R.S. Thomas Quotes

There is a common emotion we all recognize and have not yet named -- the happy anticipation of being able to feel contempt.

I expect most psychiatrists have a patient or two they'd like to refer to me.

Gratitude’s got a short half-life, Clarice.

When you feel strain, keep your mouth shut if you can.

Because it's his bad luck to be the best.

Lecter is so lucid, so perceptive; he's trained in psychiatry... and he's a mass murderer.

Evil's just destructive? Then storms are evil, if it's that simple. And we have fire, and there there's hail. Underwriters lump it all under 'Acts of God.

And your dinner for the orchestra officials." "Haven't you ever had people coming over and no time to shop? You have to make do with what's in the fridge, Clarice. May I call you Clarice?

Good-bye Clarice. Will you let me know if ever the lambs stop screaming?" "Yes." Pembry was taking her arm. It was go or fight him. "Yes," she said. "I'll tell you." "Do you promise?""Yes.

It's fear, Jack. The man deals with a huge amount of fear.' Because he got hurt?' No, not entirely. Fear comes with imagination, it's a penalty, it's the price of imagination.

Intense fear comes in waves; the body can't stand it for long at a time.

I love myself that much and I will never apologize to you.

You would think such a day would tremble to begin . . .

I'll confess it is pleasant to look at you asleep. You're quite beautiful, Clarice.

I would not have had that happen to you. Discourtesy is unspeakably ugly to me.

You cant reduce me to a set of influences.

Ready when you are, Sergeant Pempbry.

There is no murder. We make murder, and it matters only to us.

He moves smoothly and slowly, carrying his concentration like a brimming cup.

On a related subject, Signore Pazzi, I must confess to you: I'm giving serious thought to eating your wife.

I found, and find, the scrutiny of Dr. Lecter uncomfortable, intrusive, like the humming of your thoughts when they x-ray your head.

He who seldom thinks of heaven is not likely to get thither; as the only way to hit the mark is to keep the eye fixed upon it.

Meditation is that exercise of the mind by which it recalls a known truth,-as some kinds of creatures do their food; to be ruminated upon.

Those that have wealth must be watchful and wary, Power, alas! naught but misery brings!

Surely 't is better, when summer is over To die when all fair things are fading away.

Oh, I have roamed o'er many lands, And many friends I've met; Not one fair scene or kindly smile Can this fond heart forget.

Oh, pilot! 'tis a fearful night, There's danger on the deep.

The cards are bigger than you. You're not bigger than the cards. The cards are the best player at the table. So, let them come to you and don't force the issue. Pick your spots.

You ought to go to the Wizard of Oz and ask him for some courage.

Seven cities warred for Homer, being dead, Who, living, had no roof to shroud his head.

No man can be judge to his own cause.

Faith is a gift of God, which man can neither give nor take away by promise of rewards or menace of torture.

Reason is the Soul of the Law.

To say God spake or appeared as he is in his own nature, is to deny his Infiniteness, Invisibility, Incomprehensibility.

The reputation of power IS power.

No arts, no letters - no society.

It's my turn, to take a leap into the darkness!

Wisdom, properly so called, is nothing else but this: the perfect knowledge of the truth in all matters whatsoever.

From whence it follows, that were the publique and private interest are most closely united, there is the publique most advanced.

When a man tells me God hath spoken in a dream, I know he dreamt that God spoke to him.

Men looke not at the greatnesse of the evill past, but the greatnesse of the good to follow.

The law is the public conscience.

I shall be glad then to find a hole to creep out of the world.

For all uniting of strength by private men, is, if for evil intent, unjust; if for intent unknown, dangerous to the Publique, and unjustly concealed.

For naturall Bloud is in like manner made of the fruits of the Earth; and circulating, nourisheth by the way, every Member of the Body of Man.

Leisure can be one of the Mothers of Philosophy.

So that every Crime is a sinne; but not every sinne a Crime.

Fact be vertuous, or vicious, as Fortune pleaseth

Of all Discourse , governed by desire of Knowledge, there is at last an End , either by attaining, or by giving over.

The characters of man's heart, blotted and confounded as they are with dissembling, lying, counterfeiting, and erroneous doctrines, are legible only to him that searcheth hearts.