Inspirational Quotes by Francis Quarles (English Religious Poet)

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.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Laughter

Use law and physic only in cases of necessity; they that use them otherwise, abuse themselves into weak bodies and light purses: they are good remedies, bad recreations, but ruinous habits.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Law

He that hath promised pardon on our repentance hat not promised life till we repent.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Forgiveness, Repentance

Let all thy joys be as the month of May,
And all thy days be as a marriage day.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Blessings

He that has no cross will have no crown.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Adversity

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

Heaven is never deaf but when man’s heart is dumb.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Prayer

Make thy recreation servant to thy business, lest thou become a slave to thy recreation.
—Francis Quarles

Wisdom without innocency is knavery; innocence without wisdom is foolery; be therefore as wise as serpents and innocent as doves. The subtilty of the serpent instructs the innocency of the dove; the innocency of the dove corrects the subtilty of the serpent. What God hath joined together let not man separate.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Wisdom

Death expecteth thee everywhere; be wise, therefore, and expect death everywhere.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Death

If thou desire to purchase honor with thy wealth, consider first how that wealth became thine; if thy labor got it, let thy wisdom keep it; if oppression found it, let repentance restore it; if thy parent left it, let thy virtues deserve it; so shall thy honor be safer, better, and cheaper.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Wealth

A fool’s heart is in his tongue; but a wise man’s tongue is in his heart.
—Francis Quarles

Beware of him that is slow to anger; for when it is long coming, it is the stronger when it comes, and the longer kept. Abused patience turns to fury.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Anger

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

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

Be always less willing to speak than to hear; what thou hearest, thou receivest; what thou speakest thou givest.—It is more glorious to give, but more profitable to receive.
—Francis Quarles

There be three sorts of government, monarchical, aristocratical, and democratical, and they are to fall three different ways into ruin: the first, by tyranny; the second, by ambition; the last, by tumults.—A commonwealth, grounded on any one of these, is not of long continuance; but wisely mingled, each guards the other and makes government exact.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Government

All passions are good or bad, according to their objects: where the object is absolutely good, there the greatest passion is too little; where absolutely evil, there the least passion is too much; where indifferent, there a little is enough.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Passion

The road to perseverance lies by doubt.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Doubt

Of all vices take heed of drunkenness. Other vices are but the fruits of disordered affections; this disorders, nay banishes reason.—Other vices but impair the soul; this demolishes her two chief acuities, the understanding and the will. Other vices make their own way; this makes way for all vices.—He that is a drunkard is qualified for all vice.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Drunkenness

He that discovers himself till he hath made himself master of his desires, lays himself open to his own ruin, and makes himself a prisoner to his own tongue.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Secrecy

If thou wouldst preserve a sound body, use fasting and walking; if a healthful soul, fasting and praying.—Walking exercises the body; praying exercises the soul; fasting cleanses both.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Diet

If thou wouldst be justified, acknowledge thine injustice.—He that confesses his sin, begins his journey toward salvation.—He that is sorry for it, mends his pace.—He that forsakes it, is at his journey’s end.
—Francis Quarles

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.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Fear, Worry

Be as far from desiring the popular love as fearful to deserve the popular hate; ruin dwells in both; the one will hug thee to death; the other will crush thee to destruction: to escape the first, be not ambitious; avoid the second, be not seditious.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Popularity

Faith evermore looks upward and describes objects remote; but reason can discover things only near—sees nothing that’s above her.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Reason, Faith

If thou desire rest unto thy soul, be just.—He that doth no injury, fears not to suffer injury; the unjust mind is always in labor; it either practises the evil it hath projected, or projects to avoid the evil it hath deserved.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Justice

If thy daughter marry well, thou hast found a son; if not, thou hast lost a daughter.
—Francis Quarles

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

The vain-glory of this world is a deceitful sweetness, a fruitless labor, a perpetual fear, a dangerous honor; her beginning is without Providence, and her end not without repentance.
—Francis Quarles

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

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

Luxury is an enticing pleasure, a bastard mirth, which hath honey in her mouth, gall in her heart, and a sting in her tail.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Luxury

If thou be strong enough to encounter with the times, keep thy station; if not, shift a foot to gain advantage of the times. He that acts a beggar to prevent a thief is never the poorer; it is a great part of wisdom sometimes to seem a fool.
—Francis Quarles

Put off thy cares with thy clothes; so shall thy rest strengthen thy labor; and and so shall thy labor sweeten thy rest.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Leisure, Rest, Sleep

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

Wisdom not only gets, but once got, retains.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Wisdom

The height of all philosophy is to know thyself; and the end of this knowledge is to know God. Know thyself, that thou mayest know God; and know God, that thou mayest love him and be like him. In the one thou art initiated into wisdom; and in the other perfected in it.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Self-Knowledge

Scandal breeds hatred; hatred begets division; division makes faction, and faction brings ruin.
—Francis Quarles

Make philosophy thy journey, theology thy journey’s end: philosophy is a pleasant way, but dangerous to him that either tires or retires; in this journey it is safe neither to loiter nor to rest, till thou hast attained thy journey’s end; he that sits down a philosopher rises up an atheist.
—Francis Quarles
Topics: Philosophy

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