Great Throughts Treasury

"Women are always most observed when they seem themselves least to observe, or to lay out for observation."

"Women do not often fall in love with philosophers."

"Women who have had no lovers, or having had one, two or three, have not found a husband, have perhaps rather had a miss than a loss, as men go."

"Where words are restrained, the eyes often talk a great deal."

"Women are so much in love with compliments that rather than want them, they will compliment one another, yet mean no more by it than the men do."

"Women love to be called cruel, even when they are kindest."

"Would Alexander, madman as he was, have been so much a madman, had it not been for Homer?"

"A departure from the truth was hardly ever known to be a single one."

"A generous expansion of heart, and frankness of manners, mingled with dignity, will far more recommend a woman to a man of sense, than beauty."

"A good man will honor him who lives up to his religious profession, whatever it be."

"A good man will not engage even in a national cause, without examining the justice of it."

"A man who flatters a woman hopes either to find her a fool or to make her one."

"A man who insults the modesty of a woman, as good as tells her that he has seen something in her conduct that warranted his presumption."

"A brother may not be a friend, but a friend will always be a brother."

"A fop takes great pains to hang out a sign, by his dress, of what he has within."

"A feeling heart is a blessing that no one, who has it, would be without; and it is a moral security of innocence; since the heart that is able to partake of the distress of another, cannot wilfully give it."

"A prudent person, having to do with a designing one, will always distrust most when appearances are fairest."

"A wise man will not discourage that discretion in a mistress which will be his glory and security in a wife."

"Adversity is your shining-time: I see evidently that it must call forth graces and beauties that could not have been seen in a run of that prosperous fortune which attended you from your cradle till now."

"Air and manners are more expressive than words."

"All angry persons are to be treated, by the prudent, as children."

"All the Good I can do, is but a poor third-hand Good; for my dearest Master himself is but the Second-hand. GOD, the All-gracious, the All-good, the All-bountiful, the All-mighty, the All-merciful GOD, is the First: To HIM, therefore, be all the Glory!"

"An acquaintance with the muses, in the education of youth, contributes not a little to soften manners. It gives a delicate turn to the imagination and a polish to the mind."

"A man, by seeming afraid of control, often subjects himself to it."

"All men love to have difficulties to conquer in courtship."

"All that hoops are good for is to clean dirty shoes and keep fellows at a distance."

"And thus, between terror, and the late hour, and what followed, she was diverted from the thoughts of getting out of the house to Mrs. Leeson?s, or anywhere else."

"And pray, said I, walking on, how came I to be his Property? What right has he in me, but such as a Thief may plead to stolen Goods?---Why, was ever the like heard, says she!---This is downright Rebellion, I protest!"

"And, O Jack, the rage of love, the rage of revenge is upon me! by turns they tear me! The progress already made?the women?s instigations?the power I shall have to try her to the utmost, and still to marry her, if she be not to be brought to cohabitation?let me perish, Belford, if she escape me now!"

"As it is but too probable that I may be hurried away to uncle?s without being able to give you previous notice of it; I beg you that as soon as you shall hear of such a violence, you would send to the usual place, to take back such of your letters as may not have reached my hands, or to fetch any of mine that may be there.?May you, my dear, be always happy, prays your, Clarissa Harlowe."

"By the Ace, I have always thought the Laws of the Land denoted; and, as the Ace is above the King or Queen, and wins them; I think the Law should be thought so too."

"Beauty is an accidental and transient good."

"But her mistrust is a little of the latest to do her service!"

"Calamity is necessary to wean our hearts from a too great love of this world."

"Comeliness, not having so much to lose as Beauty has, will hold when Beauty will evaporate or fly off."

"Distresses, however heavy at the time, appear light, and even joyous, to the reflecting mind, when worthily overcome."

"Do you beat me, Bella?"

"Do you call this beating you? only tapping your shoulder thus, said she, tapping again more gently?this is what we expected it would come to?you want to be independent?my father has lived too long for you!"

"Come along child! Come along, Meekness?taking my hand, and leading me towards the door?Demand it of them now?you?ll find both your despised parents together!?What! does your heart fail you??for I resisted being thus insolently offered to be led, and pulled my hand from her."

"Chastity, like piety, is a uniform grace."

"Everything is pretty that is young."

"Friendly satire may be compared to a fine lancet, which gently breathes a vein for health's sake."

"Dreading what might happen as to her intellects, and being very apprehensive that she might go through a great deal before morning (though more violent she could not well be with the worst she dreaded), I humoured her, and ordered Will to endeavour to get a coach directly, to carry us to Hampstead; I cared not at what price."

"Evil courses can yield pleasure no longer than while thought and reflection can be kept off."

"Having never before seen anything but obsequiousness in this woman, little as she liked her, she was frighted at her masculine air and fierce look?God help me! she cried, what will become of me now! then, turning her head hither and thither, in a wild kind of amaze, Whom have I found protector! What will become of me now!"

"Her Person made me her Lover; but her Mind made her my Wife."

"Honesty is good sense, politeness, amiableness,--all in one."

"Human depravity, it is feared, will oftener justify those who judge harshly, than those who judge favourably."

"Hope, or a state of doubt, gives an ardor to a lover which subsides in certainty."

"How unhappy must be the unchaste mother, whose very tenderness to her illegitimate offspring reminds her of her guilt."