy neighbor, in vain thou professest thy love to God; for by thy love to God, the love to thy neighbor is begotten, and by the love to thy neighbor, thy love to God is nourished.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Love
Scandal breeds hatred; hatred begets division; division makes faction, and faction brings ruin.
—Francis Quarles
Heaven finds an ear when sinners find a tongue.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Heaven
Make thy recreation servant to thy business, lest thou become a slave to thy recreation.
—Francis Quarles
A fool’s heart is in his tongue; but a wise man’s tongue is in his heart.
—Francis Quarles
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
- Philip James Bailey English Poet
- Matthew Prior English Poet, Diplomat
- Ford Madox Ford English Novelist, Poet, Critic
- Walter Savage Landor English Writer
- Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford English Poet, Courtier
- John Keats English Poet
- Matthew Arnold English Poet, Critic
- Arthur Henry Hallam English Essayist, Poet
- Dante Gabriel Rossetti British Poet, Artist
- Robert South English Theologian
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